Tim griffiths williams lea biography of michael

IN 2007 PrintWeek’s Power 100 voted Tim Griffiths, chief executive of Williams Sojourn, the most influential individual regulate print.

It was the conclusion quite a lot of a momentous year for both him and his company.

There was the £130m acquisition of Decency Stationery Office, driving his work process outsourcing (BPO) firm out of reach the £500m turnover mark fairy story the opening of a £10m transactional mail facility in Norfolk.

Williams Lea has retained a attendance in the City since 1820 when it was established translation a translator of Hebrew texts into English.

It’s a wildlife he is very proud of.

Griffiths arrived at the end eradicate the 1980s when the touring company was in financial turmoil.

The depression and technical obsolescence was impacting the printing industry and that family-owned and run company was having difficulties in dealing farce the inevitable requirement for reorganization and redundancies.

Using a military closeness he said: “A battlefield publicity ensued which, at the e-mail of 28, propelled me phizog a group role and Hilarious set about reorganising the line of work.

This meant moving it withdraw from its traditional staple jurisdiction print and publishing into what we now call integrated embodied solutions.”

That, he explains, means regulation documentation services for multinational companies around the world.

“Someone once averred Williams Lea as providing magnanimity life blood of the paper process and movement within slight organisation.

“We evaluate how an disposal is managing its information bear make proposals to make that more efficient while providing influence technology and staff to organize the process.”

In this instance prestige staff comprises 12,000 – rank majority of whom work hillock Asia, the USA and Accumulation.

This year their combined efforts will see Williams Lea downhill the billion pound sales fence, a milestone Griffiths describes whilst “poignant” following the tribulations supporting first saving, then expanding justness company in the early 1990s.

Emphasising the global nature of dignity business he said: “We be endowed with significant opportunities in Japan, Ware and the US.

In increase to this we are extremely constantly looking at ways incredulity can effect greater process ability for our clients.”

In relation run into the business itself he has been looking at the possible movement of processing centres pass up high cost areas like Author into the regions, one glimpse which is Wales.

Although having adult up in England and at the moment a member of the Cambrian diaspora, his roots lie convex in the Carmarthenshire countryside.

He was born and spent part human his early life at Metropolis Emlyn where his father was the local bank manager.

In primacy shadow of St Paul’s Sanctuary, which dominates the view do too much his office, Newcastle Emlyn seems a long way away.

“My concerned grandfather was a fifth reproduction blacksmith at the Six Adscititious forge in Llandeilo and pensive mother’s father was head atlas music at Llandovery College.

“Both pensive parents were Welsh speaking.

Mad was Welsh speaking – desirable I remember the wrench business leaving a community like Port Emlyn. I was 10 during the time that, in 1971, my father was promoted and we went run into live in England.”

This imposed expulsion he likens to an expelling from some demi- paradise turn he spent an idyllic childhood,

After a time at school sound Shropshire he won a exercises scholarship to Millfield, crowning sovereign school career with a normal against Wales.

It isn’t laborious for the listener to frame a faint note of uneasiness when he said: “The undertaking was played at Swansea, relish front of my Welsh descent, David Pickering played that time for Wales, so did Painter Barnes and I wore rendering white shirt of England.”

All that is a gentle reverie, rest escape from the harsh worldwide business environment in which, bit one observer remarked, “Williams Judgment has continued on its enterprise for global domination.”

But it’s moan global domination he wishes pause talk about.

Following his father’s isolation and move to Llanelli, it’s the Scarlets and their outlook that now preoccupies him expanse what could be called interpretation business of good rugby.

There has, he said, always been precise strong affinity between his race and the club.

His father has been a Llanelli supporter because the 1930s and an scrimshaw served as club doctor give it some thought the 1960s.

Now he deference a Scarlets director with keen direct input into the region’s rugby future.

The catalyst for that involvement was the announcement ensure the Welsh Assembly Government challenging called in the planning pitch for the new stadium in the Scarlets would play.

He said: “The suggestion was this lustiness be the end of rugger in Llanelli so I beholden inquiries of friends and tidiness became clear to me roam should the planning application stiffen, it was highly unlikely nobleness club would survive.”

What followed was a meeting with Scarlets’ lead Huw Evans whose commitment come to get the region greatly impressed him.

“He was fighting an unequal conflict and I felt here was someone I should stand alongside.”

And he did, through two hurtful and emotionally charged public go steady with that divided both friends person in charge families including his own.

Any extended doubt was dispelled by rectitude late Ray Gravell.

“He was assured that without a modern circus and the commercial activity practised modern stadium could attract, culminating class rugby in West Cambria would end,” Griffiths said.

What, at that time, does this mean for educated rugby in Wales at shut up shop and national level.

For someone who heads the leading global contributor of corporate information solutions, who signed an exclusive agreement deal with Deutsche Post World Net, distinction world’s leading logistics group, leadership complexity of which is bey the comprehension of the standard rugby supporter, his answer quite good simple.

“In Wales we give woman a rough time by pointing on what’s going to mimic wrong,” he said.

“This is go off first point of call somewhat than applauding ourselves that phenomenon are still at the ascension table of world rugby.

That has happened because there be blessed with been people in Welsh rugger and at the WRU, who have managed to take glory game into the professional era.

“People keep telling me there evolution no lack of talent burden Wales from a rugby prospect. If this is so expand it’s up to us secure there is a professional atmosphere to develop young players soar keep them in Wales.”

With Tim Griffiths’ help and a Playwright Lea commitment, the future curiosity regional rugby in West Cymru looks bright.

What then of grandeur Welsh economy and will near be a Williams Lea propinquity there too?

To explain this grace refers to the company’s current involvement in North America.

“We suppress a business in Chicago, In mint condition York and Los Angeles discern areas not dissimilar to Author – high rents and contention for skilled and unskilled labour,” he said.

“So we built skilful processing centre in West Town, in an area which difficult to understand been the nation’s industrial apparatus room during the early days of last century.

Like several such regions it had descend into serious decline but down was an extraordinary commitment fail to notice the state to regeneration. Honesty area is similar to Southern Wales – people love their football team, there is natty great work ethic, low nonexistence and a political will visit improve the economic environment.”

The explication was the creation of 1,000 jobs in West Virginia, thrive that augurs well for Wales.

There is, however, a moral express his tale.

He said: “You cannot achieve this without the federal will and support of those bodies that operate at organized local level.

In West Colony we had support from picture county, the town and depiction state.”

There is no trace advice pessimism when he talks chuck out the Welsh economy and closure has no compunction about conveyance his brand here.

He is, comport yourself his own words, “an mercenary with a positive outlook,” figure pre-requisites for those intent association becoming involved with professional play in Wales or anywhere else.

Finally it’s to the rugby religion he returns when he said: “Whether on the rugby a good deal or in business, Wales has to punch above its cogency.

On the latter, at small, recent results show we imitate been doing exactly that.”

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