Staying Connected: A Conversation with New Martin Marietta CFO Jim Nickolas Martin Marietta’s new CFO Jim Nickolas. 8 September/October 2017 The Conveyor | www.martinmarietta.com Q. What do you believe are Martin Marietta’s greatest strengths? A. Martin Marietta is a values-based company. It’s a place where the safety and well-being of its employees and neighbors are the top priorities. It’s also a company focused on profitable growth. I believe these attributes are foundational to any company’s success. Within our industry, Martin is well-positioned relative to its competitors and I think that’s because our CEOs – first Steve Zelnak and then Ward Nye – have had the strategic foresight to focus on markets with stronger than average growth fundamentals. That foresight is largely responsible for the success we’re seeing today. Q. So, in your eyes, where does the company need to improve? A. Martin has grown rapidly over the past 20 years. As any company gets bigger, it needs to put in place additional processes and systems to support that growth. Simply adding another position or creating another spreadsheet gets expensive and less sustainable. At some point, it’s most efficient to pursue a more systematized approach. Martin reached that point a while back and has already begun that evolution. I hope to bring my experiences to bear to help the company continue that journey. A M It was something of a hectic summer for Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jim Nickolas and his family. After leaving his position with Caterpillar, Inc., there were multiple trips to Raleigh, an extended vacation in Greece and a fresh start in a new home. Still, by Aug. 21 – Nickolas’ first official day with Martin Marietta – the CFO was ready to hit the ground running. Soon after, he sat down with The Conveyor to discuss his past, his future and his family. Our New CFO by the Numbers: 18 The number of years Jim and his wife, Anastasia, have been married. The pair met while dancing with a Greek folk dance troupe in Chicago. 5 The number of children in the Nickolas family. Jim and Anastasia have three boys and two girls ages 8-16. The Big Ten The collegiate athletic conference Jim most closely follows. He’s yet to decide which North Carolina basketball program to adopt, correctly noting, “I’m told this is NOT a decision to be made lightly.” CAT 797 and CAT 7495 The respective haul truck and electric rope shovel models that were Jim’s favorites during his time with Caterpillar, Inc. He’s also partial to the CAT 777 haul truck and has operated a CAT 740 articulated truck.
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