Who is Marco Iorio
After an education in Mechanical Engineering and former experiences in SCA, leading company in the paper sector, and KME, manufacturer of copper and brass rolled products, in 2013 Marco Iorio came into the world of coated aluminium products as Plant Manager.
Marco Iorio, married with two daughters, was born and raised in Vico Equense (Sorrento Peninsula). Very keen on photography, interested in Management Models, a lover of good food and drink, he has over 30 pairs of colorful socks and he is a big supporter of SSC Naples football team.
Describe briefly your education background and your work experience (before Italcoat)
Marco Iorio: I’m a Mechanical Engineer graduated at the university of Naples “Federico II” and through my previous work experiences I took an educational path much more managerial than technical. The former experiences allowed me to hold different roles also at European level, travelling a lot and achieving a full corporate vision. Yet, after working in a company in crisis, I realized how much the passion for work and the teamwork can lead to incredible results.
Then you came to Italcoat: What does this company represent for you?
Marco Iorio: My second home, even if my wife believes it’s the only one considering the time I spend there. Italcoat gave me the chance to take on more responsibility, to put in practice everything I learned from my previous experiences, due also to the trust and the autonomy the company accorded me
As Plant Director you personally participate in the productive activities of the company: how do you coordinate the development of production processes and the promotion of the employees’ professional growth?
Marco Iorio: First of all analyzing every day the achievements and setting the team priorities, conveying as much as possible a 360-degree view. I try also to promote the growth of my employees providing guidelines and constantly supporting them in dealing with possible critical situations. We always promote training activities and opportunities for interaction both in the classroom and on the production lines. In Italcoat it’s normal to take a break in order to discuss together about a qualitative problem, to conduct kaizen events and to adopt structured problem solving techniques.
How do you relate to your employees?
Marco Iorio: I like very much to be in touch with my employees, I always try to listen to them and to encourage their participation to continuous improvement. I delegate tasks to those with more experience, accepting also mistakes considering them as an essential part of the growth. On the contrary, I spend more time with younger employees because they need more attention and training. That’s why I consider important to have official one-to-one periodical meetings as well as having a little chat by the coffee machine: every moment of confrontation can be important. Sometimes I feel like a particular kind of Neapolitan a bit “German”: I believe that discipline and respect for rules are always important, as well as the attention to details without giving up smiling or making a joke. I always strongly encourage my team, aiming at perfection, because it’s only in this way you can achieve great results. I understand this is not always easy to accept! The most important factor for me is teamwork, from the Daily Meeting to the realization of SGA (SmallGroup Activity) continuing with activities outside the workplace like the latest cooking contest we made,without excluding the celebration of a good result, a usual practice certainly necessary in order to motivate the employees.
What are usually the employees’ reactions to changes?
Marco Iorio: I like to imagine a factory as many entrepreneurs together, each one seeing it as his own, participating in its development and improvement. From the very first day of work in Italcoat I always tried to make some small improvements. I have to admit that it’s not easy to make them accepted, but I’ve learned that change is accepted only through the employee involvement. There is still a long way to go but looking back on the company, how it was 4 years ago, I see now a firmly established group, thanks to the commitment of everyone.
What project are you most attached to? Why? What are the risks and difficulties you met during the planning and implementation?
Marco Iorio: The project “Standardization of the painting process“: this will allow us to make the qualitative leap. The project requires the involvement of everyone, sets working standards and guarantees the quality. It is also a very complex project because of the wide range of products we manufacture and the high number of variables: materials, process parameters and operations. The implementation of this project contributed, in three years, to reduce claims, increasing production yield of 5% and the overall performances.
Describe yourself using only an adjective (and why)
Marco Iorio: Positive! I always try to look on the bright side of things, also because I consider myself a very lucky person for what I have. This helps me to work better, to see problems as an opportunity, to be happier and constantly setting new goals for myself. I always try to spread positivity and optimism also to those who surround me. Yet, working with more than 1600 varnish codes of the most various colors, I can only see Italcoat as a “colorful” environment. Just like my socks!
What are your future goals?
Marco Iorio: On the one hand, further improving the quality standards and plant achievements, focusing mainly on the growth of employees and the application of a Lean Manufacturing structured system. On the other hand, thinking strategically about the future development of Italcoat and, as a member of the Strategic Committee of Laminazione Sottile, contribute to the improvement of the entire Group.