What inspires me:
Hard work and seeing the results pay off.
What excites me about this industry:
Some of the historic pieces from the Dennison era, incredible artwork and design and the skill that went into it is impressive, but it is not much different than today other than the output device and the means to deliver it. Innovating, defending, and evolving in this industry is key to its survival and that excites me and keeps me in the industry.
Why Avery Dennison RBIS:
Working with some of the most famous brands in the world is a great experience and seeing the products we have developed in the retail space is unique. I had known Avery Dennison as both a competitor and customer in my prior in-house experiences and knew a number of people at Avery Dennison over the years, they were great people.
My path to law and RBIS:
I was indoctrinated early into law, particularly intellectual property (IP) law. My father, his brother, and another uncle were all IP attorneys. I remember going to trials and sitting in the courtroom during infringement cases when I was in grade school. I have had a lot of interesting experiences over the years and have worked not only in IP but also as more of a generalist. It actually took two attempts at recruiting me before I came to Avery Dennison. One of the primary drivers that made me change my mind was the commitment to RFID. In addition to IP law, I also cover a number of other areas of law so I appreciate the breadth of my practice areas here.
How my work impacts our customers:
Being responsive, creative, flexible, and building relationships is a major impact. Lawyers shouldn’t be viewed as a roadblock, but as a business partner. I like to find the way to a resolution, an agreement, and a path forward so that the business can grow. I want my internal clients to know that I am here to support and will respond as quickly as I can and will work with the customer to get a deal done.
The value of protecting a company’s Intellectual Property:
If you do not innovate and protect the fruits of that effort a company may not succeed or survive. In our industry, there are many companies that are no longer in business because they were one of the followers. Having IP rights allows a degree of separation between you and the competition. When they copy you, you have the right to stop the copyist. Many of our customers are recognized innovators and they respect the value of IP. So they appreciate the level of sophistication we have when making comparisons to other suppliers. IP then also serves not only as a deterrent but also as a marketing tool.
What makes a successful leader:
Fairness, passion, ethics, commitment, a sense of humor, and a willingness to accept your mistakes.
What drives my performance:
A desire to serve the clients, the business, and customers. When I first started my career, one of the fundamentals that made a huge impression on me was, “the client always comes first.” While one needs to be proactive, it doesn’t mean the client is always right or that you should give in, but you still have to try work towards an acceptable solution.
How I live the RBIS core values:
By being creative, flexible, responsive, and not sacrificing principles in order to deliver a result.
