CUI Global: Taking Technology by Storm
CUI Global, Inc. is a publicly traded company dedicated to maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition and development of innovative companies, products and technologies. CEO and General Counsel William Clough provides us with a fascinating insight into the firm and his role, which has earned him the title of ‘US CEO of the Year 2017 – Oregon’ in our prestigious CEO Awards.
From Orbital Gas Systems’ advanced GasPT2 analyser platform targeting the energy sector, to CUI Inc.’s digital power platform serving the networking and telecom space, CUI Global and its subsidiaries have built a diversified portfolio of industry leading technologies that touch many markets.
As a publicly traded company, shareholders can participate in the opportunities, revenues, and profits generated by the products, technologies, and market channels of CUI Global and its subsidiaries. Most importantly, the firm also boasts a commitment to conduct business with a high level of integrity, respect, and philanthropic dedication allowing the organization to make a difference in the lives of their customers, employees, investors and global community. William outlines his role in the firm’s success and how he helps drive the firm to excellence in every project it undertakes.
“Personally, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and General Counsel, I am responsible for, among other things, the day-to-day operation of our international facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Additionally, I handle the corporate vision, M&A strategy, product development, marketing, and, as General Counsel, legal matters arising from operations. I have also been responsible for “spearheading” three equity raises for the company (the most recent closing late last year) – raising more than $85,000,000 for acquisitions, debt retirement, recapitalization, operating capital, and more.
“My leadership style was developed during my early career. I began my career as a law enforcement officer in California. During that 16year occupation I served as a municipal police officer in California, a command officer (Captain) in Hawaii, and as a U.S. Federal Air Marshall flying in Southern Europe and the Mid-East. During my law enforcement career, I was assigned variously as a SWAT Fire Team Leader; an undercover narcotics officer; a robbery-rapehomicide investigator; a patrol supervisor; K9 handler; and more. I changed professions in the mid-80’s and, having graduated with honours from the University of San Francisco, I applied to and was accepted by the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1987. I graduated cum laude from Hastings in 1990, passed the California BAR, and opened my own California law firm with offices in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. During my 17-year career as a California trial attorney I argued cases at all levels of the judiciary, including before both the California and United States Supreme Courts. I was responsible for multiple jury verdicts, including several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. It was this background I brought to my position with CUI Global.
“My law enforcement background, most particularly my tactical background, makes me a big believer in the team approach to management and operations. I try to bring to my company and my management team the very same principles I used to motivate highly specialised SWAT officers in the field. The same principles that allow those individuals to operate efficiently and effectively as a unit in high stress, often life and death situations, work just as well when applied to the corporate environment I face at CUI Global. The concepts of trust, loyalty, respect, shared objectives, communication, team cohesiveness and more, all work just as well in a business environment as they do in a tactical operation – it is those elements which I try to employ day-to-day at CUI Global and its affiliates.”
This team focus ensures that CUI employs a collaborative, supportive internal culture, as William is eager to highlight.
“With regards my leadership and how I support my staff, I use that team concept to ensure top performance
throughout the business; by empowering people to operate at their best and most efficient level. That is accomplished by driving down responsibility, accountability, and authority and strategically delegating responsibility throughout the organization, while, at the same time, rewarding and incentivizing outstanding performance at every turn.
“By employing the best, most qualified individuals in each industry and by cultivating key customers as strategic and technical partners, who will share their specific needs and requirements we can ‘skate to the puck’– meaning we are hyper-responsive to our customers and thereby the industry needs. By working closely with those customers, we can anticipate and address their needs almost before the need arises.”
Whilst customer service is a vital aspect of every technology firm, providing creative and unique products that meet its clients’ needs is also crucial to success. As such, CUI works hard to create technologies which lead the way and are always at the cutting edge of the latest developments, as William is eager to emphasise.
As leaders in the technology space, we work hard to stay at the forefront of emerging developments and ensure excellence for our clients. Our revolutionary ICE Block Power Systems are leading the way in power management for the data center market; while our GasPT and VE Technologies provide unique and unmatched methods to quickly, efficiently, accurately, and cost-effectively determine the quality of natural gas for both fiscal monitoring and process control. In each case, our market-leading technologies are critical to our success and require our continuing to be at the leading edge of these industries.”
Looking ahead, William’s plans for both himself and CUI are to grow and continue to innovate, as he is proud to conclude.
“At CUI we are pioneers, and as such we have a tremendous technology portfolio, which, in many ways, is industryshifting. I would expect the next several years to be explosive in both growth of the company and associated market penetration. The recent award of a 60,000,000 euro contract for the deployment of 3,300 of our GasPT analysers across Europe’s largest natural gas pipeline transmission company is just one example of the type and size of business that CUI Global will generate over the next several years.
“Besides this growth, my role as a CEO is to motivate, educate, and develop my team to be the best they can be – in that regard, I am constantly looking for new and unique methods of enhancing the work environment, while motivating and empowering my managers to increase their responsibilities, improve their efficiencies, and, in turn, allow their subordinates to grow and advance – it is very rewarding, but a lot of hard work.”
Company: CUI Global Inc.
Contact: William Clough
Address: 20050 SW 112th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon, 97062, USA
Phone: 001 503 612 2300 (Ofc.) & 001 925 989 6651 (Cell)
Web Address: www.cuiglobal.com
