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It’s one thing to craft a strategy—but another thing altogether to see it through.
So says Scott Clawson, chairman and CEO of Rosemont, Illinois-based Culligan International, which provides consumer water services and solutions. Execution is where companies succeed, he says—or fall short. Since taking the helm of the water solutions company in 2012, Clawson has applied a disciplined management system to drive growth, expand services and sharpen the company’s focus on sustainability. Under his leadership, Culligan has transformed from a $400 million business into a $3.1 billion enterprise, shifting from a traditional product-based model to a service-driven approach that prioritizes long-term customer relationships.
Clawson’s leadership philosophy is rooted in experience. Before Culligan, he scaled businesses across industries—from leading AGCO’s GSI division to executive roles at Danaher, ALCOA and Ryko Enterprises. Through it all, he’s learned that strategy alone isn’t enough; success depends on execution, culture and having the right team in place.
In the following conversation, Clawson shares how he has been able to translate vision into results by adhering to a structured business management system and leveraging the skills of everyone in the organization.
You’ve led several businesses over the course of your career—what would you consider your leadership strength to be?
Among the skills I’ve devoted significant time to sharpening over my career, the most valuable is turning strategy into execution. Many organizations develop strong visions, but the real challenge is putting them into action.
At Culligan, we use a structured business management system, inspired by what I learned during my time at Danaher. It prescribes how we work together and how our strategy becomes real through a focus on long- and short-term planning, best-in-class processes across all our business areas, continuous improvement and ultimately shareholder returns. This system ensures that I, our leadership and all our global employees stay focused on what truly moves the business forward.
Key to any solid business system is securing the right team. Earlier in my career, when I joined GSI as CEO in 2007, I experienced the power—and the urgency and importance—of coupling a strong strategy with the right team.
At GSI, we had ambitious growth plans from the start. But our plans couldn’t and didn’t gain real momentum until we prioritized hiring and developing top talent. Doing so transformed the company’s trajectory—and led to a nearly fourfold return for investors in just four years.
What advice do you have for CEOs who want to better operationalize their strategies?
It’s this straightforward: use a management system. Operationalizing strategy requires a structured management system that provides clarity, accountability and consistency—without adding unnecessary complexity.
A worthwhile business system is going to give you structure to push toward your objectives, measure performance, instill accountability, identify and eliminate bottlenecks, and build repeatability and clarity.
Your first win is recognizing that your role doesn’t stop at defining a brilliant strategy. You’ve also got to ensure your leaders see to it that every team understands how their work contributes to your broader business goals. It takes work, but is well worth it, to foster alignment within the organization and especially with any acquired businesses.
I’m a big believer that decentralization also plays a key role: let the leaders closest to the work make the decisions, and do so within a disciplined framework that keeps everyone focused on the right priorities.
A component of a successful business management system is culture. How does culture come to life at Culligan and how does that directly impact business growth?
People bring the business system to life. That’s why hiring and developing committed, inspired, A-player people across the organization has to be a top priority.
Cornerstone to our culture at Culligan is cultivating a high-trust, high-performance environment where employees take ownership, move with urgency and make an impact. Three key elements define our culture:
First, leadership sets the tone. When leaders are empowered decision makers and operate transparently, trust is built. And when people trust leadership, they execute with confidence and conviction. Great leadership isn’t about control, it’s about enabling teams to succeed.
My father, also a CEO, taught me early on that no one in an organization is more important than another—whether running the business or cleaning the floors. That stuck with me. At Culligan, our leaders build real connections and create an environment where everyone can thrive.
Second, we act with urgency and learn quickly. Early in my time at Culligan, I made a poor judgment call. When I realized it, I sat down with my leadership team and owned it. They were surprised—not because they didn’t see the mistake, but because admitting missteps wasn’t the norm. That moment set a new precedent: failure isn’t a setback—it’s an opportunity for growth.
Finally, our employees are united as a force for good. Culligan exists to deliver sustainable, innovative water solutions that improve lives and protect the planet. That’s not just a statement in our annual report; it drives the decisions we make every day.
These aspects of our culture make Culligan a great place to work and create the foundation for growth. When employees feel valued, learn and act swiftly, and are united as a force for good, they deliver results.
Organic growth is becoming more difficult to find, especially in the manufacturing industry—how do you successfully drive organic growth at Culligan?
Organic growth is tough in any industry. We’ve navigated by staying ahead of consumer needs, shifting to services and continuously innovating.
Culligan has evolved beyond a water treatment company to a water service company, delivering a suite of solutions that address the growing demand for clean, sustainable drinking water. Our services and innovations provide consumers, at home or at work, with high-quality water and also help them reduce their reliance on single-use plastic bottles. We give both businesses and individuals ways to make more sustainable choices.
One of the biggest drivers of our organic growth has been moving from a one-time product sales model to a service-driven approach that prioritizes long-term customer relationships. By offering ongoing service and support, we’ve strengthened customer loyalty and built more predictable revenue streams, making us less dependent on market fluctuations.
Our investments in technology and automation—like smart products that notify consumers when maintenance is needed and help technicians diagnose and fix issues faster—have further improved our ability to deliver seamless, proactive service.
Organic growth sustains success, but programmatic M&A has certainly helped us scale. When we acquire a business, we prioritize integration. Whether it’s expanding our service network, strengthening our digital platforms or accelerating innovation, each acquisition is a catalyst for long-term organic growth.
At the end of the day, organic growth comes down to three things: aligning with macro trends, building predictable revenue streams and continuously innovating to stay ahead. This approach to organic growth coupled with our M&A strategy is how we’ve grown Culligan from a $400 million business in 2016 to a $3.1 billion enterprise today and how we plan to continue the momentum.
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