You've been in large corporate environments for your entire career, why the switch to small or mid-size private equity companies? After spending my entire career in large corporations, I realized that my General Management talents and operating success could be better utilized in growing a consumer products company in a more entrepreneurial environment.

Why do you think you can make the transition from large corporations to much smaller businesses? Small companies will grow to be mid-size and large companies. Eventually, they will require large corporate professional management, so my large company background is a definite plus. While most of my experience has been in large corporations, I have successfully managed, developed and grown small individual businesses that comprise the total. Secondly, the talents, competencies and skills that have been developed over a lifetime can easily transition into a smaller company.

What competencies will you bring to a mid-size company? My expertise encompasses both the creative and operating disciplines of the retail or manufacturing segments of the business.

The creative side of the business involves:

  • Merchandising and Product Development
  • Marketing and Sales Promotion
  • Visual Merchandising
  • Merchandise Presentation
  • People Development

The operating side of the business involves:

  • Store Operations
  • Financial and Payroll Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Real Estate and Site Selection
  • Facilities Management
  • Customer Focus and Information Technology Systems

This holistic approach to managing large enterprises has enabled me to successfully bridge all functions of a business so results are delivered against the plan.

What type of leader are you? It is important to look at the "climate" of a company before deploying any kind of style.

Flexibility: Do employees feel free to innovate new products and ideas without a lot of red tape

  • RESPONSIBILITY: Employees should have a sense of ownership when going about their work.
  • STANDARDS: Consistent operating disciplines that are in place in the company.
  • REWARDS: Standards of performance management and fairness of feedback.
  • CLARITY: Associates' opinions about the vision, mission and values of the company.
  • COMMITMENT: Associates willingness to do what it takes to make the company successful.

The style(s) that I would use are based on "Situational Leadership" and would be applied depending on the stage that company is in.

During my career, I have mastered the following styles:

  • AUTHORITATIVE: Rally the team around the vision and mission so everyone is clear on the direction of the business.
  • DEMOCRATIC: Build consensus through participative management and involvement.
  • AFFILIATIVE: Important to create harmony and good will towards all associates.
  • COACHING: Development of key managers and associates depending on their opportunities to grow in certain competencies.

So as you can see, leading in today's environment demands different leadership as a company traverses through different stages of it's lifecycle.

You've worked in so many different retail formats, industries and companies. What have you learned from each?

Here's what I've learned from each retail sector that I've worked.

  • DEPARTMENT STORES: Trend merchandising, visual merchandising and merchandise presentation, inventory management and financial discipline.
  • DISCOUNT MASS MERCHANDISING: Supply chain management, distribution of product, pricing strategies, information technology and store operations, category dominance.
  • APPAREL SPECIALTY STORES: Speed to market, customer focus and service, strong brand management, loyalty programs, crisp merchandise offerings, human resource development.
  • HOME IMPROVEMENT: Product intensity, key item assortments, size and location of the store, traffic patterns.
  • CONSUMER ELECTRONICS: Product lifecycles, customer service, off shore manufacturing.

When you combine:

  • PLACE: Location and size.
  • PRODUCT: Intensity, assortment, style and fashion.
  • VALUE: Price and quality.
  • PEOPLE: Service, knowledge and climate.
  • COMMUNICATION: Positioning, brand management, promotional stance.
  • POWERFUL COMBINATION: With systems, logistics and suppliers, you have a powerful combination of ingredients that is difficult to beat.

How would you describe your personal "Brand", what do you stand for? My primary brand is that of a "Turnaround Specialist" who finds value in developing Company differentiation and Competitive Advantage in the marketplace.

The secondary brand that I use is, developing "High Growth, Fast Emerging" businesses that are at the beginning of their lifecycle. Building processes, practices, infrastructure and growing product in the marketplace are key to successfully growing a sustainable business. Problem solving, fixing and growing businesses and delivering results and shareholder value are attributes that must be deployed in the high speed, dynamic marketplace of today.

What are the characteristics of a winning organization?

  • Superior quality products
  • Quality service
  • Flexibility to adapt to the changes in the marketplace
  • High caliber of management
  • Honesty and strong ethics
  • Good value and a great place to work
  • Good communications internally and externally

Describe the strategic planning process and how you involve the members of the organization to build a sustainable plan that delivers the desired results?

It is important to look at:

  • THE EXTERNAL WORLD, WHERE ARE WE NOW?: External audit, market analysis, business assumptions, opportunities and threats.
  • INTERNAL WORLD, WHERE ARE WE NOW?: Internal audit, strengths and weaknesses.
  • RESULTS REQUIRED, WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?: Direction statement, objectives.
  • HOW, HOW WILL WE GET THERE?: Strategies, initiatives, project plans, operating plan.
  • IMPLEMENTATION, WHO MUST DO WHAT?: Delegated objectives, action plans.
  • REVIEW, HOW ARE WE DOING?: Business audit and review, course correction.

This is a dynamic process that must be planned and coordinated on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. Otherwise, performance against all objectives and goals can become muddled and confused.

Today's business world moves with alarming speed. What are the success factors that today's executive leaders need in order to be successful? My sense is that there are several types of competencies that are needed in today's business world.

  • Emotional Competence determines how we manage ourselves with self awareness, self regulation and motivation or achievement drive.
  • Social Competence determines how we handle relationships through empathy and social skills.
  • Executive Success Factors are built around developing an organization that is fit to compete. Those Factors are: critical and strategic thinking, managing, leadership, interpersonal skills, communication, motivation and inspiration, self management, breadth and depth of knowledge and experience. These factors take a little longer to work, but when working at it's best, it leads to spectacular results. These factors have been developed over a lifetime of personal growth and introspection which has enabled me to lead multi-billion dollar organizations and develop an array of leaders that occupy key responsibilities around the country.
  • Lastly, execution of the strategy in a quality way that delivers the desired results is critical to any executive in today's environment. The behaviors I utilize to execute the plan are: know your people, insist on most realistic case, set clear goals and priorities, implement and follow through on commitments, reward the folks "Who Get Stuff Done", grow and develop the stars, and constantly evaluate yourself.