Conducted by Sally Glick, ACG New Jersey, and principal of the firm and chief growth strategist, SobelCo.
In a recent conversation with Albert Salama, founder of the billion-dollar company Sabert Corp., he provided keen insights as he shared the keys to his extraordinary success.
On May 5, he will elaborate on these core concepts at the annual Association for Corporate Growth New Jersey Corporate Growth Conference and Awards breakfast, where he will be the recipient of the ACG N.J. Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award and will participate in a fireside chat with Tom Bergeron, editor of ROI-NJ, as the event’s keynote speaker.
But here is a sneak preview of some of Salama’s words of wisdom!
First, it is important to point out that, unlike many exemplary leaders, Salama did not end up in the CEO seat because he was selected by an executive search firm to fill that position. Rather, he is a proud entrepreneur, the one who is responsible for creating Sabert Corp. over four decades ago. It was his innovative concept that significantly changed the food packaging industry, as he developed and then nurtured and refined his idea as the company expanded its footprint and achieved amazing global results.
When Salama was asked to consider what has led to the company’s stature and its impact, he commented that he believes some of his personal attributes influenced the company’s exploding growth. These included his drive, persistence and determination. In fact, it was these three characteristics that kept him focused and moving forward through all the twists and turns of the company’s journey over the years.
Next, Salama stated that his self-awareness and his belief in himself, and in his ability to continuously improve, have served him well as the company evolved from a startup to maturity. His self-awareness led him to be more reflective as he evaluated and judged his leadership efforts. It was this awareness that also fueled his curiosity, leading him to seek out and understand the best practices of an organization’s different functions as he sought to bring efficiency and effectiveness to the business.
A great leader and an inquisitive entrepreneur, Salama has always maintained a laser-like focus on finding new ways to best serve the customers and the markets, constantly looking for ways to improve the products and the experience. In order to deliver on the company’s promise of excellence, Salama has never stopped investing a great amount of time into selecting the right people for each role. He knew that the people on the front lines and the people behind the scenes were the influencers who fueled the company’s accomplishments by interacting with the community, upholding the company values, maintaining a stable organization and never faltering on quality.
Lastly, a bit of luck and a vision for what was to come played into the mix as Salama saw the potential for growth in the food packaging industry, building a long-term plan around the future possibilities. Having the plan and executing on the plan are not always the same — but Salama leveraged a strategic approach that was disciplined, systematic and structured to reach the goals he defined early on in the process. Clearly communicating those goals and the path to achieving them enabled Salama to inspire others as he engaged the skills and passion of his team, gaining buy-in while pushing the company forward in a meaningful way.
If you would like to know more about Sabert Corp.’s success and Albert Salama’s leadership, come learn more about how and why they are being recognized as ACG N.J.’s Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.
Please join us May 5 at the Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, for networking, plated breakfast, panel presentations featuring our Corporate Growth Award honorees, and keynote with our Corporate Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.
ACG NJ 2019 Corporate Growth Conference & Awards
Thursday, May 5, 2022
7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset