Part 1 of 2: “Product and Brand Leadership” Interview with Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments.

Part 1 of 2: “Product and Brand Leadership” Interview with Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments. 

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Leadership Lyceum: A CEO’s Virtual Mentor. 

This is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.  (http://shop.fender.com/en-US/about ).

I joined Andy in his new Hollywood offices, which were still in the finishing touches of the build out, on September 14th 2016. We had a sweeping conversation his leadership at Fender, his product orientation and brand focus and industry innovation that he is leading at Fender. Fender had their grand opening celebration of the new Hollywood offices one week after our meeting on September 22nd.  Please link to this LA Weekly article on the back of the album cover for some great photos of Fender’s new and inviting Hollywood space including shots of Andy and his executive team. (http://www.laweekly.com/music/fender-guitars-has-a-new-home-in-the-heart-of-hollywood-photos-7410496 ).

 

Program Guide

 Andy Mooney Interview Part 1 of 2 – “Product & Brand Leadership”

 

0:32	Introduction to Part 1 of 2 with Andy Mooney
0:42	Fender Historical Context and Ownership History
2:50	Quick Intro to Andy Mooney
3:49	Interview: Servco Pacific and TPG Objectives for Andy Mooney as CEO
5:10	Aside: More Background Detail and Bio on Andy Mooney
6:19	Interview: Owners’ Objectives for Andy (continued)
7:49	View of the Fender Brand: Great Products First, Form Follows Function, Quality is a Business Model
9:43	Profound Depths of a Brand – Leo Fender’s Belief
11:49	Relationships with the Artists
13:30	Addressing the Abandonment Phenomenon with Musical Instruments
14:07	Break
14:23	Addressing the Abandonment Phenomenon (cont.)
17:29	Parents’ Education and Role in Development of Music
19:45	Music/Instrument Communities, Proficiency Development and Progression
22:00	Break
22:15	The Ritchie Blackmore Factor – Drawing Interest to Guitar
24:38	Changing Demographics and Tailoring Design
28:53	Communities and Proximity – Los Angeles/Hollywood Offices
30:49	Wrap up and Preview of Episode 6, Part 2 of 2 with Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender Instruments

Informative and Helpful Links

More about Fender: http://shop.fender.com/en-US/about

More about Andy Mooney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Mooney

More about the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM): https://www.namm.org

 

Prior National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Interviews with:

Andy Mooney January 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbfAUVNgw-I

With Phyllis Fender, Leo Fender’s wife: https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/phyllis-fender

NAMM’s Compelling Library of Oral History Interviews: https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/all

 

An Excellent Video Tour of the Fender Fullerton Manufacturing Facility Circa 1957 or 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nswcAPvH0P8

 

Dan Orkin’s informative feature on gear history in Reverb.com and the impact of the CBS takeover of Fender on guitar designs in 1965. 

https://reverb.com/news/fender-and-the-cbs-takeover

 

Link to the Rolling Stone Video and Article on The Edge and his Custom Signature Fender Strat. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-u2s-the-edge-geek-out-about-new-custom-guitar-20160324

Funk Museum reference – The Funk Center, Dayton Ohio  http://www.thefunkcenter.org

 

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Biography on Andy Mooney

Andrew (Andy) P. Mooney has been the Chief Executive Officer of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation since June 2015. 

He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver Inc. from January 10, 2013 to March 27, 2015. 

Andy served as President of Walt Disney Company since January 2000. He spent 11 years leading Disney Consumer Products (DCP), first as President and then as Chairman of DCP.  He pioneered the $4 billion Disney Princesses franchise and retail lines based on the Pixar Animation films, “Toy Story” and “Cars.” While at Disney, he and his team revolutionized Disney's licensing business, re-invented the Disney Stores and opened Disney English Language Learning Centers in China, creating an exciting new growth opportunity for the company.

Prior to Disney, Mooney spent 20 years with Nike, Inc. Originally, joining Nike's United Kingdom division as CFO, he transitioned to marketing in 1982.  He held several senior positions before relocating to the United States in 1984 and becoming Chief Marketing Officer for Nike in the US in 1994.

Throughout his Nike tenure, Andy led Nike’s footwear product line management team, was General Manager of Nike’s $3 billion global apparel business and founded its equipment division. Andy worked for 20-years with Nike, Inc., and served as its Vice President of Global Brands. As Chief Marketing Officer, he was responsible for worldwide marketing strategies for the Nike and Jordan brands.

Andy hails from Scotland and holds an Accounting Certificate in the United Kingdom. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in 2008 by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

 

Your host Thomas B. Linquist is a Partner at leading global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. Over his 15 years in management and leadership consulting he has served a wide array of industrial clients.  This includes leadership assessment and search for chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers and boards of directors.  He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and over his 25-year career has served in a variety of roles: as an engineer with Shell Oil Company, a banker with ABN AMRO Bank, and as treasurer was the youngest corporate officer in the 150+ year history at Peoples Energy Company in Chicago.  He is an expert on hiring and promotion decisions and leadership development.  Over the course of his search career, he has interviewed thousands of leaders. 

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