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Paul Manning ’93 Leadership rooted in the Jesuit tradition Julie Felser
Although he completed his academic coursework years ago, chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies, Paul Manning ’93, is still graded on a regular basis. “Leading a public organization, I get a report card every 90 days,” he says. “Shareholders are very unforgiving. You need to deliver every 90 days.” Manning’s drive and results-oriented determination is apparent by his rapid ascent at Sensient Technologies, a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances with annual sales of more than $1.3 billion. He joined Sensient in 2009 as general manager of food colors for North America, and soon thereafter, added Latin and South America to his region of responsibilities. He was named president of the company’s color group a year later and eventually assumed the position of president and chief operating officer in October 2012. So what’s his secret to success? Manning draws on his experiences and lessons learned at MUHS and in the Navy to guide his daily decisions in his professional and personal life.
Born in New York, Manning moved to Wisconsin when he was in grade school, completing fourth through eighth grades at St. Monica School in Whitefish Bay, Wis. When it came time to choose a Catholic high school, he was drawn to MUHS for its academic reputation. “I was very focused academically and I wanted to get into a good college—that was a fundamental goal of mine,” he says. Manning immediately appreciated Marquette High’s educational approach in the classroom. “The Jesuit style of educating is very unique, similar to the Socratic method with lots of questioning and not jumping to a conclusion,” he says. “The Jesuits have perfected the art of debating an issue and I enjoyed that intellectual stimulation.” Manning enjoyed “intellectually sparring” with Rev. Tom Doyle, SJ, now vice president of Jesuit Identity at St. John’s Jesuit in Toledo, Ohio, and Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ, then-scholastic and now president of MUHS. “They would argue with you about anything,” Manning says. “It was fun and it really made you think about what you believed and the logic behind your argument. We may have different opinions on issues, but you can have a collegial relationship even at the tender age of 16 or 17.” “He was very mature, extremely bright, and—for his age—very knowledgeable about current events,” Doyle recalls. “I, too, remember intellectually sparring with him around the school. One particular memory was running into Paul in the stairwell. It ended up being a whole period political debate. While Paul and I were pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum, I admired his tenacity, intelligence and courage.” It is this intellectual dialogue he appreciates and encourages at Sensient. “In the fine Jesuit tradition I love it when people challenge ideas and positions. But in the same fine tradition, you better have your data. This isn’t about emotion or ridiculous conclusions from one data point, this is a fact-based discussion.”
Paul Manning is chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies. Photo by Peter Beck
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Marco recalls Manning as always having a smile on his face. “He just seemed to be a joy-filled young man. He laughed a lot and seemed to bring that out in others,” Marco says. “I also found him to be very loving in how he related to his teachers and classmates. I also know that Paul’s faith is important to him.”