CEO roundtable
A client organised an exclusive roundtable where you have the opportunity to engage and converse with David Murphy, the CEO of the PM group and an opportunity to meet and discuss business topics with 25 fellow top entrepreneurs and CEOs. The event is part of a “Meet the shapers” series, where every month a top CEO will take place at a board table to share the lessons learned, insights gained and an opportunity to ask the questions in a private, intimate setting. It is a strictly invitation only. I am the lucky guy facilitating the sessions.
David Murphy
This month we had David Murphy, CEO of the PM group as our guest. Dave joined PM Group in 1989 and has worked in all areas of the business including process design, project and construction management, start-up, commissioning and qualification. Dave was appointed to the PM Group Executive Committee in 2001 and served as Operations Manager in Cork from 2002-2003. He was appointed to the Main Board of PM Group in February 2006 and was named Managing Director of Western Europe in 2008 and Group CEO in 2011.
The topics
An incredibly understated man, who gave an honest account of the workings of the PM group. He talked about leadership, making choices, how to internationalise, the mistakes made, the culture, the organisational structure, how to set up in other countries, talent, sustainability, sales, the values, the communication, innovation and for me most striking lesson; the importance employee ownership as one of the critical success factors.
21st-century leadership
What struck me about the PM group is how close their approach is how leadership in the 21st century is going to look like. The PM approach is straight from “The new leadership literacies”.
Culture
He sees his job as not to be missed when he is gone. With a focus on succession, honesty and integrity, straight talking, using the Irish to be the carrier of culture in new locations (Frank Hannigan, my fellow partner in StrategyCrowd, has written an interesting piece on Ireland as cultural middleware), always mixed with local partners, local hires and a merging with the local culture.
Structure
Decision making is collective, based on deep research, transparency, driven by a number of values (which excludes some markets as a result), with an organisation that is flat, with functional divisions combined with a regional and sectoral matrix.
Niche
PM group is a niche player, one of the few companies being able to deliver complex total solutions from beginning to end. Read “Hidden champions of the 21 century”.
Irish champion
The PM group is an example of a hidden Irish champion. In October we will have Cathal Gaffney, Brown Bag Films in the hot seat, conversing with another 25 top CEOs.
