‘Turning any situation into a positive ‘

Wow, what an episode this is. It was a real privilege to have Russell Richardson on the Manufacturing Leaders podcast.

A true leader in every sense of the word, who worked his way up from an Apprentice Welder to Head of Operations at Caterpillar, before working at Komatsu helping them through an MBO to SE-TEK

Russell is another reason why the North East is such a powerhouse in UK Manufacturing.

I was blown away by his outlook on life and it’s something we can all learn from.

We discuss…

• Intro
• What does it mean to be a leader? 
• The early years growing up in the North East to Apprentice Fabricator 
• Early working conditions and environment 
• Managing a team when very young without experience
• Taking the opportunities that seem scary or risky
• The influence his dad had on his mindset and career 
• Managers who have influenced him
• Investing in people to improve manufacturing
• The importance of listening and giving people a voice 
• Leaving Caterpillar after 30 years and transitioning 
• Working in a Management Buy Out 
• Taking the positives out of any situation 
• Managing time and mindset when out of work
• Quickfire question
• Guest question from Don Murray