The Greggor File:
NAME: Keith Greggor
TITLE: President and CEO
COMPANY: Anchor Brewing Co.
Birthplace: Bournemouth, England
Education: A civil engineering degree from City University and a master’s degree in business administration from City University Business School.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? I always wanted to be an engineer so I worked part time at a precision engineering firm during high school. I didn’t make a whole lot of money, just enough to pay for my driver’s license and a couple of good meals. But I was so enthusiastic that they let me rotate from project to project. I not only increased my value by learning how to solve a variety of engineering problems, but I learned the value of a positive attitude.
Who do you admire in business? I most admire Tony Foglio who is highly respected for his work in the alcoholic beverage industry. He not only taught me how to navigate the industry’s regulations, but its relationships and culture. He’s the perfect executive for this industry and a great mentor because he has the right balance of logic and emotion.
What is your definition of business success? Success is when you can sleep at night. Seriously, I think that you’re always trying to move forward as a CEO, but you certainly need to celebrate your successes along the way. I’ve just passed the four-year mark as CEO of Anchor Brewing and we’re finally making money, but I’m certainly not going to rest on my laurels.
What is the best business advice you ever received? Be passionate and believe in what you do. I enjoyed engineering and the challenge of building things, but the industry has a lot of ups and downs. I was fascinated with marketing so I made the leap. Now, I use my engineering skills to build brands instead of bridges.