RI PowerPlayer: Thomas A. Lawson

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

GoLocalProv Business Team

 

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Thomas A. Lawson, the President and CEO of FM Global.

Every week, GoLocalProv shines the spotlight on one individual who is making an impact on Rhode Island.  This week, GoLocalProv sat down with Thomas A. Lawson, the President and CEO of FM Global. 

You’ve spent many years working for FM Global. In your new position as President and CEO, what opportunities lie ahead for you and the company?
 
There are tremendous opportunities for FM Global to keep leveraging the successful business model we’ve had in place for the last 180 years. We want to continue to help our clients, who include one of every three of the FORTUNE 1000, understand the property risk they face and help them make their facilities more resilient to business interruption.  

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We aren’t going to change who we are, but we will continue to evolve to be more efficient and innovative.  For instance, each year, our 1,800 engineers collect information from more than 100,000 client locations worldwide. We are working to harness this data into powerful predictive analytics to help our clients make critical business decisions. 

A top of mind concern for many businesses right now is the stretching of the global supply chain. The associated risks can cripple a business—especially if you don’t know and understand what those risks are.  To bring these risks to light, we developed the annual FM Global Resilience Index – which we just updated for 2015. The Index ranks the business resilience of 130 countries and territories to supply chain disruption. It’s designed to help executives realize, evaluate and manage supply chain risk and ultimately be able to bounce back from unexpected events.
 
The other big area of opportunity for us revolves around the hazards and solutions associated with emerging technologies. As our clients’ businesses become more advanced they are utilizing new technologies that create new hazards. Our researchers and engineers are ever-examining how to best manage risk and help clients address new exposures.
 
What is most rewarding for you in this position?
 
Most gratifying is my role in ensuring FM Global creates an environment for our employees to be successful and achieve their career goals. I believe successful and happy employees make our company successful and importantly support our long-term relationships with our clients. We are a mutual company, owned by our policyholders and have many client relationships that have lasted well over a century. Even though I don’t have any relationships that have lasted that long, I do have relationships with clients that stretch 30 years. That’s very rewarding.
 
What do you feel has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
 
My contributions to FM Global’s success make me most proud. In the last 35 years, for instance, I’ve overseen the construction of our Research Campus in West Glocester, the world’s largest center for property loss prevention research and testing, and I’ve helped to create our forest products operations. 

None of my accomplishments would have happened without my colleagues who are talented, dedicated and focused on the same mutual goals. My personal success comes from the people I’ve been able to support over the years. Watching them succeed is my greatest professional accomplishment.

As the President and CEO, what are the biggest challenges you face?
 
I want to continue FM Global’s current success while at the same time growing the business; supporting our clients on a global basis; maintaining our cost structure; and focusing on efficiencies. 
  
What is a regular day like as Thomas A. Lawson?
 
There is no such thing as a regular day. Variety is the norm, but the focus is always the same. We must meet the needs of clients and we do that by meeting needs of our people. One day I might be in a meeting with the CEO of a Fortune 1000 client, the next I might be off to visit our operations in Australia, then meeting with a regulator in Europe a few days later.  The bottom line: if you enjoy what you do, how you do it, and the people with whom you’re working—it is the best of all worlds. 
 
What is your favorite Rhode Island restaurant?
 
Bacaro.  It offers tremendous food and exceptional service.
 
Who are your role models?
 
As CEO – Shivan Subramaniam, our former CEO whom I replaced. He is the single most successful and longest tenured CEO in our industry. 
 
What is something someone doesn’t know about you?
 
I am a big model train enthusiast, and I have several model train sets under constant renovation.  Years ago, I built one with my son….he grew up and I didn’t.  

 

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