James Fletcher
International Marketing Manager for Fletcher Aluminium

Other Business Involvements

Summary of interview

Life Lessons…
James Fletcher followed a very winding path in order to arrive at the position he is in today. He began by attempting a Law intermediate followed by part of a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Then he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and finally a Law degree. He began his career as a commercial Litigator and worked at both Simpson and Grierson and then Bill Gully Law Firms before deciding to travel abroad. Following his overseas endeavours, James began work for Fletcher Aluminium, working as the Technical and Architectural Manager before becoming International Marketing Manager in 2004. Although a Law Degree is not the only degree out there, for James it has proved very helpful in business and he believes it provides a sound background. It trains the mind to marshal thoughts and approach tasks in systematic ways. It also provides education in the art of problem solving. Although he did not complete one himself, James has learnt that completing an MBA is extremely helpful when working in the business world and he has become a strong advocator of this. He believes that this should be carried out later in life after gaining practical experience and is most helpful if studied overseas. James places great importance on honesty and integrity.

Language and Culture…
James talked about the importance of understanding the cultures and languages of the people they deal with. He believes that “business is between people not companies”. Having knowledge and respect for countries’ languages and cultures will greatly enhance the respect they have for you and therefore the likelihood of a successful export business is much greater. Maintaining your company’s business standards throughout the world will also enhance the company’s reputation on the world stage.

International Trade…
Fletcher Aluminium has a big focus on branding and positioning in the international marketplace to differentiate themselves from other suppliers who can produce aluminium at a much lower cost. They are prepared to be flexible by taking on small and large projects. James thought that a general free trade agreement amongst APEC countries would not affect Fletcher Aluminium a great deal. It is interesting to note that Fletcher Aluminium is not looking to penetrate the Chinese market in the near future. This is mainly because of their intellectual property can easily copied without penalty in China.

Student Viewpoint
Overall what struck our group was that James was a very genuine person. He believed in the values of the company which were based around the people. James was very thoughtful and answered our questions objectively with confidence. We were very impressed about how down to earth and friendly he was. It was also great to see a relatively young person doing well in big business.

Quotes
“Face to face is the only way to do business.”
“As soon as you compromise integrity and honesty you’ve got nothing left.”
“On the sexiness scale – Aluminium is right up there”

Compiled by Nick Gavey, Sarah Foster, Harriet Muir, Blair Paterson and Brad Pepper