Arthur Goodall, CEO
What I like most about my job at Markinson is the variety – no two days are the same. I enjoy engaging with our customers and working with them and our team to create and provide solutions that grow their business. I also enjoy working with my team to help each person reach their personal and professional goals. For me, my measure of success is seeing my people thrive both personally and professionally.
When I think about what type of leader I am, it is best described as consultative; I like to question and collaborate. At Markinson, I’m able to surround myself with people who are experts in their field. Together, we can work through a challenge or innovation to create the solution so that, as a business, we will produce the best possible results for our customers.
My background and area of expertise is managing high-performing teams and businesses across multiple countries and industries. I break down large “pie in the sky” details into achievable targets for internal teams and clients, ensuring we see the positive and easily measure success. People are what makes our business and yours successful – so it’s important to be able to work with all stakeholders collaboratively to ensure the solution we provide meets all your needs.
Working with the Markinson teams fulfils my professional passion but having a life outside of my role here is equally important, because I value spending quality time with my family. If I could book a holiday with them tomorrow, it would be to go somewhere on a Royal Caribbean cruise – there are so many things to do onboard. Plus, we get to wake up and find ourselves in some interesting port in another country. Travelling with my kids on board is great; there is so much to keep them engaged and off their media; plus, the kids make friends so quickly on board. This means they get to see and experience different cultures, both on and off the ship, leaving my wife and me to relax and enjoy the downtime. These holidays are about making memories as a family, and for me, one of my best memories was playing cricket on board with my kids and a heap of fascinating people from all over the world.
These memories as a father make me think of myself as a teenager and what advice I wish I could have given to myself. I know I might not have paid attention at the time, but hopefully, I’d have remembered some of it:
Don’t be afraid to have lofty goals but understand you will only achieve them with a plan and hard work.
Always remember those that help you along the way.
Invest in yourself (don’t be afraid to always be learning; try new things, and don’t back down from a challenge).
Don’t judge other people by my values.
Support other people’s dreams.
In business and your personal life, if someone comes to you with something they want to try (and it’s not illegal), always support it. Even if other people had done it before and failed, this person could do something slightly different that makes it work. Assuming failure from the outset ensures failure.
In failure, you also get the chance to learn the biggest lessons. Better to aim high and miss that than shoot low and score all the time.