Nick Foley

15/20

Nick Foley was one of my ten bosses but I had the longest stint with him - eight of my twenty years! He truly helped me transform from brand consultant to managing director.

Nick’s mantra: Culture. Creativity. Clients. Create the right environment which allows creativity to flourish which will attract the best clients which will create growth. Then ruthlessly manage the trifecta of fees, scope and time on projects.

What I learnt best from Nick was how to run a profitable business. If you wanted to know if an office in Nick’s region was running profitably, all you had to do was look in the refrigerator! If the office was making its numbers, the fridge was fully stocked with goodies of all kinds (hint, hint!). If not, well…it was depressing and we would rally to get things back on track as soon as possible.

I learnt how exceeding your profit targets gave you as the MD the freedom to do whatever you wanted to make the culture as attractive as it could be for all employees. I’m sure my colleagues will fondly remember all the things we did as Landor Mumbai including Cookouts for Walter’s Day, Thrive Global Holistic Wellness sessions, River Rafting trips and many more!

What lessons have you learnt on running a business profitably?

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