Human on the Inside with Construction Specialties’s Bill Maloukis
Human on the Inside. We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …
Maxme: Welcome Bill, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight!
You’re the Managing Director at Construction Specialties (CS) Australia, a global manufacturer and supplier of specialist building products.
In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 3), what does this role entail?
Bill Maloukis: My role is to set the strategic vision for CS. I make sure that I am able to provide the resources for our team to be able to implement the vision, and also identify any roadblocks that may throw us off course.
I have to think and be aware of the market, our competitors, new markets, our product range and most importantly our people. Getting the right people on the bus and in the right seat is a really important part of our team’s success. My role is also about motivating and supporting our team and working and listening to them. With coaching and providing solutions, I’m able to support them and overcome challenges.
M: Whilst you’ve been Managing Director at Construction Specialities Australia for an impressive 16 years, your career is of course much deeper. You began your career in design and technical engineering roles, before moving into marketing and sales across companies including Boral Masonry & Caroma Dorf. You also have a passion for leadership and creating diverse workplaces.
How does all this work speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?
BM: I have changed as a leader, I’m not who I was 10 or 15 years ago - I'm continuously learning. One of the most important factors that has helped me along the way is having a mentor from The Executive Connection (TEC). I’ve had a mentor for 15 years and it’s been a sounding board for me.
I also attend a lot of events that feature a lot of diverse speakers and topics; from leadership and innovation to compliance and governance. This provides me with a lot of inspiration, value and networking.
Our team is very diverse and I’m passionate about creating a culture of fairness and inclusion. I’ve worked out that I am a giver, I love connecting people and at this stage of my career, I am involved in a number of other organisations. Through my contributions, I want to help others to succeed.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
BM: When I finished school at Randwick Boys High School, not many people went on to finish year 12 - I was one of the few who did. My Mum was a real educator and gave me the inspiration to improve myself. I studied a Bachelor of Engineering at UNSW majoring in Civil Engineering, and once I graduated, I went on to work in traditional structural engineering and construction roles including some roles that were quite different back then.
I moved to Perisher Valley early on in my career to work as a Site Engineer on the Ski Tube and Mount Blue Cow Ski Resort. From there, I moved to CSR in a technical role. I completed an Executive MBA at UNSW and that’s when I decided I wanted to do something different to engineering and moved into marketing. From there I took on sales and state management roles, which has led me to leadership roles. I’m still doing engineering per se, it’s just not in design or site supervision. Rather, it’s a leadership role in manufacturing of building products.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21 year old self it would be ...
BM: The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone is that 80% of success is just getting out there and getting involved and saying yes. There are so many opportunities out there, if you don’t take those opportunities then you will never know.
Success is not a straight line strategy from A to B. You have to go through a wavy line to find out who you are and who you want to be. It’s really important to be out there meeting and speaking to people and continuously learning. That’s why I’m so passionate about mentoring and helping people, because I believe that a good mentor can fast track your career by up to ten years.
M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in your workplace right now?
BM: It boils down to having open and candid conversations with people; not only staff but customers about what they are looking for. Open questions are very important and I like to ask the question and let the other person speak openly. I’m always looking to support people on their journey and provide them with resources to make them a better version of themselves.
I recently completed an 8 week course on neural linguistics and things that enhance brain productivity (Fluid Thinking by EnigmaFit). It was an interesting course that has opened me up to a raft of concepts that I wasn’t familiar with. Having done the course, I encourage anyone in a leadership role to learn more about it especially when it comes to decision making with people in mind especially around complex topics.
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait / personal super power?
BM: I did a Gallup survey some time ago and I am a ‘Woo’, and I know that sounds quite strange, but a Woo is someone who likes to network, be surrounded by people, promotes others, and engages in open and honest ways.
I try to do this on a daily basis, and I’ve come to realise that it is who I am and it works for me. When I look at my team, many have been with me for a long time and the feedback I have received from them is that they are with me because they like to be challenged and achieve goals. They also like the company and the culture we have developed at CS. People First, Integrity, Solutions Driven and Agility are our CS values and we live by those every day.
M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?
BM: 15 years ago I was more reserved and the biggest skill I had to work on was putting myself out there. That’s why I joined TEC and it was my first opportunity to engage with like minded CEOs and it enabled me to benchmark what others were doing in a safe space. I had to develop myself to be more open and prepared to speak rather than bottle up my answers and also encourage others in my team to also speak. I always make sure I go around the table so that everyone has their say and has an opportunity to voice their opinion.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work at Construction Specialties, what would it be?
BM: Get a mentor. A good mentor should be independent from outside of your organisation so there are no preconceived alliances. I encourage finding a mentor as early as possible in your career so that you can enjoy the benefit of a sounding board early on. Be open to as many opportunities and say yes more often than no.
M: You’ve been granted approval to add one University graduate to your team, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
BM: I’m looking at the gap and the need and ideally someone who is open to new ideas and a willingness to learn. A graduate might not be in the business long term, but I want to be able to support them by giving them some tools and experience to build their career and so they can take on their journey.
M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”
What’s next on your #learning agenda?
BM: I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and next year plan to do the graduate course. I hear it’s a tough course and there is some serious work involved to learn about governance and compliance. I think it will be a valuable course to have for the next chapter of my career.
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