Blogs
Employee Spotlight: Interview with Brian Palakow, Director of Business Development
03/16/2023

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  1. Can you tell us a little bit about your professional background and how you came to be a part of our team?

    This is actually a great little career tale: One of my first sales jobs was in B2B phone services. I spent my days cold-calling through industrial parks until I made a breakthrough sale to a small magnet manufacturing group in Pennsylvania. I discovered that I had a lot in common with the owner, who offered me an opportunity to learn the magnetics business.

  2. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing our industry right now, and how do you plan to tackle them?

    Every challenge presents an opportunity. Today, manufacturing industries have unprecedented access to critical resources on a global scale, which poses both a challenge and an opportunity. To tackle this, we need a dedicated team and steady communication with every tier of the supply chain. Finally, proactive communication with a smile is key to ensuring that our customers never have to ask about the progress of their orders. Proactive communication with a smile:)

  3. How do you plan to work with and support other teams within the company to achieve our business objectives?

    My first priority is to listen to each team's unique patterns and formulas, so we can implement a continuous improvement style review. Quadrant is known for its excellent quality and capacity, which support a vast product line that is responsive to unique and often challenging customer demands. I look forward to collaborating with every team to help our clients achieve their optimum magnetic moment.

  4. Can you share a past experience where you successfully navigated a complex business challenge in the magnetic industry? 

    Unfortunately, most of our programs operate under strict NDA agreements, but I've had the privilege of working with exceptional magnetic minds and innovative applications. One standout memory was successfully calibrating a high-grade magnet as part of an assembly line that couldn't be stopped. This required maintaining a consistent and friendly system temperature, as well as ensuring that all data was stored and uploaded in real-time. It was a true team effort that resulted in a happy customer, and I look forward to many more such challenges at Quadrant International.

  5. What do you enjoy doing outside of work, and how do you balance your personal and professional life? 

    I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I have two kids who keep me entertained and occupied. Although I've retired from MMA competition, I enjoyed it for many years. I also spent ten years in broadcasting, which was much harder than it may appear. For me, balance is all about setting short, mid, and long-term goals and staying focused on achieving them while making time for personal pursuits.