EPC is delighted to announce it’s new appointment, Fran Egan as CEO of EPC. Fran joins EPC with a wealth of experience in operational and strategic roles ranging from start-up organisations to SMEs and Management Consultancy.
He worked for 13 years as Group Operations Director at Boyne Valley Group where he was instrumental in supporting the business to deliver substantial revenue and profitability growth. Subsequently, Fran had moved into Senior Operations roles as COO in The Naked Collective and ClevaMama where he built out global supply chains and established growth strategies to break into new markets, products, and revenue channels.
We joined our new CEO to ask him about EPC and the opportunities that lie ahead for the beauty contract manufacturer and what his new leadership role means to him.
Q: What do you feel is the biggest strength of our company right now?
A: Our biggest strength by far is our people. They are the heartbeat of the business and their passion for what we do, and how we do it separates us from our competition. They go the extra mile and treat our customers business as if it’s their own. Our second strength is our end-to-end capability of developing a concept right through to final product on shelf. We take a lot of headaches out of the process for our customers by offering full-service.
Q: CEO is a position of responsibility. How are you finding your new role?
A: It has certainly been a busy first few weeks meeting with the wider team and some of our customers. It has been very enjoyable so far and I am lucky to have a great team around me. As for the position itself it’s about setting the right course for the business and making sure the team have clarity around what the deliverables are. There are multiple decisions daily/weekly to be made and it’s about getting most of those right for the short to long-term success of the business.
Q: What makes a good leader in your opinion?
A: There are many qualities that make a great leader and I have been fortunate to have worked with some throughout my career (and the opposite is true). Some stand out qualities I strive for and have experienced are leaders who have great self-awareness, integrity in everything they do, empathy and an infectious enthusiasm that filters through the organisation that makes the impossible seem possible.
Q: How do you plan on growing EPC in the next 3 years?
A: Our core focus in the short term is to ensure our current customers are receiving best in class service and looking at ways we can grow together. Separate to that we are in discussions with numerous new customers with a view to onboarding many throughout the rest of the year. We are heavily investing in our R&D capabilities looking at potentially new applications & technologies gained from the latest consumer trends & insights.
Q: What do you think are the current challenges within the business or industry?
A: The biggest challenge facing many similar businesses to EPC are difficult supply chains which still have not recovered from the pandemic. Linked to this the rising costs we are seeing across the industry in terms of labour/material costs which we are trying to navigate our way through.
Q: What advice would you give to individuals who’d like to broaden their horizons and grow professionally?
A: My mantra in life is “be better than yesterday” that means different things to different people. My advice to anyone looking to grow professionally is to develop a variety of skills, ask plenty of questions from your peers, read plenty with a wide variety of business subjects and look after the mind & body, keeping fit is a great way to ensure everything stays in tune when it comes to becoming a high performer!
Q: What do you do in your downtime?
A: My downtime which is sparse is normally spent with family, coaching my kids football teams, reading, and training. I am a keen triathlete who is still trying to perform at a level 10 years younger than my actual age!
