Meet: Matt Baldock – Business Development Leader, NW Europe

At SEE, celebrating our people and their accomplishments is a core part of our culture. In our “Meet: Our People” series, you’ll hear directly from our people across the globe on what it’s like working at SEE, and a little bit about them outside of work.

Where are you located?

United Kingdom.

How long have you been at SEE?

Four years. 

What’s your favorite part of your position?

The freedom and creativity to explore and secure new business is something as an individual I love. Whether it is being trusted to embrace the unorthodox (costumes and performing at trade shows) or demonstrating the need for new product development (expanding our animal derivative-free films for the vegan market), I have always felt supported by my amazing team.

What advice do you give to people looking to start their careers or become leaders today? 

Leadership comes in many guises. You don’t have to be the ‘alpha’ in the room to be the leader. The key is authenticity. Believe in yourself, be comfortable with failure and fallibility, and always challenge yourself to learn. That is leadership. 

Could you share a personal experience where embracing failure and fallibility helped you grow as a leader?

In a previous role, I had to lead the organization of an evening event about new print technology, including the sponsors, speakers, content, and guests. The event was a huge success and amounted to a significant increase in business. The failure, however, continues to haunt me. I had a small team at my disposal, and I didn’t use them properly. In my head, I thought I was doing them a favor, and leading them, by reducing their workload (we all had ‘day jobs’ too). I was wrong. They wanted to contribute far more to this event and had their own reasons for it. It wasn’t about getting the recognition – which they received anyway – but participating, learning, and embracing a new environment. The lesson is that teams are more powerful than their constituent parts and hierarchy, and I am now a huge advocate of Holacracy. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in your career?

Being asked to lead a global initiative for SEE, focused on accelerating our digital print business, was a tremendous honor. We have a small but perfectly formed team and we continue to break new ground with our digital-first approach to growth. 

What is your favorite mantra or quote?

“Well, the world is exhausted, the wreckage is all around, but the arc of your life could still be profound.” – Steven Wilson 

Unlike many other ‘inspirational quotes’, I find this both cuts to the truth, but also offers hope. We can’t ignore our planet, and it is only us that can make it better. 

What’s something you are passionate about besides your career? 

Being a glutton for punishment, I ‘enjoy’ racing triathlons and duathlons and am fortunate enough to represent Great Britain in international championships. Sport is a great escape and release from life, and certainly, individual sport is where you are wholly accountable to yourself. You learn great discipline through training, which is completely transferable to a work environment.

What specific skills or mental attributes do you find particularly helpful in both individual sports and your work environment?

The paradox of being comfortable outside of your comfort zone is the central pillar for achievement, physically and mentally. To defy your instinct to self-preserve is difficult, but once broken through, you get a glimpse of your true potential. Being clever with time management and more effective with training was a great learning from sport (my performances improved by reducing training hours, with simple session amendments). Working smart and hard is the formula which ultimately helps you win at work, sport, and at home.  

Now for a bizarre one, that of race craft. A race involves the physical, mental, and tactical. Once race-ready with the first two attributes, the third comes in – best applied in important meetings. Knowing whether to all-out lead and let people adapt to your cadence or whether you should be more reactive to those around you is a skill in itself. I suppose all the above does culminate in one of the mantras of one of the great sports coaches of the 2000s, Sir Clive Woodward (Rugby World Cup winning coach, former British Olympic Association Deputy Chef de Mission) - Thinking Correctly Under Pressure, aka T-CUP. This approach is all about preparing for every eventuality, so that you can maintain focus whatever happens.

If I could have lunch with one person from history, it would be:   

Diogenes of Sinope. A Greek philosopher and one of the founders of the ‘cynic’ movement, Diogenes is quite inspirational when you look beyond his punk-esque attitude. He was at the forefront of calling out hypocrisy in political and social life, seeking honesty when he knew deep down it was hard to find. I often wonder what he’d think of today’s world.

Interested in joining us? Check out our careers page for open roles.