Leading a legacy: Ken Lowe

From his beginnings as a young mechanical engineer managing large-scale automation projects across continents to leading BEUMER Group Australia as CEO, Ken Lowe’s career has been defined by solving complex problems.

Now, at the helm of the nearly 90-year-old, family-owned BEUMER Group’s Australia/New Zealand division, Lowe is tackling a different challenge – mastering the art of leadership.

"My background is in engineering, not business. So it’s second nature for me to try to understand the technical detail and solve problems, but that’s clearly not the role of a CEO," he tells The CEO Magazine.

Bridging the gap

To prepare for this new chapter, Lowe completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course in early 2024, calling it a "real eye-opener". The program equipped him with the fundamentals of board-level business leadership, which are an essential skill as he navigates BEUMER Group’s next evolution.

"As I embarked on this journey, I needed to learn how to be a business leader and provide inspiration to our teams, making it a good place to work," he explains.

Lowe credits his engineering foundation with giving him the confidence to approach the complexities of leadership.

"Throughout my career, I’ve led large and complex projects. In my mind, running a complex international project is similar to running a small business – you deal with people, costs, logistics and products," he says.

"That experience gave me the confidence to transition into the CEO role. But, of course, I knew it couldn’t hurt to do a bit of additional education as I went along."

BEUMER Group has earned its place as a global leader in intralogistics, specializing in systems for conveying, loading, palletizing, packaging, sorting and distribution. Operating in more than 70 countries with an annual order intake exceeding US$1.28 billion, the company is built on a legacy of innovation and excellence – one Lowe is proud to uphold.

"There’s been tremendous growth here in Australia, developed by the former CEO and Managing Director, Greg Carmont. As he began to transition out of his role, he put me forward as his successor," Lowe says.

"Supporting that transition and helping Greg step back from the business has been my primary focus. We’re nearly there now, and it will be one of my first major successes – certainly the most rewarding part of the past two years."

Strategic shifts

Under Lowe’s leadership, BEUMER Group Australia has a focus on higher-value, long-term projects, particularly in airport baggage handling systems.

"These contracts are high-risk projects that take longer to deliver," he explains. "Our goal is to set up the business to manage this type of work sustainably over the long-term."

The company is also strengthening its dominance in logistics while expanding into the warehouse automation market. A key component of this strategy is BEUMER Group’s innovative stretch-hooding machines, which provide efficient and watertight pallet wrapping.

"The hooders are becoming more popular, and that’s where we see ourselves growing," Lowe says. "The feedback we get from customers is that BEUMER stands for quality and longevity. Some of our first-generation stretch-hood machines have been running for more than 20 years."

People-centric culture

BEUMER Group’s third-generation family ethos has significantly influenced its workplace culture, where the focus is on people, not profits.

"The owner is still currently the Chairman. He’s the third-generation leader of the business. And there’s another generation of offspring coming through the company as well," Lowe reveals.

"So with that basis, the fact that I can pick up the phone and call the owner of the company, it brings everyone into that family culture."

This approach extends to growth, with a deliberate focus on sustainable, organic development rather than high-risk, short-term gains.

"We recognize that growth is only achievable with the right people around you," he says. "We want to develop our growth and our performance around the people that we have, bringing them along on the journey to ensure low turnover and a highly rewarding place to work."

However, Lowe admits that attracting and retaining talent remains an ongoing challenge as generational expectations evolve.

"It’s a balance between running a sustainable business and attracting top talent," he points out. "But if you get the culture right, everything else follows naturally."

Business for good

Lowe’s customer-first mindset aligns perfectly with BEUMER Group’s emphasis on building long-term partnerships.

"If you’re faced with a choice to draw the line or give a bit more to the customer, my approach has always been to give a little more," he explains. "When you look after your customers, they look after you in the long run."

BEUMER Group also balances business success with environmental responsibility. One standout initiative involves recycling timber packaging materials for local Men’s Shed associations, which repurpose the wood for community projects.

"The Men’s Shed is a fantastic organization that keeps senior citizens active and engaged in their communities. They’ve been able to convert vast quantities of our timber into community projects," Lowe says.

The company also supports the Shitbox Rally, a charitable event benefiting Cancer Council Australia. Lowe, a participant, says the cause is personal.

"Cancer has impacted my family and coworkers," he reveals. "This organization has raised more than AU$50 million [US$31 million] for cancer research. And I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my spare time than supporting them."

Looking ahead, Lowe is focused on strengthening BEUMER Group’s legacy of excellence while maintaining its people-first philosophy.

"It’s a big responsibility when you have the livelihoods of so many people and their families in your hands," he says.

With 5,600 employees worldwide, Lowe is confident in the company’s growth strategy.

"Our track record of delivering projects on time, to budget and with high quality is second to none," he says. "We also have a strong network of senior leaders and excellent succession planning in place.

"Essentially, BEUMER Group has a 90-year history, and it’s the intention that the company will continue to go from strength to strength for the next 90 years as well."