“Know Thy Troops”: From Marine Service to Strategic Management with Matt Eichmann
Eichmann joined Greif in November 2015 as Vice President, Investor Relations and in November 2016 assumed responsibility for Corporate Communications as well. Prior to Greif, he worked at Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) where he served as Director, Investor Relations and held various other corporate finance and leadership roles. Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the US Naval Academy, and a master’s degree in finance and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Denver. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps artillery officer.
Matt Eichmann’s depth of experience is tough to beat. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with 7 years of service in the Marine Corps, Eichmann commands a powerful presence in the manufacturing industry. He now serves as the Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at the packaging firm Greif, Inc. As he put it, the lay of the land in his current executive function in many ways directly parallels that from his military background: “Every day that you’re standing in front of the troops, they're sizing you up and evaluating you… I think those skills are directly applicable to the business world, because when you step into corporate, it’s much the same thing; you can lead from a variety of different levels.”
Indeed, Eichmann possesses a unique perspective on leadership in the context of international relations, not only as a military officer overseas but through his prior role in Newmont Mining Corporation. He spent 2 years in Ghana as the special projects manager. In familiarizing himself with its distinctive customs, such as deference to seniority, Eichmann had to shift his mindset to overcome cultural barriers and be mindful of such norms in his business communications. This demanded a willingness and persistence on his part to learn more about Ghanaian culture from the people he worked with, which he pursued even when it wasn’t an immediate priority: “You have to be willing to get feedback, and sometimes you have to really ask for the feedback, because they are not going to give it to you necessarily.” This worldly perspective has lent Eichmann an advantage in corporate strategy discussions, where he can shine a light on important cultural factors that would otherwise be glossed over by his associates: “If I’m surrounded by colleagues that have only worked in the United States but were debating an issue in Russia, Honduras, or whatever country it happens to be, I can inject a certain line of thinking that benefits everybody.”
To successfully coordinate manufacturing deals with 43 countries in 25 separate currencies, Eichmann must limit his view to the independent variables within his reach rather than getting entangled in the thicket of global affairs. “We focus on controlling what we can control… the rest will come and sort itself out.” Among the key assets in Eichmann’s inventory are his coworkers, yet he distinguishes them from the ordinary depiction of human capital by focusing on what he can do for his peers. The significance of this employer-employee dynamic manifested itself to him through his military experiences in Iraq, the UAE, Kosovo, and Djibouti. “Every time we deployed, I was the Joe-Schmo 23-year-old lieutenant who was in charge of an organization where a lot of times the Marines were a lot older than me… I just had to get in front of them Day 1 and earn their trust. Trust is built up continuously and it’s lost very quickly, and I tried to demonstrate a sincere care for them as a person.”
This sincere care has translated directly into his daily routine at Greif, in which he adheres to the principle of servant leadership: “I should be serving the needs of my subordinates, making sure that they have what they need to be effective every day, helping them find meaning in their work that connects to the mission of the company.” Through this aspect of effective management, Eichmann finds that he is not only able to develop a stronger relationship with his subordinates but also elicit their highest-quality effort. “By doing that, I unlock their potential and the value they can bring to the firm.”
“You have to be willing to get feedback, and sometimes you have to really ask for the feedback, because they are not going to give it to you necessarily.”