Graham used his engineering and MBA
skills to develop a thriving UK operation for a global
company
When studying to become an engineer, Graham Morrell hadn't
foreseen that one day he would follow in the footsteps of his
business hero, Sir John Harvey Jones, arguably the first reality TV
personality who helped to turnaround troubled businesses.
Graham is managing director of Forbo Siegling UK,
part of the market-leading global Forbo Group, which produces
flooring, bonding and movement systems (eg conveyor belts). Forbo
products are integral to everyday life - whether at home, in the
office, factory, shop or public building, the chances are you have
stood on Forbo flooring or handled goods transported by its
movement systems. UK customers include blue-chip brands such as
Cadbury, Jaguar Land Rover and Nestle/Thorntons.
In 2007, Graham took the helm of the UK operation which had been
acquired by Forbo Siegling from private owners, and inherited the
significant challenge of transforming it into an efficient,
productive and profitable business with a wider European customer
base. "The process of analysing the business model and
operations, developing a new strategy, dealing with industrial
relations and introducing new processes and systems, reminded me of
Sir John Harvey Jones' BBC Troubleshooter programme," said
Graham.
"Becoming a business leader couldn't have been further from my
early ambition - no one in my family had previously been to
university and a business leadership career seemed a world
apart. I had daring ideas of joining the Navy or becoming a
fighter pilot; the latter passion ignited by passing the RAF Biggen
Hill Test in Advance at 16.
"But here I am heading up the UK subsidiary of a billion pound
group, leading a team of 55 people. I have built an immensely
strong team that has embraced many new changes and transformed the
company, increasing turnover substantially. Despite the
recession we are growing rapidly; in 2010 sales were up by a
two-digit growth and last year we grew again significantly."
The success of the company led to Graham joining the Group
Management meeting involving him in the group's strategy
development, for example, looking at expanding into new
territories.
Graham explained: "A key part of Forbo's strategy is to
strengthen and develop the Group's presence in growth markets. In
the UK our ultimate goal is to become the market leader so we're
introducing new service propositions to customers and expanding our
product offering in the market by increasing our innovation
rate."
After graduating from
Imperial College (London) with a degree in Mining Engineering,
Graham started his career at the 'coal face' of engineering with a
metals trader but jumped ship a year later to join Padley &
Venables (part of the Gardener Denver group), a drill equipment
manufacturer in Sheffield as an applications engineer. This
gave him the satisfaction of working in a field he enjoyed and the
opportunity to travel throughout Europe and South America where he
visited mines and quarries monitoring equipment trials and advising
on product applications.
Graham started his business troubleshooting career after joining
the family firm in 1990, FT Morrell & Co, manufacturers of wood
finishes. During his 13 years with the company he progressed
from production manager at the London factory to operations
director, and turned around the fortunes of the French operation,
creating a profitable company with £18m turnover.
Graham continued, "At first glance engineering may not seem an
obvious precursor to a business career, but a university
engineering course teaches you a series of core skills or modules,
each of which has a role to play in business. For example, in
my current role at Forbo, I would have struggled to understand our
products and their applications without a good grasp of materials,
friction and mechanical engineering.
"Most of all, however, is the methodological approach to systems
that you are taught in engineering that gives you an
advantage. A structured approach, the ability to plan well,
project manage and adopt a clear and realistic estimate of the
business situation are all consistent with engineering
training. These skills enabled me to develop workable
strategies to turnaround Morrell's French operation.
"As I moved through my career, I asked myself what is the 'check
list' of skills to become a better business leader? The list
includes strategy, project management, product marketing, managing
people, understanding finance, all of which are taught on an MBA
course. While an MBA can't teach you everything - you have to
go out and apply the knowledge - it's a fantastic way to develop
your business acumen and advance your career, so that's exactly
what I did."
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Graham harnessed his previous business
experience, engineering and MBA skills to effect the
transformation at Forbo Siegling UK. He shifted it from a
business struggling to find its place within a major international
corporate Group, into a successful operation with a dynamic,
cooperative culture. In addition, Graham increased financial
management and controls, and productivity improvement systems.
"Building a relationship of mutual trust and understanding
between the corporate office and the local team was pivotal to the
company's growth. In other roles, I had dealt with a militant
workforce very quick to take strike action and introduced Investors
in People as a model to change cultural attitudes. I used
this past experience to bring about a much improved corporate
culture at Forbo Siegling.
"People with engineering backgrounds have the makings of great
business leaders because of their balance and realism; they are a
good counter-balance to blue-sky thinkers and the natural
cautiousness of accountants. Engineers can see 'the
possible', they can see the pitfalls and they are used to
generating solutions. Most important, and as a direct result
of their practical training, they can implement. In business the
number one priority is delivering the right result on time and as
expected. Engineers want to get into the detail of things,
who what, where and why. We take a practical and
methodological approach and think in terms of delivering within set
time boundaries.
"While I'm not in favour of quotas, SMFs' mission to get more
engineers into boardrooms by supporting their professional
development is good for business and the economy. More
engineers should set up and run their own companies as we have
considerable skills to bring to the table. Engineers
are trained to take a team-based leadership approach; employ
practical fact-based strategies and are clear thinkers, avoiding
the perils of group-think.
"My division of Forbo is headquartered in Hanover where it is
almost a prerequisite to have a doctorate to join the
company! We, in the UK, have something to learn about the
level of education young graduates should receive before being let
loose in business. Here, engineering and, even the sciences
are seen as goals in themselves and not part of a boarder
development programme towards leadership roles. Finance
professionals, for example, obtain their degrees and later become
FCAs or equivalent and then after some post qualification
experience, many move onto other roles within organisations.
This type of career path should be advocated more by the
engineering organisations in the UK to support their alumni in
developing something much broader than a technical focus.
"I would advise any ambitious young engineer with an eye on a
senior management or board role to get some success in engineering
under their belt; complete the CEng qualification; get a good MBA
from a top class business school and use it as a turning point to
move into a more general management role. They should also
get exposure to sales and take on challenging tasks. If they
can set a career path with their current employer, they should stay
with that as long as it's delivering progression, but they
should not be afraid to move."
CAREER
2007 to PRESENT: Managing
Director, Forbo Siegling UK Ltd
2003-2007: Managing Director, Profile
Wrappers Ltd
1990-2003: Operations Director, F T
Morrell & Co Ltd
1988-1990: Applications Engineer, Padley
& Venables Ltd
1987-1988: Director's Assistant, Pan
Europe Ltd (Metals Trader)
