Team BiographyJim Paton Snr
Company Secretary & Principal Consultant
Jim is a consultant who combines 40 years hands-on know-how and experience in business management, consulting, and university lecturing with a positive and energetic approach to coaching and facilitating strategic management and business transformation.
His extensive international business experience ensures a global perspective in analyzing situations and facilitating solutions to enable client companies to survive, thrive, and create real value in an increasingly competitive global world.
Formerly Director of New Business Development with BP-Amoco, Jim has a proven track record of effective leadership of multidisciplinary, multinational teams in the areas of strategy development, business management, marketing management, technology licensing, and major investment projects world-wide. Jim’s pragmatic approach and strong customer focus draws on his broad business experience and knowledge of state-of-the-art management practices, combined with a proven ability in spearheading negotiations in different cultures at the highest corporate and government levels.
Jim is based in Geneva, Switzerland and has also lived and worked in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Management Consultant, Geneva, Switzerland 1999-2011
Successfully completed projects in areas of strategic management; change management; business development; and marketing management for clients in Europe, USA and Middle East.
Adjunct Professor: European University, Center for Management Studies 2000-2005
Geneva Business School (Business & Management University), Geneva 2004-2011
Ecole de Management Lyon, 2009-2011
Executive seminars, MBA, MSc and undergraduate courses in strategic management; change management; strategic marketing; and other management subjects. Gained European University’s ‘Prince Fellow’ award for “Distinguished Excellence in Teaching” in 2000 and 2004.
BP-Amoco: Amoco Chemical Europe, Geneva, Switzerland
Director, New Business Development 1991-1999
Spearheaded Amoco Chemical Europe’s input on corporate cross-sector strategy teams for Russia and Turkey to developed corporate country strategies positioning BP Amoco for future growth.
Led the development of a successful business growth strategy for Amoco Chemical’s European polypropylene business. Initiated sales redistribution and a multi-million USD grass roots investment project to more than double manufacturing capacity, achieving substantial profit improvement.
Led negotiating teams and achieved multi-million USD licensing agreements for polypropylene plants in Netherlands, Germany, and Czech Republic.
Led the development of investment projects in the $400-500 million range for wholly owned and joint venture plants to manufacture Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) in Russia and Turkey.
As founding director of Amoco Chemical Turkey, negotiated investment incentives worth over $40 million with the Turkish government’s Directorate for Foreign Investment.
Developed a benzene sales strategy for Europe which achieved several million $/yr increased profit contribution.
Amoco Chemical Co, Chicago, USA
Manager - Market Management, Polypropylene, Chicago, USA 1989-1991
Formed and led a team of Market Managers and coordinated the efforts of Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing and R&D.
Initiated and led cross-functional market teams in the development and implementation of new end-user market sector strategies which led to substantial increase in profitability of the multi-million USD Polypropylene Business.
Worked with manufacturing to develop a debottleneck project for Amoco Chemical’s Cedar Bayou polypropylene plant which gained board approval and achieved a low cost capacity increase and substantial profit improvement.
Amoco Chemical Europe, Geneva, Switzerland
Group Product Manager, Polymers 1984-1989
Managed European polymers SBU. Led strategy development and implementation. Increased competitiveness and substantially improved profitability.
Led business and product management teams, managed product mix and availability, pricing and profitability. Implemented sales redistribution to higher netback business with significant improvement in profitability.
Product Manager Polypropylene 1980-1984
Led product line development, customer technical service and sales support and, along with R&D, developed new products for high speed spinning of polypropylene fibres and gas fade resistant film.
Regained $1.5 million/yr of lost fibre and film business.
Managed market introduction of products from new generation high yield catalyst with substantial increase in contribution to business unit profitability.
Sold atactic polypropylene by-product. Achieved $1 million/yr net profit contribution.
Product Manager Petroleum Additives 1977-1980
Developed new cost effective additive formulations for fuels and lubricants and directed and monitored engine test programs. Achieved significant profit contributions.
Universal Matthey Products Ltd., Enfield, England.
Head of Sales Development & Planning 1975-1977
Led team of sales development managers and business analysts. Developed company five year plans. Increased profit contribution from additives sales by ca. 20% over two years.
Head of Technical Development 1971-1975
Led team of chemists, engineers and technicians and development several successful new catalysts for petrochemical processes. Increased profits from new high margin catalyst sales.
Led development of processes for recovery of high value precious metals from spent catalysts. Achieved substantial profit contribution and reduced customer costs.
Led development of additives for crude oil processing. Achieved ca. 10%/yr profit improvement from new additives sales.
Qualifications & Other Skills
B.Sc., (Hons), Applied Chemistry, University of Glasgow
Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of Strathclyde
A.R.C.S.T.(Hons), Associate of The Royal College of Science & Technology, Glasgow
Further Education & Management Courses
Courses on Leadership; Finance; Negotiating, Marketing, Total Quality, Business & Personal Renewal at Center for Creative Leadership, Brussels; London Business School; Heinz Goldman Associates, Geneva; IMD, Switzerland; Adam Smith Institute, London; Phillip Crosbie Associates, Brussels; Amoco Management Learning Center, Illinois.
Languages
English (mother tongue); French (working knowledge); German (basic); Russian (basic)
Call: +41 (0)22 3498120