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| Home - Industry Article - June 08 Issue |
CEO Spotlight: Mike Brochu, GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.)
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By The Sterling Report
Inspiring and encouraging others, and watching them grow and succeed,
is the best thing Mike likes about his job. His biggest challenge is getting the
right team, for people make the biggest difference in a company’s success. Mike
Brochu, President and CEO of GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), discusses with
The Sterling Report his idea of an ideal CEO, his company’s successes and future
strategy, and areas in the industry that will cause significant changes in the
future.
The Sterling Report (TSR): Who were your biggest
influences growing up? Did you see yourself as an entrepreneur when you were
younger?
Michael Brochu (MB): My biggest influence growing up was first and
foremost, my father. He taught me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind
to, and told me that no one remembers second place. I also had many mentors who,
for unknown reasons, took me under their wing and helped guide me through life.
I didn’t really see myself as an entrepreneur or CEO until I was at least 30
years old, had worked my way up the corporate ladder and felt I had the
leadership qualities to drive an entire organization. I was interested in losing
the bureaucracy that comes with organizations of size and running a real
business. Then I got my chance.
TSR: Do you ever feel that you’re lacking in any areas as CEO? What part
of the job do you feel least comfortable with?
MB: I feel I’m always learning new things and new ways to handle
different situations. I’ve come to realize that you never stop learning, no
matter your age. And turns out that on many occasions, you are even forced to
re-learn things you thought you already knew and acquired.
TSR: And what part of your job do you like the most?
MB: What I like the most about my job is leadership, the ability to
inspire, teach and encourage others to be the very best that they can be, so
they progress in their careers and their lives. And then when I watch them grow
and succeed, that’s when I know I did my job well.
TSR: What was the biggest challenge you have had to face as a CEO?
MB: The biggest challenge I face as CEO, no matter the company I lead, is
making sure I have the right team in place to succeed. Eventually, it is the
people who really do make the difference.
TSR: You have been in this industry for more than 20 years. What would
you say have been the most significant changes to the industry in that time?
MB: I would say definitely technology. It continues to transform
everything that we do, making everything neater, sweeter, faster and cheaper. We
can work from anywhere in the world, and communicate 24 hours a day in many
different ways. This makes customer response immediate and much more impactful.
TSR: And what areas do you think are set to cause significant changes in
the future?
MB: I think technology will continue to shape the future of the world we
live in, as both professionals and consumers. We continue to try and figure out
what people will do or say before they actually do or say it, so we can craft
goods and services to match. Technology will continue to evolve, ultimately to a
point where we can accurately project needs and desires into goods and services
tailored individually in real time.
TSR: Can you share one or two of your company’s most exciting successes?
MB: Certainly. Since its inception in 1999, GMI has leveraged the advent
of the Internet to revolutionize the market research industry, building products
and supplying services to gather market data online, accurately and in real time
for market researchers to use around the globe.
TSR: Recently, GMI has formed a relationship with TechTarget to serve a
broader community of IT professionals and decision-makers worldwide. What was
the inspiration behind this collaboration?
MB: Technology is still the arena of the most advanced and accelerated
innovation, which is the reason why the opinions of IT professionals are in such
high demand. It is very important to gather intelligence from a wide variety of
professionals to understand the future evolution of technology. Our partnership
with TechTarget seemed like a natural fit for us as they offer a huge pool of
highly profiled IT professionals worldwide.
TSR: What sets GMI apart from its competitors?
MB: Our goal is ultimately to make global research better, faster and
cheaper for market researchers. To do that, we deliver a full range of
technology-enabled data services spanning the life of a study, from survey
programming and hosting all the way to data processing and dashboard solutions.
Our panel is one of the largest in the industry, reaching 10 million households
in over 200 countries and territories. Our extensive global footprint, spanning
26 cities around the world, provides the local presence to support our
customers’ needs in a timely fashion, in their language. What we hear from our
customers over and over again is that they appreciate our global capabilities,
the quality of the data we deliver and our fast project turnaround.
TSR: Tell me about your core initiatives right now – what are some of the
focus areas for 2008?
MB: Our holy grail is to gather real data from real people in real time
for market researchers worldwide. Some of our focus areas for 2008 center around
panel quality and growth, as well as flawless service delivery while maintaining
our current global footprint.
TSR: What kind of people can make the best CEOs in this industry?
MB: I believe the best CEOs in this industry are the ones who are
innovators, and not afraid to take risks, but with a strong sense of business
management. Leaders who can inspire and motivate talented individuals and rally
them to a common vision to deliver great things.
TSR: What do you think is the ideal style of leadership?
MB: For me, the ideal style of leadership is one that sets a vision with
clear objectives, hires the best people, guides them and then lets them run, so
they reach their full potential.
TSR: How do you maintain a balance between your professional and personal
life?
MB: For me, maintaining balance between my professional and personal life
is all about constant vigilance. Seeing, doing and feeling many different
experiences leads to forging a better individual all the way around.
Mike Brochu is President and CEO of GMI (Global Market Insite,
Inc.), a Bellevue, WA-based provider of technology-based solutions enabling
corporations and market research firms to conduct global research. He is a
seasoned technology executive who brings over 20 years of senior-level
experience and operational excellence to GMI. Mike most recently served as the
President and CEO of Loudeye Corporation, a global leader of digital music
platforms and digital media distribution services, which Nokia acquired in 2006.
Before Loudeye, he was President and CEO of Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc., an
award-winning provider of e-service software solutions. In 1999, Mike took
Primus public, and facilitated the acquisition of the company by Art Technology
Group (ATG) in 2004. Previously, he served as the President and COO of Sierra
On-Line, Inc., one of the world's largest publishers of interactive
entertainment, educational and home productivity software. There, Mike
spearheaded efforts that increased sales by more than 300 percent, culminating
in the sale of Sierra On-Line to CUC International for US$1.1 billion in 1996.
He currently sits on the board of directors of ATG, Emphysis Medical Management
and the advisory board of Seattle-based venture capital firm Voyager Capital,
which is also one of GMI's early institutional investors. Mike was named Ernst &
Young's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. For interview feedback, please contact
Mike at mguilbert@gmi-mr.com
 
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