CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 5 2023 18 stablished in 2014, CROWD is a group of esteemed companies that work together to achieve the mission of encouraging people to go outside while facilitating the wider adoption of the bicycle as a mode of transport. The organisation is dedicated to making a conscious contribution to the living environment of communities with the products of its various companies, including ZIEGLER, Baileys Street Furniture Group, VelopA, Hitsa, Cyclepods, IJslander and Lumiguide. Located across Europe, these businesses play various roles in the production and provision of street furniture, playground and sports equipment, shelters, bicycle infrastructure, cycle parking systems, as well as solutions that help cities make cost-efficient and sustainable choices. CROWD has delivered a wide range of projects, including cycle facilities, shelters, and playgrounds, all contributing to the group’s wider missions. The organisation is at the forefront of the micro-mobility and greening revolution, striving to produce enhanced green spaces for cleaner air, create healthier bodies and minds for members of the public, and get more people in communities walking and cycling. The organisation, with revenues in excess of €120m per year, consists of nine offices located in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Latvia, Sweden, and the UK. CROWD’s size, variety, products, and production output all ensure a major advantage over its competitors, who are often known for a small range of products and services. Furthermore, CROWD serves a large and diverse customer base, consisting of three main groups: government, construction, and business-to-business. By 2025, the organisation aims to become Western Europe’s leading group in street furniture, public sheltering, and bicycle parking infrastructure, with a key focus on circularity and smart city solutions. Since 2016, CROWD has been led by highly experienced CEO James Steward, who prides himself on his ability to innovate, maximise, and strengthen profitability, operations, management team performance, and shareholder value Most Innovative CEO 2023 - Netherlands (Built Environment) Striving to encourage more people to go outside, Creators of the Outside World (CROWD) is an innovative group of companies that create public outdoor spaces using high-quality, functional, beautiful, sustainable, and safe products. CROWD is headed by CEO James Steward, who has recently been awarded Most Innovative CEO, Netherlands, in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2023. Here, we speak to James about his leadership methods and the success of the CROWD group. and engagement. After graduating from university, James founded Cyclepods with his wife Natalie. Together, they built the company into the leading provider of cycle parking infrastructure in the UK. When Cyclepods joined the CROWD group, James was asked to become the organisation’s CEO. However, he requested to spend 18 months managing the largest business within the group first in order to learn more about the European market. After this, he accepted the role of CEO at CROWD, where he is now responsible for overall strategy, profit and loss, mergers and acquisition, management, and direction. James aims to lead with openness and empowerment. He explains, “I firmly disagree with any form of micromanagement. We employ people for certain tasks, of which they will have more specific knowledge or experience within that area than I do. Who am I to tell a welder how to weld, or a salesperson how to sell?” As CEO, James oversees CROWD’s directors, who each manage their own business. In this, his aim is to guide, assist, and direct them, utilising his own experience and areas of expertise. “They have the keys to their businesses, so they need to drive them. I’m more of the sat nav, assisting them to their desired end destination,” James comments. “Of course, when it comes to global strategy and group direction, I take full responsibility, simply because I have those keys.” As many CEOs have, James has recently faced the challenges of navigating delays and interruptions to the supply chain during the pandemic and the start of the war on Ukraine, including raw material delays, scarcity, and price increases. During this time, businesses that had their own production could effectively minimise delays to customers and maintain budget margins. However, businesses without production faced more challenges, with customers incurring delays and margins being impacted. In response to this, James redefined CROWD’s business strategy to bring more production inhouse, investing further into its own production and allocating more resources to stock. As a result of this change in strategy, CROWD experienced a record year of financial performance and output in 2022, as well as a very promising start to 2023. James believes that these investments will not only revolutionise CROWD’s production locations but also ensure higher quality products, shorter lead times for customers, and increased profit margins for the company. As a result of his excellent leadership skills, successfully navigating the challenges of the pandemic with innovative strategy and solutions, James has won Most Innovative CEO, Netherlands, in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2023. Moving forwards, CROWD focuses on developing its merger and acquisition strategy, aiming to acquire businesses in further geographical locations to expand its scope and coverage across Europe. There is no doubt that the future will bring boundless success for companies within the CROWD group. Apr23650 E Contact: James Steward Company: CROWD - Creators of the Outside World Web: www.crowdoutside.com
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