Imanol Cortázar is the President of Bradford & Bigelow, a leading book manufacturing company based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. With a background in engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration, Imanol previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, specializing in operations and industrial optimization. In just two and a half years in the print industry, he has brought fresh perspectives, focusing on innovation, automation, and process improvements. Under his leadership, Bradford & Bigelow continues to thrive by combining cutting-edge technology with a commitment to workforce development, making it a standout player in the printing industry.
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Imanol Cortázar: Well, I’ve been in the industry for two and a half years, which is a short time compared to most people here. I have a background in engineering and a master’s in business administration. Most of my career was with McKinsey & Company as a consultant, focusing on operations for industrial customers and optimizing plants.
At some point, I got in touch with John Galligan, the owner of Bradford & Bigelow. He wanted to bring new blood into the industry and add youth to his executive team. He trusted me to become his Vice President of Process Improvement, a role I held for two years. In that role, I focused on improving maintenance processes, productivity tracking, and designing capital investments. We’ve been investing heavily in robotics and automation.
After two years, John trusted me to step into the role of president while he moved up to CEO. We now work hand-in-hand.
Chris Santomassimo: John has been an excellent spokesperson for both the industry and the company. He’s in the Printing Hall of Fame and constantly talks about innovation. He’s really set the stage for you to optimize operations and take things to the next level.
Imanol Cortázar: Exactly. John has always emphasized the importance of focus as a key to Bradford & Bigelow’s success. We specialize in one format, the 8.5×11 size, and aim to excel in that niche. My goal is to build on this foundation by introducing more innovation and automation while keeping people at the forefront.
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