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Greg Miller sits behind a grand desk in his corner office at Jordan Commons - the Wasatch Mountains rising magnificently over one shoulder, a family portrait hanging on the opposite wall - and asks why anybody would find anything he has to say remotely interesting.
He's serious, which tells you something about the new CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group, who happens to be the eldest son of the former CEO.
You can safely bet your Utah Jazz, Salt Lake Bees and Miller Motorsports Park season tickets that Greg Miller won't be following his father as a frequent guest on sports-talk radio, a regular on the 10 o'clock news and star of his own automobile dealership TV commercials.
You knew that guy, Larry H. Miller.
You won't know Greg Miller nearly as well - which is exactly how the new boss wants it.
"I'm very content to stay behind the scenes and let my people lift me to success," he said. "I learned a long time ago that surrounding myself with talented people and working together to achieve our goals is more important than being out front, trying to steal the spotlight. That just isn't important to me."
Give former Utah Jazz star John Stockton an assist in molding Greg Miller's management style: "I learned a lot about what I wanted to
be in that regard from watching John. He shunned the spotlight. He wasn't afraid of it. If he needed to sit at the podium after a game and answer questions, he would. But he certainly didn't need it [and] I've always admired that about him. John's been very influential in that regard."
Asked if his behind-the-scenes approach makes him a little different from his father and much different from someone like flamboyant Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Miller laughed and said, "I've never met Mark, but I don't think he and I would have a whole lot in common."
Now 42 and the father of six, Greg Miller started working for his father when he was 13 years old, "sweeping floors and putting parts away at our Toyota store in Murray."
His teenage years were filled "with the normal stuff - skiing, soccer and cars. . . . I had a real interest in cars."
Miller still owns his first automobile - a 1965 Mustang fastback.
"I spent a lot of time in that car," he said. "And I spent a lot of money on that car, repairing it or giving it to the judge for speeding tickets."
How many tickets?
"More than I care to admit," he said.
What was his father's reaction?
"He didn't know about most of them," Greg Miller replied. "He was too busy working."
For nearly three decades, Larry Miller groomed his son for the job he inherited two months ago, when his father stepped aside because of health issues. Along the way, Greg Miller got wide-ranging experience in the expanding Larry H. Miller business empire. He worked in construction, finance, the auto dealerships, the old Salt Lake Golden Eagles minor league hockey team and Miller Motorsports Park.
"I've had exposure to most of the industries we're in - and in a meaningful way," he said. "It hasn't been attending a meeting or two or hanging out somewhere for a couple of days. I've had productive roles and I think that has served me well. . . . In reality, I feel like I've been ready for this for a couple of years. I've been saying, 'Put me in coach, put me in coach.' "
Greg Miller has four siblings - three brothers and a sister. His youngest brother, Bryan, is a sales account manager at the motorsports park.
"It was not a surprise that Greg would assume the mantle," he said. "One thing my father always told us was, 'It's important to get the input of many people and keep an open mind. But there has to be one person calling the shots.' "
Larry H. Miller declined to be interviewed for this story. But when he worked in Denver in the 1970s, he witnessed sibling rivalries undermine a couple of successful auto dealerships.
"Having seen that, he was always eager to avoid it," Bryan Miller said. "That led to Greg being groomed. And it's a good fit. We're all grateful for it. There are no doubts about his capabilities. He is a natural leader."
Over the years, there have been whispers that Greg Miller moved around within the family business because he could not master any of the jobs his father gave him.
Not true, say those who know him.
"He comes across as a bright young man who will do really well," said Salt Lake City auto dealer Mark Miller, who is no relation. "His attitude seems good."
Greg Miller once worked under Randy Rigby at KJZZ, the local TV station owned by the Larry H. Miller Group.
"I was impressed by him as a go-getter," said Rigby, who is now president of the Jazz. "I mean, he really went after it. He was hungry to learn and jumped right in. He had a real get-after-them attitude."
Since the opening of Miller Motorsports Park three years ago, track general manager Alan Wilson has worked more closely with Greg Miller than anyone. Like Rigby, he believes the family business is in good hands.
"Greg sees things from a little different perspective than his father, but that's good," Wilson said. "Change is inevitable and Greg is very grounded. You bring somebody in from the outside and they would have a much bigger [and] a much more difficult job. . . . I am confident the company will go from strength to strength."
Wilson credits Greg Miller for putting together the sales operation at the motorsports park, which he calls "vital" to the track's viability.
"Greg quickly got his arms around that [concept]. . . . He recognized we had to sell ourselves to be a success and he spent hours and hours developing our sales teams," Wilson said.
Ultimately, however, many will judge Greg Miller's regime with the Larry H. Miller Group by the success or failure of its highest profile entity, the Utah Jazz.
Admittedly, Miller has not had much to do with the basketball operation over the years, and he plans to depend on his many lieutenants while "getting up to speed."
For now, don't expect many changes.
"I think the wisest thing I can do is be a student and learn rather than pretend I know stuff I don't," Miller said. ". . . I have every intention of keeping our [front-office] team intact and learning from them."
What about the future of veteran Jazz coach Jerry Sloan?
"His track record speaks for itself," Greg Miller said. "I don't know of anybody I'd rather have here. I just hope he wants to continue."
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* BUSINESS EDITOR MICHAEL LIMON contributed to this story.
Greg Miller File
Job: CEO, Larry H. Miller Group Duties: Oversees the company's automotive, real estate and sports and entertainment divisions Age: 42 Family: Married, six children (three sons, three daughters) Career highlights: Started working at his father's auto dealership in 1979, at the age of 13. . . . Worked in the Larry H. Miller Group's construction and finance divisions, as well as with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles minor league hockey team. . . . Served as the general manager at Miller-owned Toyota and Honda car dealerships. Supervised the construction and operation of the $100 Miller Motorsports Park, starting in 2005. . . . Named CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group on July 17, 2008. . . . Serves on the boards of several philanthropic organizations, including Larry H. Miller Charities; the Ron Boone Golf Classic, which benefits the Huntsman Cancer Institute; the Utah Bicycle Coalition and the Larry and Gail Miller Family Foundation.