BMSA Leaders in the Spotlight – Andy Davies, VP Sales & Operations

This feature article is part of a series of three profiles on very experienced leaders within Bridgestone Mining Solutions Australia. Their skills, commitment and drive not only enrich the Australian operation, they each seek to inspire our teams and make a positive contribution to the overall success of the business.

BMSA’s recently appointed Vice President Sales & Operations, Andy Davies, has been the new VP for our Australian operation since June 2023.

Our previous CEO, Gerry Duffy, spoke highly of Andy in his farewell statement. “The Sales and Operations heart of the company is also strongly reinforced with Andy Davies taking the lead following his successful management of Bridgestone operations across Europe and Asia.”

Andy has held a variety of senior management roles with Bridgestone across the world. Prior to joining us he was most recently the CEO of Bridgestone Aircraft Tire Company (Asia) based in Hong Kong. Before that Andy was the Regional Managing Director of Bridgestone South Region based in Milan, Italy, and he has held other senior positions with Bridgestone based in Austria and Belgium.

1. When did you start as VP Sales & Ops at BMSA and what attracted you to take the role?

I commenced on 3 July 2023. I was really excited about the role for my career development. It’s a new product category with end-to-end involvement in tyre supply including opportunities for individual tyre tracking and second lives through repair. I was requested by Bridgestone HQ to consider the opportunity and previous moves and discussions always worked out very well. It’s a new challenge for me and being able to work in an English-speaking country is terrific. Plus, Australia and Sydney is a dream for my wife.

2. What are your top three goals for the next 12 months?

1. I want to build solid and well-connected action plans throughout the organisation that link our long-term commitments to our daily actions.
2. I’ll then implement action plans for each branch to achieve stated goals and position each one according to their ambition statement. Each branch must work hard to establish and maintain sustainable businesses for services on top of tyre supply.
3. I plan to establish channel and dealer strategies and consequent initiatives to expand Small and Medium OTR tyre sales and market share.

3. What have been your favourite positions within the Bridgestone group so far and why?

1. Marketing Analyst in the UK. From university to Bridgestone and the real world. I was surrounded by great people and given opportunities to learn so much.
2. CEO of BAA (Bridgestone Aircraft Asia). Managing the value chain from new tyre supply to retread, including the retread facility, in one location. The traceability of each tyre and the usage and retreading process meant that the proximity to the tyre operation was great. Fun fact – an aircraft tyre is exactly the same as any other tyre, in that it only gets used on the ground.

4. What do you see as the major challenges facing our industry over the next five years?

Sustainability. In the past it was a fashionable future direction. Now it’s becoming a reality requiring change, adaptation and innovation. I think this is the generational change similar to the introduction of the PC.

I feel privileged to be able to contribute at this stage of my career. And the Fair Work Act. It is not so much a challenge but a welcome opportunity. To have so much emphasis and the ability to talk openly about doing the right thing and acting in the right way is a privilege. I feel honoured to be able to lead in this direction.

5. Do you have a motto in life, or a favourite quote that keeps you positive?

‘How To’ rather than ‘Why Not To’ – I’m an eternal optimist! And ‘a happy wife is a happy life’ – it’s so true.

6. Were you mentored earlier in your career? If so, what have been some of the benefits of that?

Yes. Through luck I was mentored by the same guy for 27 years, by the previous CEO of BMSA, Gerry Duffy.

The mentoring evolved to co-working, with a distinct core of base skill-sets that meant working together was always complementary. My biggest lesson learned? Communication makes all the difference. Telling people, sharing with them, and having discussions will always make a difference. A problem shared is a problem halved, two minds are better than one, etc. Over the years I have found out that nobody is perfect and nobody has all the answers – that’s why great, committed teams are so important.

7. What’s some of the best advice you have ever been given?

I recommend all Bridgestone people to seek out and understand the fundamental drivers for the company. The pillars of thought are quite philosophical and this has provided me with inspiration many times during my career. If in doubt, our basic principles will help you decide on how to move ahead positively.

Hō-Ren-Sō is a business mantra in Japanese business culture embraced by Bridgestone and is an abbreviation of 'Hōkoku' (to report), 'Renraku' (to inform) and 'Sōdan' (to consult). Then there is Shinshu-Dokuso, which is about envisioning the future and proactively challenging ourselves to identify and develop innovations that will further benefit society. It’s all about serving society with superior quality and genuine respect. There are many more valuable sets of positive corporate culture we should all know about. Speak with your team leaders and/or HR for more about Bridgestone’s incredible guiding culture.

"My biggest lesson learned? Communication makes all the difference. Telling people, sharing with them, and having discussions will always make a difference."

8. What advice would you like to give others at the company who are at an earlier stage of their career?

Read, learn and absorb what I mentioned in the previous point about great advice I have received. Take the time to understand the Japanese culture of the company. Respect it and be a part of preserving it.

9. How do you juggle the sometimes competing demands of Work, Life and Family?

Badly. Work comes first. I have missed birthday parties, weekends and special occasions. Fortunately, I have a wonderful wife who makes up for my deficiencies. My first three months in Australia were without her as she was delayed coming over. I hated it, but I think she actually probably had a nice break. At the start of COVID-19 she said how nice it was to have me at home instead of always travelling. After three years of no travel, she then actively recommended which trips I could take as restrictions were lifted.

10. What are a couple of interesting facts about you that no-one at BMSA would know?

My sister is about to become a TV star in the UK featuring in ‘999 – What’s your emergency?’ as she is a paramedic in the UK with a big personality. It should be airing here soon. As for me, languages seem to come easily to me for some reason, with passable proficiency in six dialects. I can confidently pass the restaurant menu ordering test in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Flemish, and of course, English.