Five years ago, we at MMR made a rather bold statement: We proclaimed that Brian Ball, son of Sterling Ball, had stepped into the “role he was born for” as president of Ernie Ball. This past fall, Brian found an even better fit as CEO of his family’s esteemed MI company in November.
After years of following in the footsteps of Sterling – quite literally, we might add – Brian officially took on the company’s highest title and greatest portion of responsibility on November 12. The decades-old MI giant has perhaps never been in more capable hands, however: Brian has already co-spearheaded multiple patents for Ernie Ball, such as the Paradigm Guitar Strings and M-Steel Core Wire Technology, and he’s overseen an enormous, record-making period of growth for the company over the last 10 years.
Upon receiving his new title, MMR chatted with Brian about yet another major chapter in the Ernie Ball history books. Read on below.
First of all – congratulations! How does it feel to be CEO now?
Thank you! It is such an honor and one I don’t take lightly. My dad Sterling has been an incredible CEO for our family and the company for over 30 years now, I have some large shoes to fill, but fortunately there’s a tremendous foundation and team behind me.
What are the first things you’ll do as CEO of Ernie Ball?
Many of the day-to-day responsibilities will remain relatively constant, but I do have some goals for improving the amenities of the building and perks for the team. We’re looking at putting in an arcade, and multiple jam spaces for employees to use. There’s tons of opportunities out there for growth and we’re considering all of them from improving machine capabilities, acquisitions, and more.
How long has this been in the works? What made now the right time for you to become CEO?
Well, for me, having the opportunity to lead the company has been something I’ve strived for since I was a young child, when I’d literally eavesdrop on my dad’s phone calls and follow him around as if I were his shadow. In some ways, it’s been 35 years or so in the making, but once I was promoted to president in 2015, this sort of became the next step in the advancement of my career. I think the trajectory of the brand and the continued success and interest in our products played a key role.
For folks who might not understand, what’s the difference between being president (as you were before) and being CEO?
Being CEO comes with slightly greater responsibility in that the ultimate buck stops with you. My dad Sterling will continue with a significant leadership role with the company so really together we have big plans to continue growing the business to the best of our abilities. President certainly carries a lot of responsibilities and weight, but the CEO title adds a fair amount more.
You said that this has been the “ultimate dream job” for you since you were a child. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
I’ve had so much pride and passion in what my grandfather Ernie created and my father Sterling has helped build, that I’ve always wanted to try to do my part to build and preserve their legacy. It’s really important to me, and it’s never lost on me what an incredibly fortunate opportunity it would be. So, in a lot of ways, it’s always been a big goal of mine to continue to help grow the brand and products and ultimately do my part to keep the legacy alive.
Ernie Ball has grown significantly over the past 10 years. What was the key to that growth, and how do you plan to keep it going in the coming years?
The key to the growth is largely tied the growth of key leadership we’ve had working with us for a long period of time. Guys like Drew Montell, Chris Harrington, Dan Stritmatter, Brian Spoeneman, Linda Nelson, Nathan Stiff, AJ Braman, Luke Noffke, Ryan Mclain – the list goes deep. I think we’ve been very strategic on what the key performance metrics are and also have placed a huge emphasis on continuing to build the brand in a fun and unique way. My brother Scotty and my dad Sterling have been huge in these areas as well and looking ahead I’m excited that I’ll still get to work with them very closely.
So far, what are some of your personal proudest achievements at Ernie Ball?
Working with Chris in developing intellectual property with four patents for strings are seminal moments in my career. Creating the golden pick program is another. Developing Element Shield packaging was really fun. Lately, I’m really proud of being involved in Music Man’s growth and continuing to build Ernie Ball through product and sales strategy.
Do you have any specific plans for Ernie Ball in 2020?
We’re going to continue to invest significantly into both brands with new product releases. The VPJR Tuner will be shipping early 2020, as will a lot of very exciting new Music Man guitars and basses. I think you’ll continue to see a lot of innovative marketing campaigns that will help continue to drive interest in what we have in the oven… Sterling By Music Man is poised for significant growth as well.
Are there any trends in the MI world that Ernie Ball has capitalized on recently?
We’re informed, but we don’t pay a lot of attention to industry trends. We’ve always had a “windshield, not rearview mirror” mindset, focusing on addressing a need rather than reacting to a competitor’s product. Starting with my grandpa and the beginnings of Slinkys – he noticed new lessons students had trouble holding down the existing thicker strings, so he invented slinkier ones in gauges we (and all our competitors) still use today – to Ernie Ball Music Man, where we’ve always focused on being the odd to our competitors’ evens, creating unique, high quality, functional tools for artists that buck the trend. In that case, yes, we look at trends, but leverage them to consider how to be strategically different and better.
What’s one or two new products for 2020 that you’d like to let our readers know about?
In terms of new products, we have a slew of new Slinky SKUs coming, as well as an allnew VPJr Tuner pedal (all coming in March). Is there a “dream” artist collaboration you’d like to make happen as CEO? God, there’s so many. We’re working with Slash on some really cool new products now, and have plans to do so for Metallica, Keith Richards, and many others. I’m fortunate to be in a position to do a lot with the artist roster my family has built over many decades.
