The Andrew Davidson Interview & , : {} Charismatic, large and bluntly ambitious, Samir Brikho can appear both seducer and businessman rolled in to one. He wears suits by Ermenegildo Zegna, he drives a DeLorean, he exudes outlandish charm, nonetheless the approach he talks so obsessively about his commercial operation you feel he contingency have proposed it from scratch.
Then the yin to that yang kicks in. He is, he explains in his accented English, additionally a advocate of difficult proof and cold detail. Before I assimilated this company, I did a consummate research of the strengths and weaknesses, talked to clients, did a shift piece check-up, complicated the litigations, analysed chronological opening . . .
His teeth glimmer as he grins at my bemusement. Well, if the universe invariably did that, marry see all businesses behaving improved than they do, wouldnt we?
Brikho, 51, is a one-off, right down to his clean-cut suits and Lebanese-Swedish roots, an surprising credentials for a trainer who right away runs one of Britains largest engineering enterprises.
And loyal to form, in his 4 years at the tip of Amec, he has not been delayed in display both sides of that make-up, clinically divesting the tools that werent performing, afterwards relaunching the organisation as a dedicated oil, gas and mining services dilettante with a passion for performance.
The critical part, says Brikho, is to get the brew right, both in commercial operation and in personality. Cold when you need to be, and ardent at alternative times. Its great with that multiple if you can have make use of of it in the right way.
Sitting in his bureau on Londons grubby Old Street, Brikho seems so uniformly assured you wouldnt think Amec struggled by 3 distinction warnings five years ago. This week the companys investors will get a image of usually how well his turnround is going when Brikho reveals full-year total for the business, coming to tip 2.6 billion in revenues.
That hardly beats 2008s turnover, but shows essential element to recession. So will he broach the hoped-for 8% domain on gain prior to interest, tax, debasement and amortisation? He grins again. Weve pronounced were coming it. Watch this space.
And what will he do with the 700m income raise thats ascent up in Amec? Buy behind shares or buy up rivals? You will have to wait for and see, he smiles.
Born in Beirut, prepared in Sweden, Brikho is simply the majority charismatic trainer in the engineering sector, but his aspiration has stormy feathers. Last year some-more than 40% of Amecs shareholders voted opposite his compensate and perks package at the companys annual assembly it still went through, however. He brushes that aside, observant his 850,000 pay, 125% reward and share options are the commercial operation of the arrangement committee, and zero to do with him.
But he contingency have been cranky the cabinet got financier view and the timing of that compensate climb so wrong? You wish to be quoted in newspapers for great reasons, not bad ones, he shrugs.
Others see Brikho as a man in a hurry, dynamic to expostulate his commercial operation up the FTSE 100 it was No 87 last week or burst boat to head a indeed tellurian giant. He has the CV, the opening stripes and the general education to do that, and Amecs arrangement cabinet knows it. The subject stays either his aspiration will pull Amec further, or in to creation a wrong move first.
It hasnt yet. Since that flurry of distinction warnings that greeted his arrival, he has shifted the commercial operation out of construction, polite engineering, comforts services, skill enlargement and open in isolation partnerships, and tightened the concentration on higher worth services, in a vital move that has proven to be really smart.
Amec right away has 3 groups healthy resources; energy and process; earth and sourroundings and counts BP, Shell, Exxon, National Grid and EDF in between the greatest customers. Brikho predicts serve enlargement from the arch and environmental contracts. Water government in sold will be key, he says.
This weeks formula should additionally endorse that Amec is right away outperforming majority rivals financially, notwithstanding the pushback in projects last year. In 2006 we used to be median in conditions of margins of the peers. Today we are second majority appropriate in the industry.
Who is No 1? Worley Parsons, that released a distinction notice last month.
Perhaps the Aussie group, with a marketplace worth of 3.4 billion 800m larger than Amecs could be an contingent bid target? You got the money? snaps behind a shouting Brikho.
He hasnt, but hes operative on it. Amec has no debt and could steal to enlarge the fight chest, giving Brikho some-more than 1 billion to spend. But analysts design smaller, bolt-on acquisitions, not blockbuster deals. Areas such as subsea engineering, mining and H2O are all expected to be targeted.
Brikho, who loves the thought-out approach, says he right away has a five-year plan with 4 priorities, encapsulated in a programme he calls Vision 2015. He ticks them off on his fingers.
Career enlargement for staff is No1, he says, since his employees imagination is what Amec sells, and his own climb by the engineering hulk ABB was grounded in others charity him opportunities. At Amec, I have no technologies, no royalties. What I have is gifted people, and I wish to give them the same possibility I had with career development.
Then he has to find new sectors for growth. How to raise the capabilities, how to pull the pouch a bit further. Maybe buy a nucleus, set up up skills, afterwards buy an additional and merge.
With that comes geographical expansion. We have 22,000 people operative in 40 countries, but I still hold there is some-more to concentration on. Australia and Brazil will be key enlargement countries.
And finally, Amec contingency have make use of of the shift piece some-more effectively. With that, comes a guarantee to stand in gain per share to 1 or some-more by 2015. This is a illusory opportunity, there are a series of levers for us to use, one of that is acquisitions.
Isnt all that a warrant to fortune? No, says Brikho, the piece of the identity. I have changed Amec from being a non-performer to carrying a idea of smoothness and commitment. Its really important. Employees give commitments and know what they need to do to broach on them.
Maybe he has usually been lucky, focusing on a niche oil and gas services that looks recession-proof? Wrong, he says. Yes, the easy to cruise if you have a satisfactory wind, not if you have a difficult breeze or no wind. Last year was a difficult one. Why are a little of the peers revelation the marketplace that revenues and distinction might not be there, and 2010 will be no good? A series of them are creation that kind of statement, and were not.
Brikho talks persuasively, brooking no argument, but with a ready giggle to alleviate his intensity. Former colleagues contend they have seen a shift in new years as he has changed his style.
Samir was utterly a fast shooter. Now he takes a some-more vital view, says Peter Voser, arch comparison physical education instructor of Shell, who worked with him at ABB. He has probably grown as a leader. His greatest plea right away will be to take Amec to the subsequent step strategically.
That equates to bulking up. Amecs zone is full of risk from oil cost or banking oscillation but developed for consolidation, with genuine benefits accessible from economies of scale. Amec is still a minnow in some-more aged with some, and Brikho is used to wider waters. ABB, his alma mater, has revenues of roughly twenty-two billion.
And Brikho already has a useful, tellurian perspective. His relatives were Lebanese Christians who emigrated to Europe his father had been an representative for Swedish engineering firms. Brikho was the third of five children. One hermit is a clergyman in Sweden, an additional functions for Tetra Pak, the wrapping group, in Saudi Arabia.
Brikho was sponsored by university by Asea, the Swedish energy organisation that after joined in to Swiss-based ABB, and he retains close continental ties. Those who watched his early years think he could still be lured back. His engineering skills, his care nous and his ease with commercial operation have him an tasteful catch.
Voser says that when Shell had a complaint with an Amec stipulate recently, Brikho incited up in authority to sort it out. That expostulate brings the total association with him.
Another who knows the zone argues that the Amec boss, a Swedish national, has nonetheless to get the regard he deserves here. Samirs taken a exhausted association and finished it one of Britains majority successful industrial businesses, says Howard Shore, authority of Shore Capital. He is in between the majority considerable industrialists we have.
Yet Brikho still keeps his homes in Sweden and Switzerland, where he garages that DeLorean sports car and a purchase of Porsches. He usually rents an unit here, in Londons Belgravia. That could see similar to the movement of a man usually flitting through.
The Amec trainer laughs that off when I put it to him. He already has 8.5m of shares in Amec most paid for with his own income and will stand in that subsequent year if he hits targets set in his inducement plan. He is here for the prolonged haul, to 2015 at least. Ever meticulous, he usually thinks London skill is overpriced.
As for the captivate of a bigger business: I dont have ego of size, he says. My ego is in being perfect, glorious and impeccable. I love the group here. I love the work here. I work some-more than 6 days a week . . .
He shifts impatiently at the idea of an early exit. I am not finished yet, he says, and you hold him.
THE LIFE OF SAMIR BRIKHO
Vital Statistics
Born: May 3, 1958 Marital status: divorced, with dual sons School: Ashrafieh High School, Beirut University: KTH, Stockholm First job: sales physical education instructor for Asea (now ABB) Salary: 850,000 and 125% bonus. He already has 8.5m of Amec batch Homes: London, Zurich, Stockholm Car: DeLorean. I additionally have a integrate of PorschesBook: Any of Stieg Larssons Millennium trilogy Movie: Up in the Air, starring George Clooney Music: Verdi Gadget: Lifetrons Drumbass tanned hide rechargeable orator Last holiday: skiing in Switzerland
Working day
THE Amec arch comparison physical education instructor wakes at his unit in Londons Belgravia at 5.30am. I do a little exercises and watch an hour of radio news: CNN, CNBC, French TV, BBC, says Samir Brikho. Then he is driven to Amecs head bureau in Old Street prior to 8am.
I do emails and afterwards outlay the rest of the day in meetings a third with the people, a third with clients and a third on formulating a prophesy and relocating things forward. He uses a red-amber-green complement of alerts to guard opening and likes to hold unchanging reviews with multiplication chiefs. Seven comparison management team inform approach to him. Brikho attends work-related amicable events each dusk and frequency finishes prior to 10.30pm.
Downtime
SAMIR BRIKHO relaxes by personification golf in Sweden or skiing in Switzerland. He has worked all over the universe and values the time he can outlay with his dual grown-up sons, Lucas and Sebastian. Much of his income is outlayed on holidays. He additionally has a small pick up of sports cars. Fast cars have regularly been a hobby.
In new years he has returned to Lebanon some-more often. He is a first part of of the Palestine International Business Forum, written to foster commercial operation in between Israeli, Palestinian and general firms. Weve finished a little great work but could do more. Its been similar to a tango one step forward, one back.
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