Case Study
Brian Craig
Company: Indium Corporation
Role: Managing Director
Managing Director Brian Craig has been with the business 30 years. He started in Technical Sales in the UK, then Europe where he developed a rudimentary Continental Sales Channel Partner network. He then moved to headquarters in Upstate New York to become Corporate Programs Manager, a Multi functional/training position where he was involved in: marketing communications, HR challenges, product management, technology licensing, new factory set-up and general management team functions. He subsequently returned to Europe as MD to develop marketing strategy and optimise the factory with full P&L responsibility and currently manages the European team of 42 employees.
Brian has recently carried out the acquisition of a company in Germany which will be trading this year. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Management. (FISM)
Founded in 1934, Indium Corporation is a long-standing US based family business. Indium is an advanced materials company focusing on the development, manufacture and supply of advanced materials for the (mostly) electronics assembly business. The products they make are used by most people in their everyday lives – but they would never know it!
MD2MD, it’s no longer lonely at the top they said..
Before MD2MD, sharing my business discussions and challenges were largely limited to people in my own company, and to lesser degree people in my own industry. Then I saw the light. The diversity of views, opinions and experience I was able to get from the peer group sessions on a multitude of challenges took my capabilities to a whole new level. My greater surprise though was just how my own experiences were able to help others.
Brian was headhunted by Bob and was not looking for MD2MD when he came across it. He received an invite as a guest to a peer group session and a speaker-led workshop. Brian says that he was intrigued by the mantra “it’s no longer lonely at the top,” as he did feel – well – lonely as Managing Director where he only really communicated with his own management team regarding business matters.
Brian speaks very highly of MD2MD and the value which it has brought to him and the company. He says that he and the team are ‘fans.’ In particular, Brian says he finds the peer group challenge boards beneficial as he receives different perspectives from like-minded people. He says that he was initially surprised by the expertise of people from very different companies to his own, highlighting how all businesses face similar challenges. He also says that the experience which he had to share with others surprised him, but that he enjoys offering his expertise and perspectives with the people he has come to see as his friends through MD2MD.
Brian says that the speaker workshops are of a high quality and that most of the time they are relevant. He likes that you can bring guests along, as he can share his experiences with his managers, who also find the sessions valuable and enjoy meeting other like-minded people to share ideas with. Brian explains that he has been able to Implement things learnt from sessions within the company. He says that, during meetings, what has been learnt from MD2MD sessions is often referred back to and helps to develop more rounded management overall.