Interview with the Regional Sales Director for the UK and Key Account Rolls-Royce John McKenna
A conversation with John McKenna
John McKenna, a UK national, started his professional career by studying Production Engineering. His aviation inspired career ultimately started at Frank Brown & Son where he spent 15 years. Frank Brown & Son were a Boeing and Safran CFM licensee and are well-known in the UK. John was recruited by HYDRO in 2008 as a technical sales person. Finally, after several promotions, John became Director Sales of UK and Key Account Manager for Rolls-Royce. In total he has more than 28 years’ experience in aircraft & engine tooling as well as Ground Support Equipment.
John is 52 years old, married, has a son and a daughter - both have graduated university - plus two Cocker Spaniel dogs. He lives in Silsoe, a rural part of Bedfordshire, 40 miles north of London.
What is the job of a Regional Sales Director?
My role breaks down into two primary areas, one being accountable for all sales of GSE, tooling and service in my region, the other being Key Account Manager for Rolls-Royce. The non Rolls-Royce sales element covered my first ten years with HYDRO and is now backed by a super strong sales and service team. I’m really proud of their perpetual success and growth and our achievements in delivering on strategy. My other role as Rolls-Royce Key Account Manager is a different way to manage a primary account.
Why does HYDRO have a Key Account for Rolls-Royce?
We have key account managers for all our primary OEM customers, whose revenue is strategically important for HYDRO and where we are often tied into specific and very important contracts. This ensures that these accounts are dealt with in a more detailed way. We must have a close ear to their needs and keep relations strong as we maintain our customers and develop new inroads into their organisation. This enables us to act more strategically and find better ways of influencing the commercial buyers and other decision makers in Rolls-Royce. Again, this is no solo mission, the Rolls-Royce account is backed by a team of highly skilled HYDRO team players, both locally and globally. Our global interfaces in the UK, Germany and the USA are intrinsic in the successful delivery of this account.
„I am convinced that the impact of Brexit to our business with Rolls-Royce will be minimal. It is in our both interests to find pragmatic approaches to this challenge.“
Regional Sales Director and Key Account Rolls-Royce HYDRO
What impact will Brexit have on the cooperation between HYDRO and Rolls-Royce?
I am convinced that the impact of Brexit to our business with Rolls-Royce will be minimal. It may be that it will take some more time for both parties to understand what the impact will be in detail and how we can reduce any friction to a minimum. It is in our both interests to find pragmatic approaches to this challenge. But for now, the Coronavirus crisis has set the Brexit discussions on hold.
What is the claim of Rolls-Royce? What do they expect? How do you make them happy?
We are part of a small group out of several hundred suppliers which Rolls-Royce accord strategic supplier status. If we fail to deliver, they fail to deliver. Therefore, our performance is important and key to the success of Rolls-Royce, our delivery is mission critical to Rolls-Royce’s delivery of aircraft engines. In addition, we have a mutual connection between Rolls-Royce and their customers, such as Boeing or Airbus, as we also support the aircraft OEMs with tools and Ground Support Equipment.
As we are in this strategic position for them, they expect superior quality, on-time delivery, a supplier who goes the extra mile without question and a point of contact who is always there for them. No matter what the issue is, they expect permanent availability and speedy resolution to problems. Considering these high expectations we are very proud that Rolls-Royce awarded us with the “Supplier of the Year” award for 2019.
How did you meet the new quality expectations of Rolls-Royce and become supplier of the year?
After we negotiated a contract extension to the tooling supply contract the KPIs were tougher than ever and Rolls-Royce raised their quality expectations. We needed to change our ways to stay in the game. In the end it was a combination of Kaizen philosophy and bringing the customer into focus across the entire value stream incorporating organised learning, improved problem solving and eliminating waste that were the ingredients for our success. Daily cross-functional and multi-location calls are now held to ensure all tools at risk of failing are identified early and actions agreed to recover the position. HYDRO now provides their supply chain with additional information at order placement to avoid technical questions during manufacture which delay tooling delivery.
And these are just some of the measures that have been implemented to ensure Rolls-Royce gets superior treatment.
"Our performance is important and key to the success of Rolls-Royce, our delivery is mission critical to Rolls-Royce’s delivery of aircraft engines. If we fail to deliver, they fail to deliver."
Regional Sales Director and Key Account Rolls-Royce HYDRO
In your role you have grown the service business in the UK from scratch which is also important to Rolls-Royce.
I was responsible for developing the service business from zero some years ago. My history gave me an advantage and a hunger in me knew we could find success. With my original team we grew the service revenue until it reached total € 900 K. This created the need for a dedicated and more comprehensive offering and we built a new service-center in the UK in 2017 with all the necessary equipment, processes and certifications to meet our strategy plan. With a small sales team and a strong operational team within a few years it has become a success story with up to € 2.5 Million currently forecast revenue for 2020. The service-center in the UK is now part of a global network of service-centers offering tooling and GSE service to complement Engine Stand Refurbishment for Rolls-Royce.
CLOSE-UP WITH JOHN MCKENNA
A good day at work starts with…
A few Yoga stretches, a strong coffee, a light breakfast and often a long two-hour drive to the office giving me time to mentally plan the day ahead.
The first time I earned money was…
When I was twelve years old, I delivered newspapers at 6am every day before I went to school and worked in a vegetable shop straight after school.
If I could choose my seat neighbor on an aircraft…
Richard Branson or David Attenborough. David’s life is the only one on this planet I could be truly jealous of!
I lose track of time…
Skiing, cooking, doing Yoga and meditating, or laying on the beach with my wife.
The so far most expensive purchase in my life…
For the family, it was my home and beach studio. For me, a nice Swiss watch for my 50th birthday.
I have always…
Been positive, put family first, looked on the bright side and tried to laugh and create laughter as much as possible. Laughter is a healer, it brings out the best in all of us…
I have never…
Made a parachute jump, but I will someday!
If you want to get somewhere at HYDRO…
Be positive, be productive, be collaborative and be brave enough to dream!
When I was 18, I wanted to…
Do whatever I wanted, earn money & spend it having fun. Playing Rugby for England was a private dream.
Home for me means…
Relaxing with my wife and dogs, entertaining friends and cooking, which I find therapeutic, looking after my garden, growing vegetables and flowers, walking or cycling whenever I can.