Taking charge

John Koch did not spend years working his way up through the ranks of the containerized moving and storage industry. When he was named president and CEO of Clearwater-based PODS Enterprises, the industry leader, in August, he had no experience at all in the field.

But even as he endured job interviews with as many as seven PODS leaders at a time, Koch undertook exhaustive research. Later, he drew insight from his background as a division president for security company Tyco International's ADT services. A systems engineer by training, he had risen in the cellular and security industries as he helped chart their growth.

Koch's approach to the top position at PODS could be a textbook case of how to take on the presidency of a company when switching industries. First, he found similarities with his previous positions and built on them. Then he visited employees in their far-flung locations and listened to their concerns and suggestions. He evaluated how PODS' resources could be used more efficiently, and studied competitors to discern where the company might wrest more market share. Finally, he established close phone ties with PODS' private equity owner, Bahrain-based Arcapita Bank, which enabled him to get swift answers and approval to execute new plans. Arcapita bought PODS in 2008 for $451 million.