Hallmark chief plays business cards right

DOUG TODD

Managing director, Hallmark Cards NZ.

Size of company:Approaching $30 million turnover.

Length of time with company:15 1/2 years.

Age:36


What makes your day at work?


I get tremendous satisfaction when I hear that [someone] has rung in to thank or praise our staff for something they have done.

Also, I frequently come across groups of people in our facility discussing ways of improving service or resolving issues that I was not necessarily aware of - that they feel so empowered and passionate about the business is inspiring.

How did you get where you are today?


By 25 I figured out I wanted a senior position in a multi-national company. I have stayed with Hallmark here because New Zealand is home, and as a family-owned company it has extraordinary growth plans.

Attractive as they were, I resisted the temptations over the years to jump ship for the sake of a new title and more money. To me it is just as important - and rewarding - to ascend the leadership position in an organisation filled with people you care about and believe in.

What were the most important lessons you learned on the way up?


Surround yourself with exceptional people. Look closely at a good business and you'll more often than not find a great team. If you want results, hire people that are capable of delivering them. I've also found one of the great benefits of working in a multi-national corporation is the ability to be exposed to international trends and people with a real wealth of experience. One of the key things is to never stop learning.

How have you dealt with any pitfalls in your career?


On a couple of occasions we launched products that were a little ahead of their time - like a computer kiosk set up about six years ago enabling people to create their own greeting cards. New Zealand consumers were a little fearful of technology then and did not pick up on them as fast as we had anticipated. Since then we've been a bit more circumspect, taking more time to review overseas results and conducting local research before launching into anything revolutionary.

Even so, the kiosks would probably be a roaring success these days as people are more used to technology. We do intend to launch a similar initiative in the next few months.

What advice would you give to a young person starting out in business?


Firstly - be patient. Be passionate about the products or services you work with - if you can't be, you'll end up being one of those people who "quit". Always deliver on any commitments you make. That means making deadlines, getting back to customers or colleagues - develop a reputation for being dependable.

What's the biggest challenge for your company in the current economy?


Our greatest problems are arising from rapid growth outstripping available resources. Having said that, even with some very aggressive expansion plans coming to fruition, our relatively small economy creates fierce competition at all levels of the supply chain, which makes it very difficult for many companies to provide meaningful improvements in shareholder value.

What one thing would you have done differently in your business life?


In business, I can't really think of anything that stands out. Being with this company for 151/2 years has led to the occasional bout of soul searching and worry about being pigeonholed, but at the moment I would have to say I am happy to stay with this organisation as long as possible.

What ambitions do you have?


We doubled the size of this business - both market share and sales - in the past five years and intend to do the same in the next three.

How do you relax?


Weekends with my wife and daughter are the best tonic for a long week of frenetic business activity. A bit of sailing, fishing or swimming never goes amiss.

* Doug Todd spoke with Dita De Boni.