Craig Conway

By Alejandra Zilak

raig Conway has a fulfilling life. He also has a heart full of gratitude for many things: growing up in a loving family, having a beautiful life with his wife and kids, and his very successful career trajectory, which has led him to become group managing director at Janus International Europe, a subsidiary of Janus International Group, Inc.

His title is impressive, especially because he works for one of the self-storage industry’s leading manufacturers and solutions providers. How Conway ended up there is the result of a lot of hard work and determination, but he always kept his eyes on the prize. “I’d work harder than the person to my right and to my left, making sure that if extra hours were ever needed, I was the one working them.” His main goal was to set the foundation for his family, so that they could have a good life.

Conway was born and raised in a northeast England town called Billingham. His parents are Peter and Ann Conway, a carpenter and a stay-at-home mom who had her hands full with four children: Craig, Sean, Peter, and Paul.

He met his wife, Samantha, when he was still a kid. “We went to nursery, primary, and secondary school together. We got together, went to prom, and we’ve hit it off since then. And now we are married and have five lovely kids: Bobby, Bailey, Bear, Birdie, and Bella,” he says. “During that time, we couldn’t afford a big wedding. But there was a radio competition with a grand prize of a £25,000 wedding [$32,864.88 U.S.].”

They made it to the final round, where the last five couples had to raise money for Cash for Kids, which offers grants to young people living in poverty or facing an illness or neglect. The couple that raised the most money would win the competition.

The Conways did several social events to raise funds, including the pièce de résistance: naked bungee jumping. “Our friends were throwing in ideas, and someone suggested bungee jumping, and that they’d pay if I’d do it naked,” he says through laughter. “Everyone paid so I would do it. Charity is close to my heart, and if you have to make yourself look silly to support a good cause, so be it.”

He and his wife won by raising more than £16,000 [$21,012.48 U.S.], turning their stunt into an unforgettable story.

When Conway graduated secondary school, he participated in a work experience program. “I started working with an engineer because he gave me that first opportunity.” But as it tends to happen with people first getting their footing, he dabbled in other jobs. “The engineer also asked me if I wanted to wash cars in a garage,” he recalls, “and as payment, he’d give me car parts and I’d sell them.”

Conway then enrolled at Teesside University in Middlesbrough to study mechanical engineering; he worked in the nuclear power industry after graduating. “I ended up becoming the production director and head of engineering at Cowie Technology,” he says. “I had a stake in the organization, and I was there for about nine years.”

During his tenure, Conway opened facilities in the United States, Austria, and several European countries, including Germany.

Then, as previously happened, Conway once again decided that he wanted to learn about something else, so he started working at Newcastle Safety Glass, designing ballistic (bullet-resistant) glass for trains, planes, and automobiles.

This job entailed a lot of traveling, and when his wife expressed that she’d like him to be closer to home, he was OK with the idea of a career shift. At this point, Conway wanted to build and lead an organization defined by technology and forward thinking.

In 2020, Conway was invited to consider a position at Janus International Europe. Its culture of innovation resonated with his own professional philosophy. “I started out as a production director, then as international production director,” he says. “I automated several key manufacturing processes and helped open the Australian site and a new manufacturing location in Poland.”

He then switched departments to take on the position of director of Janus International Europe’s Nokē Smart Entry division. The Nokē Smart Entry system is a digital access control and business management solution. Using a smartphone, tenants can access gates, loading bays, elevators, and individual units, thus eliminating the need for traditional keys or PIN codes. The solution is also invaluable for operators, since its web portal offers data analytics and integrations with property management software systems to enable automated online rentals and move-ins. “We achieved remarkable growth, increasing system sales by 100 percent year on year and supporting self-storage operators in developing automated, future-proof operations,” says Conway.

When the former group managing director for Janus in the U.K., Europe, and Australasia announced his retirement, the company asked Conway to step into the role. It was the opportunity he had long aspired to attain. “I began in October 2024, and it’s been an incredible experience. I’m very much a people person, and one of the most rewarding parts of my role is building strong relationships with our self-storage customers and partners.”

Conway credits his personal mentors for his success within Janus. Specifically, Ramey Jackson (CEO), Morgan Hodges, and Alan Campbell in the parent company Janus International Group. “They’re all really gracious, fantastic people, and I have the utmost respect for them. If these guys don’t know, it’s not worth knowing,” he says. “I’m so thankful for the trust they’ve placed in me.”

As for his wife wanting her husband to stay close to home, eventually she became OK with him getting back on the road. “I’m very lucky,” he says about having an understanding spouse and a position he truly enjoys. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a job that has taken me to so many places.”

Conway regularly travels to meet Janus teams, partners, and customers—three to four times a year in Australia and every other week across Europe—emphasizing that sustained success comes from being present.

When asked about the proudest moments of his career, he doesn’t hesitate to say, “Achieving the role of group managing director at Janus International Europe was a milestone I had always worked towards.” Conway notes that he was determined to wait for the right business before taking on such a role. Moreover, he’s extremely happy to be in the storage industry.

“Everyone’s always willing to help,” he says. “No one wants you to fail. The key part is that people are always willing to guide and steer you.”

And the people are precisely what Conway appreciates the most. “It’s not the product or the service. It’s the people. Our self-storage customers and partners are all entrepreneurs—driven, bright, intelligent people. They’re great individuals who are willing to share their experiences.”

He shares his own advice with novices getting started in the industry. “Scope the market out. Get acquainted with the fabulous people in the sector. Make sure that you listen more than you talk and absorb all of their experience before making your own foundation or roadmap.”

When he’s not working, Conway likes to go to the gym and read. “I love all types of literature,” he says. “I love using my brain and thinking about technology and how to apply it in business.”

He also enjoys watching football, specifically Middlesbrough Football Club. Staying true to his childhood roots, he also loves “playing football with the lads.” He’s very fond of his little corner of the world. “The Lake District in the U.K. is my special place for relaxation.”

Because he’s very English, he enjoys a good Sunday roast. “Sunday roast isn’t a roast without Yorkshire pudding,” he says with a laugh. “I look forward to it every week. My wife does a mega Sunday roast!”