My board

of directors

A board of directors can help to steer a company toward a sustainable future by providing sound advice.  Jamar Murchison talks about his personal board of directors - people who have encouragement and share different perspectives.

Jamar Murchison:

‘If It’s To Be, It’s Up to Me’

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business from Lourdes University, Jamar Murchison started his Magna career in 2010 as an hourly team leader at Norplas Industries in Northwood, Ohio. Today, he is the assistant general manager at Decostar Industries in Carrollton, Georgia, and a member of EDGE, our race- and ethnicity-focused Employee Resource Community.

“My mentors taught me to be methodical about the way you approach problems,” Murchison said. “It’s a team approach. I listen to everyone’s voice, and we solve problems together.”

Here are the members of his personal board of directors, inside and outside of Magna:

Grahame Burrow

Global President,

Magna Exteriors

“I got to know Grahame when I worked at Norplas Industries in Northwood, Ohio, when he was the general manager. The biggest thing I learned from him was how to connect with people. He is amazing at making people feel important. You could be a rookie operator on the floor and he treated you the same way he treated the people running the place. Because of him, I’ve always been people focused. It’s all about having an empathetic and inclusive mindset, connecting with people and collaborating. I’ve had exceptional results from prioritizing people.”

Virgis Colbert

Retired Executive Vice

President, Miller Brewing Co.

“My great uncle Virgis Colbert was one of the highest-ranking African Americans in corporate America. I talked to him when I got my latest promotion. I wanted his advice as I move up into more executive-level positions. He told me a quote that he lives by: ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me.’ It means if I want to grow, I have to keep driving and stay motivated. I can’t wait for somebody else to do my work for me.”

Jennifer Michael

Department Manager, Norplas Industries

“I’ve worked with some brilliant women at Magna. My first department manager at Norplas gave me many opportunities to grow. Because of her, I learned how to be thorough and follow up on even the smallest things. If 10 racks of fascias had to be completed before the team left that night, I would make sure they were done, even though I had other assignments. She taught me it’s about the little things that you do when no one is looking.”

Chad Suntken

General Manager, Norplas Industries

“Chad taught me to look at the bigger picture. When you work in your small area, you sometimes lose perspective. You need to take a step back and look at everything as a whole. Chad helped me have that perspective. It really developed my skills as a leader, especially in my previous role as department manager at the Belvidere, Illinois, division. This has helped me greatly in my new role as AGM here at Decostar.”