Crozier, Adam 1964–

International Directory of Business Biographies, (2005) by Erik France

Adam Crozier 1964–

Chief executive, Royal Mail Group

Nationality: British.

Born: January 26, 1964, in Falkirk, Isle of Bute, Scotland.

Education: Heriot-Watt University, BA, 1984.

Family: Married Annette (maiden name unknown); children: two.

Career: Mars Pedigree, 1984–1986, graduate trainee; Daily Telegraph , 1986–1988, media salesperson; Saatchi & Saatchi, 1988–1992, media executive; 1992–1994, media director; 1994–1995, vice chairman, joint managing director; 1995–1999, joint chief executive; Football Association, 1999–2002, chief executive; Royal Mail Group, 2003–, chief executive.

Address: Royal Mail Group, 148 Old Street, London, EC1V 9HQ, United Kingdom; http://www.royalmailgroup.com.

■ Between 1988 and 1999 Adam Crozier steadily moved up the ranks at Saatchi & Saatchi, a renowned and expanding international marketing and advertising agency. He survived a major shake-up in 1995 caused when the company's founders resigned under pressure and then created a rival agency. Crozier ended his career at Saatchi & Saatchi holding the position of joint chief executive, having helped stabilize, rebuild, and expand the company's client base, despite analysts' predictions of disaster. Starting late in 1999 Crozier served as chief executive of the Football Association, one of Great Britain's two national soccer leagues. At the Football Association, Crozier met with controversy as he successfully began modernizing and reorganizing the institution. By the time he was forced to leave, Crozier had dramatically increased revenue and brought in the first non-English coach of the national England team.

In 2003 Crozier was hired by the Royal Mail Group to provide leadership in its transition from a floundering government monopoly mail and package delivery service to a competitive, modern institution that would be prepared for the government-mandated deregulation that would open the primary

Adam Crozier. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images .

British postal market to competing international carriers in 2007. Crozier's strategy and leadership met with as much controversy at the Royal Mail Group as they had at the Football Association and for much the same reason—resistance to change. Crozier was consistently described by coworkers and journalists as well mannered, affable, and low-key in outward demeanor but a tough change agent underneath who valued fairness, pragmatism, and success.

RISING STAR

By later accounts Crozier enjoyed his media work and worked hard to acquire new business. Working on a new Sky TV account, he met his future wife, Annette. Together they acquired the account. Although seemingly quiet in demeanor, Crozier was drawn to magnetic personalities at Sky TV and Talk Radio, and they were responsive and friendly.

Clients liked Crozier and, because he was calm, charming, rational, and reassuring during negotiations, requested him in person. Eventually Crozier supervised 35 major international advertising accounts. He rose to the positions of media director in 1992 and vice chairman in 1994. After they were forced out by internal conflict, the company's founders and namesakes created a rival agency that took a substantial portion of the staff and clientele with them. Crozier stayed at the original company and was appointed joint chief executive with Tamara Ingram. He was only 31 years old. "Everyone thought we would collapse like a pack of cards," he later told Lisa Campbell of the trade journal Campaign . "No-one predicted that we would come back as London's second largest agency." Crozier and Ingram succeeded by patiently rebuilding the company and restoring its profitability by carefully working with existing clients and adding new ones. Crozier left for a new position in late 1999, less than a year before the French-owned Publicis Groupe bought out Saatchi & Saatchi.

A GOOD KICKING

While at Saatchi & Saatchi, Crozier advised the Football Association on its potential bid for the 2006 World Cup. He loved football (soccer) and often played for fun with the Saatchi clubhouse team. Not too surprisingly, given his success at Saatchi, Crozier was offered the opportunity of leading the English Football Association, which according to its own assessments was in dire need of a competitive marketing strategy and general modernization, especially in light of successes by the Premier League, the rival soccer organization in the United Kingdom.

When he became chief executive of the Football Association in 1999, earning a £300,000 salary, Crozier acted quickly. In his first year he presented a three-year reorganization plan and had it approved; relocated the association headquarters from Lancaster Gate to Soho Square; and replaced more than half of the existing staff, the average age of staff members decreasing from 55 to 32. Crozier replaced the 91-member oversight board with a 12-member committee. Within three weeks of the resignation of Kevin Keegan, the manager of the national England soccer team, Crozier found a replacement: Sven-Goran Eriksson, a successful coach, but from Sweden. Eriksson's appointment met with resistance, but he proved a winner, taking England to the World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil, which eventually won the championship. Crozier also proceeded with plans for the new Wembley National Stadium. As a fellow Saatchi & Saatchi associate predicted to Campbell before Crozier took the job, Crozier also initiated detailed market research and "treated the fan as a customer." Crozier set up the Football Association's first marketing department. Profits from marketing, merchandise, and television and other revenue shot up from an estimated £3 million in 1999 to £125 million in 2001. But Crozier had several critics, such as the Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, who angrily resigned from the Wembley National Stadium board and aired his opposition in the press. Even successful change came at a cost, and under fire by some of the old guard but having done most of what he had set out to do under the reorganization plan, Crozier resigned. He then took on, along with Allan Leighton, the new chairman of the board, the even more daunting task of leading the restructuring of Royal Mail Group.