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Mike Gill
//November 3, 2022
Mike Gill
Secretary
Maryland Department of Commerce
Following a 35-year career in private business, Mike Gill was named the state’s secretary of Commerce in 2015. He left the role after three years but took it on again earlier this year.
During his career — most of it spent in leadership roles — Gill’s leadership style and vision has changed little, he said.
“I learned many years ago that when faced with challenges if you stay positive and put all your energies into solving the problem, eight out of ten times you will find a solution – a positive outcome,” he said. “The opposite is also true. If you allow doubt and negativity to rule, game over.”
Asked how he creates positive work culture, Gill recalled the job applications of a company he started years ago, on which one of the questions was, “What do you expect from our company if you join us?”
The top four answers from the prospective employees were training, opportunities for advancement, a company that cares about its workers and a safe environment.
“What really surprised me was that out of 40 applicants, only two mentioned salary and benefits,” Gill recalled. “It reinforced to me that those four things are critical if you want to have a successful business.”
One of his proudest achievements as commerce secretary, Gill said, is seeing the state move from one of the lowest-rated states for businesses to one of the higher-ranked states. That achievement, he said, was a result of establishing a “culture of yes” to helping businesses of all sized, and to lowering business taxes and eliminating unneeded regulations.
