Bill Murray, CEO Schwing America
Bill Murray has never been afraid of a challenge! To that point, Bill is currently acting CEO, CFO and COO of Schwing America, a member of Schwing Group, a worldwide designer, manufacturer & distributor of premium concrete production and handling equipment, headquartered in Germany . His career has prepared him well for this role – his early days in public accounting followed by a succession of leadership roles in the manufacturing industry. Bill’s energetic, outgoing and never-say-quit approach made Scouts Talent curious to learn more…
What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?
Master the numbers! A sales leader once told me when I was a CFO doing a projection, “you can lie about the numbers, but the numbers don’t lie”. With today’s data analytics served up easily to our devices, know what to look for and what it means and then help others “connect the dots” of where quantitative meet qualitative in decision making. Manufacturing is an old industry but data analytics can enable rapid learning that you don’t have to wait to get 20 years’ experience to gain knowledge which accelerates the succession plan to the next generation of leaders.
If you could try a different job for a day, what would you choose?
A college professor that is also a football coach, but I feel like a teacher everyday so I would rather try CEO of Tesla because I think the hours per day is about the same and being disruptive in the automotive industry is appealing. Third choice is a barkeep in Dublin, Ireland.
What is your mantra?
JC – Just care! If you care enough, you will make the right decision and provide all your required effort for family, friends, colleagues, company and your faith. The other is CARE – Correct All Recurring Errors. A/k/a – continuous improvement and growth in work or in life.
People, Process and Systems, like a 3-legged stool, when one leg is weak, the others bear the load and compensate for that deficiency.
How do you get yourself out of a slump?
Push myself physically in exercise and “get more busy” or work harder. Down time is wasted time thinking about the slump and it is more likely to exacerbate or compounds it than learn from it and move on.
What companies or leaders do you admire?
US Armed Forces, Wayne Huizenga (RIP), Bill Belichick, and Derek Jeter for all being consistent winners amid changing times and environments.
What has been the biggest shift you’ve noticed in your industry in the last decade?
Lean technologies replacing the need for labor and being compounded by the shrinking size of the skilled labor workforce in the trades.
Who has been most instrumental in your career?
My family, because providing for and helping them is the priority.
What is your go-to celebration meal, drink or tradition?
A salmon salad and a pint of Guinness at Emmitt’s in St. Paul or at Connelly’s Perfect Pint in Manhattan, NYC.
