FINAT comes to aid of young managers

FINAT, the worldwide self-adhesive association, has launched a Young Managers’ Club to help prepare the next generation of  executives for taking control of their companies. The move has been welcomed by Isidore Leiser, head of France’s Stratus Packaging Europe group.

‘If only there had been something like it in existence when I had to take over running the family business, I would have been better prepared for the challenge,’ he said.

Leiser, who runs self-adhesive, sleeving and in-mold label operations at three factories in France, employing 240 people, had to take up the reins unexpectedly four years ago when his father became ill and had no alternative but to hand over to his son more quickly than he had planned.

‘Although I had degrees in production and management engineering and had worked as a management consultant, I was totally unprepared for the responsibilities of running the family business when it was thrust upon me so suddenly,’ he said.

‘While I had met and worked with people in other companies who were a help to me, I welcomed having more experience of the kind that FINAT is now undertaking through its Young Managers’ Club. Because my father was taken ill so suddenly, we had not had time to prepare for the change and there were many things I did not know about our operations but which I had to handle from day one.

‘It was also very difficult for our employees suddenly finding a new man at the helm – and some people were saying I was taking over just because I was his son and not because I was necessarily capable,’ Leiser said.

He did find considerable help among FINAT’s membership ‘but most of the people I knew were from the older generation and there were few people of my age and who had knowledge of circumstances similar to mind that I could turn to for advice,’ he said.

FINAT‘s Young Managers’ Club sees an increasing need for mutual assistance among companies whose founders are now reaching the age when they need to organize a succession.

‘Ours is a comparatively young industry and many of the people in it started their own companies and need to be grooming their children to take on the family business but who often have only had experience of working within the family firm,’ Leiser said.

FINAT scheme will enable young, promising managers to meet and discuss mutual problems, listen to acknowledged experts in relevant subjects and even undertake exchange visits between firms to gain extra experience of other manufacturing methods to broaden their knowledge and equip them for assuming top management roles.

‘Such an organization would have been of great help in preparing me for the eventuality and I am sure it will appreciated by many other young managers in companies in Europe and around the world as they prepare to advance in their careers,’ added Leiser.