As president and CEO of Bilfinger Inc. and executive president for all of Bilfinger's operations in North America, Mike Cox wears many hats in his professional life. Upon joining the organization in September 2020, he took on the responsibilities of establishing a strong company culture built on discipline and fairness, and uniting all of Bilfinger's North American business units under the shared brand of "One Bilfinger."
BIC Magazine recently visited with Cox to learn more about his position, his goals for Bilfinger's continued growth and the most important lessons he has learned over the course of his career.
Q: What is the most important part of your position?
A: Establishing great culture. I think leadership and culture go hand-in-hand. My job is to basically build a culture that can execute the strategy of the company and make people want to come to work. I work to build that culture by developing a disciplined approach to business and consistency in how the business operates. Also, frequent and transparent communication is crucial; we have about 3,000 employees in North America. You simply cannot run a company this size and have a bunch of individual plans for individual people. You have to be very consistent in how you treat them and how you communicate with them. Discipline drives the culture of accountability and meeting expectations while being treated fairly and respectfully. Take time to say "thank you," and listen to their concerns.
Q: What is your biggest lesson learned?
A: I value my mistakes more than I value my successes. I have to repeat success every day, but I try to never repeat mistakes. I learn more from my mistakes, so I always make time to reflect on them. If I am told, "Hey, you did a great job on this," I always think, "Sure, but what could I have done better?" Be humble and do not believe your own press.
Q: What are your goals for your position?
A: We have four major companies that we own, and my goal right now is to bring all of them together. We are calling that "One Bilfinger." It is about bringing these different entities together under one brand -- Bilfinger North America. We have been working hard on that. That should give us significant advantages in the market. We are already starting to see that in the depth of what we bring to the market. We feel it is going to be hard to match in our sector and should allow Bilfinger to grow in the U.S.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote? Why is it your favorite?
A: "Be brilliant at the basics and they become habit." I have been saying this for years, and in the world we live in, with all of this data and complexity, simplicity is the ultimate sign of intelligence these days.
One of the things I try to drive at Bilfinger is, "Don't make things too complicated." Look for ways to simplify things. Focus on the basics and perfect the process, and success will follow.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: I wish I was better at that. I am super competitive, so I find great comfort in competition. Even when I am off work, I tend to think about how to win at work. I exercise a lot to stay in shape. I have two boys, and I try to stay active with them. Whatever they are into, I try to be their biggest supporter. I am always trying to read and study, and always trying to learn more. Learning helps me relax. Therefore, exercise, family and learning are big for me.
For more information, visit www.bilfinger.com or call (346) 298-6800.
