From Sparky to EGM
Damien Cummins talks to us about Clipsal’s new premises, the economy and how to thrive during the hard times.
So the saying goes, a change is as good as a holiday. Well if that’s the case, Clipsal has just booked an around-theworld ticket.
At the beginning of this year, Clipsal’s head office saw a complete transformation, moving from its original Bowden home to bigger and better things, with completely new facilities, at Gepps Cross. But it didn’t stop there. In April 2009 another change hit the Clipsal headlines, and welcomed a new Executive General Manager into the hot seat, a man by the name of Damien Cummins.
Clipsal's Connected editor, Jodie Hansen, recently was lucky enough to have a chat with Mr Cummins and scratch the surface on his lifelong passion for both Clipsal and the electrical industry. He shares his view on the current economic situation and how Clipsal is faring through the global hardship, and, suggests how contractors can make the downturn work in their favour.
Clipsal’s new Executive General Manager, Damien Cummins left school in Year 11, and this was when his relationship with the Clipsal brand truly began. “I was a commercial sparky, starting my apprenticeship at age 16 with a company called Barker and Taylor in Melbourne,” says Damien. At the time Damien says he was working on many high-rise commercial projects, including the likes of Rialto Towers, Melbourne. “This was back in the mid 80s - gosh, now I’m showing my age a bit.” (Laughs)
Half way through his apprenticeship, Damien decided to pursue further study at night school. “That was a challenge for me,” he says. Three nights a week and seven years later, he attained a degree in Marketing and had completed several courses in technology. It was this hunger for technology that then saw him swiftly progress through different areas of the electrical industry, spending a lot of time on building sites and then later working as a Serviceman. Which in hindsight he says, “Was a very valuable thing as it gave me experience from a number of different industries.”
Damien started working for Clipsal on the 13th January 2003. Little did he know then, that this move would stamp such an emphasis on his career.
Formerly the General Manager of Clipsal Datacomms™, Damien took the initiative to introduce the distinctive and innovative titanium® range of data products – a range that fast became Australia’s fi rst distinctive data communications product offering, and a decision that would put Damien in good stead with Clipsal for the future. Within five years the once Melbourne sparky had received a couple more internal promotions, one of which was the General Manager of ISC (Installations, Systems and Control), Pacifi c Zone, a role that he held for less than twelve months prior to taking over as the EGM of Clipsal.
As a firm believer of challenging the norm, Damien states, “Times change, interior designs change, peoples tastes and trends change. We need to change with them and as a market leader we need to lead the market with our product innovation. We’ll continue to take risks and challenge boundaries, not only in product but how we do business. It’s all about being innovative.”
Thoroughly impressed with Clipsal’s new head office at Gepps Cross, Damien feels that aside from providing true state of the art facilities, the biggest advantage of the new building is that everyone is all together. “The togetherness is a big driving infl uence. We had a group of 100 contractors come in last week, local contractors from SA.” All thoroughly impressed with the new building, they said, “Gepps Cross is even better than what we expected!”
“I love Gepps Cross! It is a marked improvement on Bowden. We now work in an offi ce and a building which is true 21st century.”
“I also love my new role, however my wife is still asking me, “ When will the home and life balance come into play,” (laughs). “I’m sure it will happen, one day.”
Damien has always been an innovator. A man who has enjoyed a good challenge – this is evident from the many different products he has infl uenced during his time at Clipsal, and he says the current economic times are simply just another challenge.
“Make the most of the opportunities, there has never been a better time to get on the front foot and be aggressive. Take market share from competitors and more importantly up-sell. There’s no easier sell than an up-sell. And that might just include taking the person from a white 2025 power point to a Saturn … you’re not chasing the work, because you’re already there spending the same amount of time on the job. The customers called you to help them out with a problem, find a solution, up-sell the solution – it’s a win, win!” says Damien Cummins, Executive General Manager, Clipsal Australia
Damien says he has always respected Clipsal, because that is the electrical brand that he grew up with. And it is this passion for the company, as well as his vision and respect for the industry alike, that has Clipsal placed in very good hands for the future ahead.
For general media enquiries about Clipsal please contact:
- Alex Beltrame,
Media Manager,
Ph: +61 8 8161 0822
