CEO MONTHLY / CEO OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2023 45 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 12 2023 25 A Manufacturing Royle Match It has been nearly 25 years since Dr Graham Royle founded GRI Group Limited, which quickly established itself as a global player in its targeted markets as a result of a meticulous blend of strategic acquisition and the curation of new enterprises. In the years since, an emphasis has been placed on investing heavily in technology, manufacturing capabilities, and personnel expertise, with these combining to ensure a unique ability to offer clients the best products and services the market can provide. Still firmly behind this vision almost 25 years later, Chemical Manufacturing CEO of the Year 2023 - Northern England awardee Dr Graham Royle has implemented his expertise and created a vertically integrated group of companies offering B2B chemically manufactured products for a host of industries. Having spent 17 years working in large PLCs carrying out roles such as functional director, managing director, and chief executive, Dr Graham Royle had already refined his expertise across all industry functions when he set out on his venture as entrepreneur and innovator of GRI Group. Across the array of companies that Graham has combined into the group since then, B2B chemical manufacturing is carried out in the fields of bath and body, hair and skin care, and cosmetics, with these brands being taken directly to the market through a combination of B2C and D2C channels. Graham places chief importance on a number of core values that serve to uphold the high standards that clients have come to expect from dealings with the company, and these include innovation, technological application, boldness, relationship management, and putting people at the heart of the business. The key goal for the group is to unashamedly create shareholder value and provide customers with best-inclass products, and to this end, Graham has created a business that today boasts a combined turnover of approximately £300m p.a., yet still operates with the same energy and enthusiasm as when it was just starting out. At the heartbeat of Graham’s award-winning leadership style is a willingness to get stuck-in, encouraging the team to make decisions that can be effectively delivered upon so that the rewards can be reaped on a teamwide level. Moreover, Graham believes firmly in the need to confidently identify the strengths and weaknesses of team members, developing the strengths and supporting areas of weakness through more tools, training, and the support of fellow colleagues. With his 30-year-old tried and tested motto, “business should be fun but not funny”, Graham exemplifies enjoying work, but at the same time taking it seriously. From the offset, GRI Group attracted the soughtafter attention of global multinational companies and continues to have these as customers to this day. As well as this, the group prides itself on servicing businesses of all sizes, with every customer and supplier being treated with the uppermost respect. Bolstered by a positive attitude and work ethic, Graham has curated a culture that not only delivers on its promises of innovation but possesses a commitment to sustainability and biodegradability across the entirety of its product line. Always one to look out for others, Graham wrote to all employees in March 2020, just before the UK went into lockdown, promising to protect their jobs and successfully navigate the situation. A man of his word, the group worked throughout the pandemic manufacturing necessary sanitising products that would kill the virus, taking no furlough money from the government in the process. In a post-Covid environment, the group has had to tackle issues such as high inflation, raw material shortages, and transport issues, but Graham works closely with suppliers and his team to swiftly and effectively manage any such hiccups. This approach is set to continue into the future, as the group continues to focus on the implementation of organic and acquisitive growth strategies, including an acquisition set to be complete over the coming months and more in the pipeline. In regard to Graham’s career specifically, the future is set to entail more of the same, with aims to continue to fortify the strong, well-respected, innovative group that has so effectively been crafted over the past two decades. Quintessentially, as a contract manufacturer of personal care products, GRI Group represents technology innovation in chemicals, and through his role as CEO, Dr Graham Royle has established himself as an exemplary personal care brand owner, and thus is more than deserving of this award celebrating his achievements in the chemical manufacturing industry. Contact: Dr Graham Royle Company: GRI Group Limited Web Address: https://www.grigroup.co.uk/ Oct23338
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