5 people who inspired me in 2023

In 2022, we laid the foundation. In 2023, we set our next chapter in motion. Next year, Mativ will continue to take bold steps in becoming the global leader in specialty materials. ?

But none of us will do it alone. We all need inspiration to keep pushing, to keep bettering ourselves, and to keep growing. I find great inspiration everywhere, every day at Mativ. From Alpharetta to Weidach and everywhere in between, making connections with customers and colleagues is what drives me. ?

But just like you, there are others out there that provide additional inspiration to compel me forward, spanning across key players in the industry, the field, and the Atlanta community. I’m highlighting five (of many more!) and the ways they keep me grounded and motivated.

1) Acknowledging your team is not enough – know their work and be on the ground with them to rally and energize them.

For a field like manufacturing and with a portfolio as comprehensive as ours, getting smart on your process and team is vital. This is especially needed for larger organizations like Mativ, where roles often differ across geographies, business units, and child brands.

You can only rally a team around a shared purpose once you know the people behind the work. Bouncing back from the virtual days of the pandemic, my priority has been to lean into facetime and spend time with our Mativ crew on the manufacturing floor to learn from them and understand their needs. I believe this is what formed the basis for our shared culture and collaborative spirit from Day 1 of our merger.

Leaders like Oshkosh Corporation CEO John Pfeifer and 英格索兰 CEO Vicente Reynal are great examples here. They’re consistently on the ground with their people, focusing on building their team and brand momentum as their north star.

2) Be resilient and disruptive, especially through adverse moments.

Our greatest wins often come on the heels of our greatest losses, and it’s on us as leaders to navigate our teams through the highs, lows, and everything in between. The fact is, we learn a lot from what we do right, but we stand to gain a lot more from what we do wrong. It’s that drive to meet (and exceed) expectations and show up in a stronger, more unconventional way that makes all the difference in bouncing back.

Deion Sanders gets this. As a proud Florida State University alum and Atlanta Braves/Falcons fan, I know Sanders is a disruptor –?and that he knows that’s what it takes to perform, to be resilient in the face of setbacks, and to bounce back to successfully compete.

Attitude and vision > everything else.

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3) Leaders have to create the environment and set the benchmark for feedback and growth.

Above all else, leaders are models –?of work ethic, of attitude, and of culture. ?They are brand and employee advocates first and foremost, so they must be hands-on in setting the tone for their organization’s growth.

Recently, I am inspired by people like IPG - Intertape Polymer Group CEO Peter Durette and Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick because they’re proof points of this learning. You can clearly see their fingerprints on their respective organizations and the impact they have effectively championing their people, their stakeholders, and – in Katie’s case – the whole Atlanta business community!

A look ahead to 2024

From a business environment standpoint, 2023 has certainly presented a fair share of challenges. Many forces are largely unpredictable and out of our control, so we must be proactive and purposeful in managing those aspects where we do have an influence on the outcome. In the year ahead, that means doing even more to lean into our teams and recognize great work, remain resilient and be strategically disruptive, and embody the standards we want to see for our growth.