40 AT 40: Richard Willis
Job Title: Vice President

The people are what sets Bandit Lites apart from the rest of the industry. Once a week, for 40 weeks, Bandit will showcase an employee that has made a substantial contribution to the company, whether it be in an office, on the road or somewhere in between. Bandit would not be celebrating its 40th Anniversary without the hard work and dedication of every one these employees.*

*Employee Spotlights are released in no particular order.

Richard Willis was born in New Zealand and had already traveled the world and earned a degree in law before he ever thought about working for a lighting company. Twenty-three years after joining Bandit, he is now a Vice President and helps manage the company under the direction of Bandit CEO, Michael T. Strickland. Here are a few questions we asked to get to know him a little better.

Q. How did you get involved in this industry?
A. I came out of New Zealand. My parents were diplomats so I traveled all over the world with them. When I finished law school in New Zealand, I decided to hitchhike around the world for a while. To earn a little travel money, I was sweeping floors at a shop in England and it happened to be a lighting company. They ran out of crew and asked me to go on the road and I started in the business that way. I suddenly realized I was in rock & roll and people paid me pretty decent money and I wasn’t responsible for too much- just getting the lights up and working. Really- it was great to be paid to travel.

Q. Was Bandit that first lighting company you worked for? If not, how did you get your start with Bandit Lites?
A. I was working in England with a variety of companies. After a couple years in the industry, I contacted several companies and said I wished to go to America. One of the English companies agreed to that and their partner company in America was Bandit. I met Michael Strickland in 1983 and continued that relationship internationally with the English company and Bandit Lites and ended up traveling back and forth between there and America. I enjoyed both America and Knoxville and I ended up working more and more for Michael in America. I met my wife in Knoxville, decided to get married and ended up staying here in Knoxville.

Q. Since you have been at Bandit, how has your job and responsibilities changed?
A. I came to Bandit as a lead tech. I actually left the company for a period of time (my wife and I went back to New Zealand and our son was born there). We traveled back to America and at that time, I approached Michael to see if I could be the marketing director. He agreed to hire me, from there I grew and changed several positions in the company, and about five years after I rejoined the company, I became Vice President.

Q. You said that you were born in New Zealand. You have lived in the U.K. and now here in the United States. Do you feel like you have an advantage in your position because of that?
A. Both Dizzy Gosnell and I, having an English background and a New Zealand background, help the company in dealing with both cultures. Bandit has a policy that encourages transferring staff between Europe and America at all levels within the company. The company is working very hard to help everyone become more multi-cultural.