Looking at Jeff Briwick now, undisciplined is not a word you'd use to describe the Racine native who worked his way up the ladder and now runs the American branch of one of the world's largest corporations.
Briwick, whose family still lives in Racine, is now the president and CEO of Ricoh Electronics in southern California, which produces office equipment including copiers and toners for use around the world.
But looking back to his days growing up, Briwick, 47, said, "I wasn't very disciplined."
He didn't get the best of grades, he said, and was just having fun with friends.
The U.S. Marines changed that for him.
His senior year at Horlick High School he decided to join the armed forces, following in the footsteps of his three older brothers.
"It was my foundation," Briwick said. From there he said he learned the discipline he needed, especially at boot camp.
He didn't go into much detail about it, but he said there were a few times he had to go into "the pit."
"We had to do various calisthenics until you were ready to fall down," he said. It was preparing him for battle. He never fought in a war, but he did serve a year in Paris at the American embassy, he said.
After about eight years in the military, he decided to pursue a job in the private sector at Ricoh. He started overseeing inventory in a warehouse, he said, and through the years he worked his way up, using his new-found discipline, he said. Finally last month he was appointed the president and CEO of Ricoh Electronics.
"It's quite an honor for me," he said. Not only is he in the position, but he is the first American-born president to run the company's U.S. manufacturing, he said. In the past, the company's parent company would bring in someone from Japan, where it is based.
But he said because of his experience moving up in the company he has worked in different areas allowing him to understand different jobs.
After Japan's earthquake and tsunami, they weren't able to get all their supplies from Japan for a while, but operations are returning to normal, he said.
His advice for trying to make it to the top: "Patience is the key," he said. "Things don't come easily. You have to work for what you want."
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