Casey White, President & Founder of Chimera Integrations, has a passion for problem-solving that has driven his success in the security industry. His core values of respect, collaboration, and flexibility have shaped the culture of his company. When faced with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Casey’s leadership vision and innovative strategies led to the doubling in size of his company. Aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs can learn from Casey’s insights to be innovative, listen to customers and employees, and remain flexible in order to make a lasting impact in their industries.
Interviewee Name: Casey White
Company: Chimera Integrations
Casey’s favourite quote: Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader…They set out to make a difference. It is never about the role – always about the goal.
The Interview
Before we dive into the future, let’s rewind a bit! Tell us a story: what sparked your passion for your industry and led you to where you are today?
Casey White : I was initially drawn to the security industry because of the ever-evolving technology. More specifically, the way that artificial intelligence, machine learning, and creative problem-solving allowed me to provide solutions to customers that solved issues outside of just traditional security. How can I help affect my customer’s bottom line? How can I help make their processes and their flow more efficient and effective with the use of automation, control software, and integrations? It was not selling a widget and it was not selling something that had to fit in a box. The flexibility for me to take different technologies and combine them together to solve a large problem for a customer was what really got me excited. This passion for problem solving is what ultimately led to my success in sales and later inspired me to establish my own business. After working for some other organizations that did not share my core values, I decided I needed to start my own company.
What core values and leadership principles have guided you in your journey as a CEO, and how have they shaped your approach to leading your company?
Casey White : My core values are really simple and the golden rule applies everywhere: treat others—employees, customers—the way that I would want to be treated, with respect and dignity. I think it’s very important to create a corporate culture within the workplace where people feel comfortable to share ideas and collaborate. I want my team to offer ideas to drive the direction of the organization. I strive to make this an open forum where everybody can come up with solutions, and feel like they have a voice. Creating a flexible culture to work around employee’s lives and schedules is very important as well. My company does not exist without the happiness and success of my team. Attracting and retaining high quality teammates is the single hardest part of building a successful service organization in my opinion.
Can you share a pivotal moment or challenge you faced as a CEO, and the strategies you employed to overcome it while maintaining your leadership vision and guiding your team?
Casey White : The Covid-19 pandemic. It was a huge challenge; many of our customers were sending employees home as well as our field technicians. Most people around us were furloughing or firing their employees. We opted not to do that without any real understanding as to what was going to happen or how long this was going to go on for. I didn’t want to take away my employees’ opportunity to earn, at the benefit of our bottom line. So we stepped up and found things that they could do that would add value to the company and keep them fully employed the entire time. We had some technicians renovating our office while others engaged in training to enhance their skills. What we did as a company aligns with my values, which is to make sure that we have a great place to work and to treat people with respect. That ultimately led to us doubling the size of our company in that first year of COVID, one, because we kept everybody on board, but two, we developed innovative solutions to help our customers solve problems related to COVID specifically.
What advice would you offer to aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs who are looking to make an impact in their industries and lead their companies to success, based on your own experiences and insights?
Casey White : Look to be innovative. It is difficult to enter a market to compete strictly on price. Always walk around with your eyes and ears open; listen to your customers, listen to your employees, and find out what the market wants. True leaders don’t inherently have all the answers; leaders listen to all the various inputs to develop a product or service that can be successfully sold. Also, understand that your offering can’t always remain the same. Innovation is key to a surviving business. So being flexible, and adaptable to change is massive for any entrepreneur because you may have to pivot in order to stay relevant.
We hope you enjoyed this insightful conversation with Casey White. At Featured Leaders, we are committed to bringing you closer to the minds shaping our world. Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews and stories that inspire, inform, and ignite your passion for leadership. To keep up with our latest features, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media. Thank you for reading!
