Todd Teske
Chairman, president & CEO
Briggs & Stratton Corp.
Wauwatosa-based Briggs & Stratton Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer Todd Teske says all businesses must be willing and able to adapt and change to survive.
“Over the last year or so, I find myself repeating the phrase, “The only thing that doesn’t change is the need to change.” We have changed a lot at Briggs & Stratton over the last 10 years. We have gone from being a maker of just engines to an end products manufacturer also. We have seen the impact of the information age on a 100-year-old manufacturer. We have experienced the influx of digital-savvy employees who have had a huge impact on how we do things. We have enjoyed the opportunities of expanding into new markets while those same regions try to penetrate our traditional markets.
“One of the greatest challenges as the leader of a global business is to create an environment that is open to change. At Briggs & Stratton, we have one of the greatest workforces in the world. The skill and work ethic of our people are terrific. Even so, there are times when we don’t adapt to change as well as we should. There are several things we are doing to facilitate change. We started by creating an environment of openness, candor and transparency. We clearly communicate our strategy in easy-to-understand terms. I began writing a blog every few weeks and encourage our team members to post replies to the blog. I also began hosting small group lunches to discuss what is going on in the business. Two-way communication allowing our team to understand what is happening goes a long way towards managing change.
“You can’t forget to have fun along the way, either. During the year, we have various family-friendly employee gatherings, events, picnics and in Milwaukee, the annual employee celebration at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage at Summerfest. Besides hearing great headliners, the winner of the Briggs & Stratton Battle of the Bands performs. This annual contest on Facebook draws thousands of fans and bands from around the world. We also sponsor Briggs & Al’s Run and Walk for Children’s Hospital. I can’t describe the feeling of seeing a sea of people on Wisconsin Avenue participating for an outstanding cause.
“In the end, being a great company means having a great team made up of great people who enjoy having fun along the way. Great people do great things by adapting to a changing world.”
