Bill Johnson: Driving and Sustaining Transformations

Bill Johnson, President & CEO of Welbilt, a global food service equipment company, shares his experiences of driving transformations during his many senior-level stints at various industrial companies. Bill highlights the importance of leadership engagement, creating financial transparency or “keeping score” on the impact of initiatives, upgrading talent, and embedding the new practices in day-to-day business, as key enabling factors for successful and sustainable transformations.

As COVID-19 and labor shortages accelerated technology disruptions in the food service industry, especially with cloud kitchens, contactless food delivery, and smart kitchens coming into play, Bill discusses the need for traditional industrial businesses like food service equipment companies to transform into industrial technology-focused companies. 

Tune in as Bill reflects on his learnings not only from leading successful transformations in the industrial equipment industry but also as a former nuclear engineer in the United States Navy.

Discussion Points: 

• Welbilt’s recent sale to Ali Group
• Supply chain challenges due to the pandemic and Welbilt’s response
• Digitization of food service businesses during and post-pandemic
• Welbilt’s transition from traditional industrial to industrial technology company
• Bill’s path from a nuclear submarine in the Navy to the industrial equipment industry
• Learnings from Bill’s transformation efforts at various companies:
  • Have big ears – listen 
  • Right-size first and change processes after
  • Upgrading talent – hire well and move transformation blockers
  • Leadership engagement and presence – show up and make it important to you
  • CFO as the scorekeeper on P&L impact 
• Bill’s interests outside work – golf and big game hunting
• Next steps in Bill’s career

Fernweh Insights is brought to you by Fernweh Group. The host of this episode, Shekhar Varanasi, is Chief Operating Officer at Fernweh.

This episode is part of Fernweh’s Industrials podcast series which focuses on transformational journeys of companies in the Industrials Sector, one of the most prominent sectors and the bedrock of the U.S. economy. Fernweh Group is an investment company that is adapting an engaged investor and operator model to create alpha – performance superior to market indices – in the industrial and industrial technology sector.  

For More Information

Bill Johnson at Welbilt

Bill Johnson on LinkedIn

Fernweh Group

Shekhar Varanasi on LinkedIn