Chief Executive Officer of Continental Baking Company, home of National, HTB, HoMade and Crave brands.

Style Observer (SO): What’s your middle name?

Craig Hendrickson (CH): Anthony

SO: What’s your zodiac sign?

CH: Sagittarius

National Bakery Head Office, 43 Half-Way-Tree Road, Kingston 5.

SO: You have recently assumed the role of CEO of Continental Baking Company. What were those first few days like?

CH: Honestly, those first days felt surreal. So many people reached out with kind words and well wishes, and it reminded me how much National means to Jamaicans. Once that settled, what I felt most was pride and a deep sense of honour. I have enormous respect for my father’s leadership, and in many ways the work itself has not changed. I have been at the bakery for years, with the same people and the same standards. What feels different is the honour of taking it forward with a fresh perspective.

SO: As a fourth-generation baker and having spent a decade in preparation mode, what can consumers look forward to?

CH: I feel both the privilege and the responsibility of this moment. I spent a decade preparing for it and what I want consumers to look forward to is simple: The brands they already trust, made even better. The favourites will still be there, baked to the standard Jamaica expects of us. At the same time, we will keep listening and keep innovating as best as we can. We are also building our new production plant at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay, which will serve western Jamaica, support export growth, and bring skilled jobs to the west.

SO: What’s your approach to competition?

CH: My approach is to respect the competition and then concentrate on our own work. We cannot take our position in the market for granted. We have to stay close to our customers, understand changing needs, and keep delivering real value, consistently. Success in the past does not guarantee success in the future. If we stay disciplined, look after our people, and keep our promises, I am confident National will continue to earn its place in Jamaican homes.

SO: Heavy is the head that wears the crown! Were you able to brainstorm with five entrepreneurs (living or dead) who they would be and why?

Craig Hendrickson, CEO, Continental Baking Company raises a toast with Appleton Estate 12-year-old (Naphtali Junior)

CH: My father,
Butch Hendrickson, chairman of National. I have learned more about this business from him than from anyone, and I would want him at the table because he knows what it takes to keep a family company strong from one generation to the next.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart, founder of Sandals Resorts. He built Sandals from a Montego Bay hotel into a Caribbean hospitality brand recognised around the world. I would have wanted to ask him how he knew when to trust his instincts versus recognising when an opportunity just wasn’t the right fit.

Warren Buffett, of Berkshire Hathaway. He is known for long-term thinking, and Berkshire Hathaway owns See’s Candies, a food brand that has been carefully looked after for decades. I would like to hear how he thinks about holding a quality product for the long run, which is the same discipline we need in a bakery.

Elon Musk, of Tesla and SpaceX. He is known for bold engineering and for building at a scale few people attempt. I would like to talk about how you invent at that pace and still keep quality tight, because a bakery lives or dies on consistency.

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. He was relentless about product quality and about building things people actually want to use. I would like to talk about how he kept the brand distinctive as the company grew.

SO: What steps, in your opinion, would improve business efficiency locally?

Appleton Estate 12-Year-Old Rare Casks, a sophisticated, mature rum with plenty of aged character, works wonderfully on the rocks. (Naphtali Junior)

CH: From a manufacturer’s point of view, efficiency in Jamaica improves when the basics work reliably: Moving goods quickly and safely across the island, clearing imports and exports with less delay, and having a steady, well-trained workforce.

For us, bread is a perishable product which we are intent on providing fresh daily. Road conditions, traffic and port processes all affect whether a loaf reaches a shop in the condition it should. Anything that smooths the movement of goods, and supports skills in manufacturing and logistics helps every Jamaican business, not just ours.

Inside our own walls, I believe in a simple test: Does this help us sell better, deliver better, or operate more efficiently? If it does not, we need to understand why we are doing it. The same discipline, applied more widely, would make local business stronger.

SO: If you were mayor of Kingston which three issues would get your immediate attention?

CH: Murders across Jamaica are down so far this year, and that progress deserves credit. But crime is still a big concern, for me. As mayor, I would keep it at the top of the agenda and build on that progress until Jamaicans and visitors truly feel safer.

Second, reliable transport. Dependable public transport and well-run, punctual routes would help Jamaicans get to work, school and business on time and be more efficient. A bakery that delivers fresh bread every day knows how much reliable movement matters.

Third, better roads. The “patch when it suits us” approach needs to stop.I would strive to implement a better quality infrastructure to avoid the deterioration of the roads.

SO: Changing direction somewhat… You have children now. How has fatherhood changed you?

CH: Fatherhood has changed my whole outlook on life. My life is about my children now. Their survival depends solely on my decisions, so there is a lot more pressure and precision in my decision-making.

SO: What’s one profound lesson shared by your father that you’d like to teach your own children?

CH: Humility. No matter how much you achieve, you are never above the people around you. That is the lesson I would want my own children to carry, whether or not they come into this bakery.

SO: Share with us a few of your creature comforts.

Hendrickson’s top five business leaders, living or dead: (from left) Elon Musk, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and his father Butch Hendrickson. .

CH: Going home to my wife and kids is one of my creature comforts. I love cooking for them, and sometimes I watch golf or football with my son, Blake, and read books with my daughter Nell.

SO: How do you unwind?

CH: Much the same way: I switch off at home with my wife and children. This is usually how I come down from the day.

SO: What are you drinking?

CH: Appleton Estate 12-Year-Old Rare Casks Rum on the rocks

SO: Share with us the title of the last book read.

CH:
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. It is the Nike founder’s memoir about building a company from scratch, and that story stayed with me.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is the last book read by Hendrickson.

SO: Cruising from Kingston to Montego, what kind of music are you listening to?

CH: Although I’m mostly on business calls, when I get a chance to listen to music, I let Spotify’s DJ pick. It curates a mix of current music and some oldies.

SO: Where would you take a first-time visitor to Kingston?

CH: Up into the hills, to the Blue Mountains. You get the best of both worlds: The cool air and nature of the mountains, with a view down to the city and the ocean.

SO: Finally, what’s your personal credo?

CH: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.