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I never met Eddie Davies. I wish I had but I was able to attend his memorial service. Here's a eulogy from someone who knew him very well. Apologies to those who may have read it before.
Eddie Davies Eulogy
It is an honour to be given the opportunity to say a few words about Eddie and his time at Strix.
Eddie was a man of many facets .
He was a man who meant different things to the many people he met throughout his 22 years at Strix.
I have heard Eddie described in many ways by employees , colleagues , customers and suppliers as well as the government and industry leaders who met and worked with Eddie over those years.
Just some of them are .....
Energetic ,determined ,decisive , intelligent , enigmatic ,relentless ,analytical , amusing ,vigorous ,imaginative , innovative , entertaining ,....and sexy ......or ,at least , that’s what he told me!!
Certainly a man with integrity.
Perhaps his over-riding mantra was;
Imagination + Determination = Success
Eddie would challenge yet encourage everyone to stretch their imagination about what was possible and necessary to deliver success.
A summary of some of his favourite phrases many help to give you an insight into his character ;
...Avoid lazy thinking
....You never retire from Strix ....you just spend less time at work
...Teamwork is a high- contact sport
....Strix is like a freight train - we carry no passengers
...If I agree with you we will both be wrong
... When negotiating ....listen twice as much as you speak
...Focus on the things you can influence and less on the things you cannot control
...Is it too late to rule by fear
...There are only 2 choices .....change the plan OR change the team
...Everyone makes some contribution, but once there is a net deficit , it is time for a change
....You may be right. ,BUT ... we cannot afford for you to be wrong
....Do the right thing......Not the easy thing , and Not the popular thing
.... This is not a court of law......there comes a time when you have sufficient information and a decision needs to be taken......you should not wait for proof positive
...No problem is totally new....immerse yourself in it and options and solutions will emerge.
....You will only know if you have made the right decision with the benefit of hindsight
And lastly...
.... There are only 3 types of people ....those who can make things happen ,those that watch things happen , and those who don’t now what has happened!!
Eddie was a thinking man .......a man who thrived on detail ,searched out market intelligence from all corners of the globe and from all possible sources ,taking time to digest and synthesise this information and look for alternatives before deploying an agreed plan with determination and a deep desire to win.
He was a man with formidable intelligence , skills , talent and knowledge who used these attributes to the fullest extent to achieve considerable success and recognition over more than 20 years.
Strix is undoubtedly the global leader in its market and the name of Eddie Davies is synonymous with that of the company in many parts of the world.
Eddie steered Strix , ‘that little company in the Isle of Man ‘ from humble beginnings based in the old Cosy Cinema in Castletown (where his office was in the Projection Room)...................To a company with a truly global reach which today has a market capitalisation of £300million .
In closing, Eddie was an outstanding businessman , a man of character ......a true leader , tough and demanding but always more demanding of himself than others.
To many of us, Eddie became a friend as well as a colleague..........we will all miss those dinners , texts and jokes.
He would often say,’some people leave bigger holes than others’...
Well Eddie, you have left a huge hole in all our lives!!
Eddie Davies Eulogy
It is an honour to be given the opportunity to say a few words about Eddie and his time at Strix.
Eddie was a man of many facets .
He was a man who meant different things to the many people he met throughout his 22 years at Strix.
I have heard Eddie described in many ways by employees , colleagues , customers and suppliers as well as the government and industry leaders who met and worked with Eddie over those years.
Just some of them are .....
Energetic ,determined ,decisive , intelligent , enigmatic ,relentless ,analytical , amusing ,vigorous ,imaginative , innovative , entertaining ,....and sexy ......or ,at least , that’s what he told me!!
Certainly a man with integrity.
Perhaps his over-riding mantra was;
Imagination + Determination = Success
Eddie would challenge yet encourage everyone to stretch their imagination about what was possible and necessary to deliver success.
A summary of some of his favourite phrases many help to give you an insight into his character ;
...Avoid lazy thinking
....You never retire from Strix ....you just spend less time at work
...Teamwork is a high- contact sport
....Strix is like a freight train - we carry no passengers
...If I agree with you we will both be wrong
... When negotiating ....listen twice as much as you speak
...Focus on the things you can influence and less on the things you cannot control
...Is it too late to rule by fear
...There are only 2 choices .....change the plan OR change the team
...Everyone makes some contribution, but once there is a net deficit , it is time for a change
....You may be right. ,BUT ... we cannot afford for you to be wrong
....Do the right thing......Not the easy thing , and Not the popular thing
.... This is not a court of law......there comes a time when you have sufficient information and a decision needs to be taken......you should not wait for proof positive
...No problem is totally new....immerse yourself in it and options and solutions will emerge.
....You will only know if you have made the right decision with the benefit of hindsight
And lastly...
.... There are only 3 types of people ....those who can make things happen ,those that watch things happen , and those who don’t now what has happened!!
Eddie was a thinking man .......a man who thrived on detail ,searched out market intelligence from all corners of the globe and from all possible sources ,taking time to digest and synthesise this information and look for alternatives before deploying an agreed plan with determination and a deep desire to win.
He was a man with formidable intelligence , skills , talent and knowledge who used these attributes to the fullest extent to achieve considerable success and recognition over more than 20 years.
Strix is undoubtedly the global leader in its market and the name of Eddie Davies is synonymous with that of the company in many parts of the world.
Eddie steered Strix , ‘that little company in the Isle of Man ‘ from humble beginnings based in the old Cosy Cinema in Castletown (where his office was in the Projection Room)...................To a company with a truly global reach which today has a market capitalisation of £300million .
In closing, Eddie was an outstanding businessman , a man of character ......a true leader , tough and demanding but always more demanding of himself than others.
To many of us, Eddie became a friend as well as a colleague..........we will all miss those dinners , texts and jokes.
He would often say,’some people leave bigger holes than others’...
Well Eddie, you have left a huge hole in all our lives!!
