| When external board members become the catalyst for company and personal development | ||
| Slice Fruit specializes in producing sliced and ready-prepared fruit for its customers, which range from company canteens at one end to exclusive hotels at the other. The company is located in Kolding, Denmark and today employs 15 people. This one-hour long interview with the owner gives us a good picture of the challenges, which small entrepreneurial companies face, and which role external board members play. It is a company in which the introduction of an external board member – in this case a chairman - has had a very direct effect on the company, and it has been a direct contributor to getting the company to where they are now. Furthermore, it is a very important parameter in their efforts to take it to the next level. High ambitions The ambitions are high. Anders Hviid Klinge, the Managing Director of Slice Fruit, wants to develop the company into a large and interesting one by holding on to its current market and market share whilst diversifying into other market segments as well. He is not in doubt – in order to achieve these goals, he will need somebody with an objective and critical eye to ensure that his ideas are being challenged and mirrored against previous experiences. To be open, vulnerable and admit that you do not have a clue This is something, you learn. When he acquired the company in 2007, the board initially consisted of the previous owner, close relatives and himself. However, such a board constellation quickly proved unable to give him the constructive criticism, you need in order to move forward. Discussions were often focused on day-to-day issues rather than strategy. According to Anders Klinge, it is important to have the opportunity to “…be open, vulnerable and admit that you do not have a clue.” And in order to be able to do that, you need an external and independent board member who does not have any emotional attachments - neither to you as a person or to the company as such. With the external board member as a facilitator, strategic discussions today focus on the do-able rather than all the things you can’t do. Moreover, having an external chairman of the board with an extensive professional network in a different part of the country has opened doors and business opportunities, which would have been difficult, if not impossible, before. In other words, he opens doors and, as Anders Klinge bluntly states: “You can’t win a war on your own.” Accountability In Slice Fruit, the external chairman has therefore had a direct impact on the company’s development. As a result, it is a red thread throughout the relationship in that his payment is directly dependent on the fortunes of the company. Such a direct link is the only sustainable solution in small entrepreneurial companies such as Slice Fruit. Since he is taking part in all decision-making processes, such as payment structure, reflect the personal motivation of the chairman and mutual interests involved in this professional relationship. Looking to the future Slice Fruit is looking to the future. In the near future, they look to expand; not only in terms of product diversification, but also expanding to new markets and higher sales figures in existing ones. Anders Klinge sees an extension of the company board as a necessary and natural consequence of not only Slice Fruit’s development, but his own professional development as well. Read more You can read more by visiting the home page of Slice Fruit here | ||
| Date | 28-04-2009 | |||