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Jennifer Convery | Group President North America | Griffith Foods International Jennifer Convery joined Griffith Laboratories in 1992. After a tenure as Vice-President of Sales and General Manager, Jennifer became Group President North America of Griffith Foods, Inc. in 2013. In addition Jennifer has recently been appointed President of Griffith Mexico. In her position of leading two large Griffith business units, Jennifer has responsibilities for the effective and efficient management of all commercial and manufacturing operations. Jennifer brings to her position a strong and passionate commitment to understanding external and internal business drivers, assessing their impact, setting priorities and providing direction for the organization and employees. This has allowed Griffith to drive continuous improvements throughout all aspects of the business, implement critical processes to streamline execution of differentiating business activities and create value required to compete in the evolving marketplace. In addition to these impressive accomplishments, Jennifer has been an avid coach and mentor to many employees and business colleagues. Her innate ability to manage and develop talent has been a critical component to the success of the US business unit. In 2010 Jennifer became the driving force behind the development of a “High Performance Culture” at Griffith Laboratories. This initiative has allowed Griffith’s leaders and managers the opportunity to assess and improve their leadership styles to ultimately promote a corporate culture that is constructive, accountable, achieving and encouraging. Prior to her career at Griffith, Jennifer has held sales management positions at Johnson & Johnson and General Mills. She has been a leading contributor to the food industry for over 20 years. Jennifer is a member of the WFF serving on many committees and most recently served as a WFF Board Member from 2005 – 2007. She was honored as the Emerging Leader in 2003. Jennifer graduated from Brown University with bachelor degree in history. She was a nationally ranked squash player recognized as an “All American” athlete. She is also certified in Miller Heiman Strategic Selling and Conceptual Selling. Jennifer is married to Kevin Convery and has three sons. The post Empowering a Culture of Accountability through Authentic Feedback appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Jack Hollis  | Group Vice President and General Manager |Toyota Division, Toyota Motor North America. Jack Hollis is Group Vice President and General Manager of Toyota Division, Toyota Motor North America.  He is responsible for all Toyota Division market planning, advertising, merchandising, sales promotion, incentives, NASCAR and motor sports, Internet, and service, parts, and accessory marketing activities. In his previous position, Hollis represented the Scion division as vice president responsible for all Scion activities.  Just prior, he was corporate manager of Scion, and led overall Scion operations, including sales, distribution, marketing, product development and customer service. Hollis has served as corporate sales manager of private distributors and sales strategies where he was responsible for all aspects of business relating to Toyota’s private distributors, Gulf States Toyota and Southeast Toyota. Beginning his career with Toyota in 1992, Hollis served as a management trainee. Since then he has had several national and regional management positions, including vehicle operations manager, sales administration manager, Lexus dealer advertising manager, customer services marketing manager, retail development manager and district manager (sales and parts). Hollis also worked as a special assistant to the TMS president, acting as the primary liaison for internal and external groups interfacing with the office of the president and coordinating with executive committee offices while overseeing coordination of the president’s daily activities. A graduate of Stanford University, Hollis earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He was also a member of Stanford’s NCAA Division 1 National Championship Baseball team and the Cincinnati Reds for two seasons playing under Coach Pete Rose. Click HereCONTACT JACK The post Building High Performance Teams appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Holland America Line President shares secrets on how to positively effect the beliefs, behaviors and assumptions of over 16,000 employees to maximize both great culture and great business results in this global business. Orlando Ashford | President | Holland America Line As Holland America Line president, Orlando Ashford oversees sales, marketing, revenue management, deployment, itinerary planning, public relations, hotel operations and strategy. Before joining Holland America, Ashford was president of the Talent Business Segment of global consulting firm Mercer. Previously, he was senior vice president, chief human resources and communications officer of Mercer’s parent, Marsh & McLennan Companies. He held executive positions at the Coca-Cola Company and Motorola Inc. Ashford’s book, “Talentism,” examines how technology and human networks can bridge skills gaps, enhance business performance and improve society. Ashford is on the board of ITT Corp., Executive Leadership Council and Streetwise Partners. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Industrial Technology from Purdue University. Click HereCONTACT ORLANDO The post Beliefs, Behaviors & Assumptions Equals Excellence appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Original Shark Tank Star, Inventor of the Infomercial, Serial Entrepreneur, and Excellent Cultures Corporate Innovation Partner Kevin Harrington shares his wisdom on building cultures of Innovation in Corporate America. A must listen episode for any business who’s future depends on innovation and rapid change as a steady diet of excellence. “You only stay in front by coming up with ideas that your competitors haven’t thought of yet.” – Kevin Harrington Kevin Harrington | Corporate Innovation Partner | Shark Tank While watching television one night in 1984, Kevin noticed that sometimes the only thing on the screen were the color test bars that stations ran when they had nothing else to air, thus giving him the idea to produce the industry’s first 30-minute infomercial to fill that dead air space, which is what coined him the Inventor of the Infomercial. During his career Kevin launched over 500 products that resulted in sales of over $4 billion dollars worldwide and 20 products that reached sales of over $100 million. In 2009, Kevin was selected as one of the original ‘Shark Tank’ Sharks on the ABC hit show. As an innovator and pioneer in the industry, Kevin has been featured on over 150 Shark Tank segments on ABC and CNBC. In 1990, he was named one of the 100 best entrepreneurs in the world (by Entrepreneur Magazine). Kevin also founded As Seen on TV, Inc. and acquired AsSeenOnTV.com, the world’s largest web site featuring as seen on TV products. In 2015, Kevin launched his Culture of Corporate Innovation venture, as a “Disruption Leader” he introduces corporations to comprehensive strategies that will help them leverage their #1 asset – their employees. Disruptive Leadership is about fostering a culture of game changing innovation that provides the framework and motivation to generate those ideas and execute those solutions. Kevin’s belief is that the accelerating speed of innovation demands a new approach to innovation leadership – a new way of fostering counterintuitive ideas, forcing improbable insights and opening minds. This is an essential skill for any business leader and their employees, from a small start-up to a global corporation, with the desire to transform organizational processes and behaviors. AT&T, Pfizer and Microsoft are just a few of the corporations who have benefited from Kevin’s game changing approach and “disruptive” strategies. Original Shark on TV’s Shark Tank, Inventor of the Infomercial, As seen on TV Pioneer and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all times. Corporations and their employees who see Corporate Innovation Culture as a market differentiator are surging ahead of their competitors. AT&T, Pfizer and Microsoft are just a few of the corporations who have directly benefited from Kevin’s game changing approach to collaborative innovation. Kevin is also co-founder of the ERA (Electronic Retailers Association), now in 45 countries; and is a co-founding board member of Entrepreneur’s Organization. Combined member sales exceed $500 billion. Harrington is also on the board of University of South Florida (USF) entrepreneur programs, and teaches regularly. Click HereCONTACT KEVIN The post Fostering Corporate Innovation appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Most businesses think having a great culture is about ping pong in the shared space, bringing your dog to work, casual dress Fridays and company sponsored keggers on Friday after work. If your goal is to win big and not just be warm and fuzzy, nothing can be farther from the truth. In this episode Populus Group CEO and return guest Bobby Herrera shares salient insights about the importance of and how to go deep to effect what it really takes to build a culture that wins big and keeps on winning. Bobby Herrera | Head Servant to the Community (CEO) | Populus Group Bobby believes everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. This stems from being a serial underdog my whole life and it has driven him in everything that he does. He is responsible for the overall direction of Populus Group, and specifically making sure the dreams of the team and the people that work with him come true. His job is simple; he owns the company culture and must make sure the team has what they need to do what we say we’re going to do – for our people and our customers. He’s been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to make a lot of mistakes and grow from them. He believes his obligation is to pay that gift forward. Click HereCONTACT POPULUS GROUP The post Going Deep to Win Big – Bobby Herrera appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Toyota executives Ed Laukes and Jim Mooney have had major transitions happening, and culture changes over the last year. They sit down to chat with us about growing strong inside the organization by getting vulnerable and honest feedback from the team. Edward Laukes | Group Vice President – Toyota Division Marketing  | Toyota Motor North America. Ed Laukes is Group Vice President of Toyota Division Marketing, Toyota North America and is a member of Toyota Racing Development board of directors. Laukes is responsible for managing advertising for all Toyota cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles. He works with a number of Toyota’s advertising agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi; Hispanic agency, Conill Advertising; African American agency, Burrell Communications and Asian agency, InterTrend. Laukes also manages motorsports public relations and marketing operations, which include strategy, research, sponsorship, advertising and merchandising activation as well as parts, service and accessory sales & marketing. Since joining Toyota in 1989, Laukes has held various positions in both the Lexus and Toyota divisions. He first served as district service and parts manager for the Lexus Central Area and held a variety of additional management positions in the field. Subsequently, he held the positions of sales and production planning manager and sales administration manager at TMS headquarters in Torrance, Calif. In 1998, Laukes was promoted to assistant general manager and later became general manager for the Lexus Southern Area. In this role, he was responsible for directing sales, service, parts, marketing and customer relations activities for the area. Most recently, Laukes served as general manager for the Toyota New York Region. Prior to joining Lexus, Laukes worked with Buick and American Honda. Laukes earned a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Ill. James R. Mooney | Corporate Manager, Product and Sales Engagement | Toyota Jim Mooney is a 26-year executive of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., a sales and marketing subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. His current role is Corporate Manager of Product and Sales Engagement. In this role, Jim directs national and regional teams in providing world class product and sales training to over 60,000 dealership team members. This role includes developing a 24/7 digital dealer education platform that offers mobile delivery and education to over 1,200 Toyota and Scion dealerships. Previously, Mooney was Corporate Manager for the Strategic Incentives business technology initiative for Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands and Corporate Manager, Customer Relations for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. In both of these positions, Mooney directed a business portfolio of $30+ million. In addition to delivering two versions of a new Incentive System to promote a higher level of analytical insights for Toyota sales, marketing, finance/accounting and financial services entities, Jim’s leadership in Customer Relationship Management technology initiatives led to a contact center technology renovation for Toyota, Scion and Lexus; evolution of the company customer database; and enhancement of contact center tools. He also engineered several world class initiatives as part of this role in leading the Toyota and Scion Contact Center strategy, training, recruiting and workforce operations. From 2001 – 2005, Mooney was corporate manager for Toyota’s human resources consulting and labor relations division. He was responsible for day-to-day associate-relations issues and implementing “Toyota at Work” for over 6,000 salaried and production associates at more than 30 locations throughout the United States and Mexico. In addition, he provided human resources oversight for 1,800 contingent workers and contractors. In 1989, Mooney began his career with Toyota in New Business Development and Business Planning. Since then, he has served as export logistics research and planning manager; national manager, Office of the CEO; national customer loyalty manager; national manager, e-Business where he led the development and launch of the first virtual private dealer network application in the automotive industry (Dealer Daily). Prior to joining Toyota, Mooney worked in sales, marketing research and product strategy for the Geneva Companies, Nissan, Xerox and Bueno Foods. Mooney attended Washington State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He also earned a master’s degree in business administration at The Anderson School, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and later in his career was sponsored by Toyota to attend the prestigious UCLA Anderson School Executive Program. While representing Toyota’s interests, Mooney has acted as director for the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California and is on the Board of Advisors for the Washington State University College of Business, The Society of Customer Affairs Professionals Automotive Industry Network, and donates time to support Lupus L.A., Lupus Foundation of America and Alliance for Lupus Research. Jim enjoys spending free time at home with his wife and family in Southern California. His outdoor interests include road bicycling, beach and mountain sports. The post Growing Internally appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Paul Daverio, National Manager, Strategy & Analytics, at Toyota Motor Sales, USA. Shares candidly and transparently about the importance of building and having quality relationships on the team. Especially growing throw the difficulty of hearing feedback from the team, but how much it helps drive change and creates quality relationships. Paul Daverio | National Manager, Strategy & Analytics | Toyota Motor Sales, USA Paul Daverio is national manager of Toyota Marketing’s Strategy and Analytics. His team works across the enterprise to develop new strategies and methodologies for connecting with the automotive customer and measuring marketing effectiveness. Previously, Daverio led a team within the Scion division responsible for product and accessory development, distribution and brand strategy. Daverio also served as national manager in Toyota’s Advanced Product Strategy group studying future consumer and societal trends and developing product concepts for the Scion, Toyota and Lexus divisions. Joining Toyota in 1999, Daverio spent his earlier years working in a variety of strategic planning and analytic roles before moving to marketing where he served as Prius product manager launching Prius, the world’s best selling hybrid. Daverio earned his MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and his undergraduate degree in business from Boston University. The post QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS & TEAM COLLABORATION appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

This episode discusses how you can move from slogans and compartmentalization in your company to holistic, unified leadership. Our guest Tom & Shawn Hoban are Notre Dame faithful, leaders of Coast Real Estate Services. The Coast Group of Companies Since 1987, Tom and Shawn Hoban have been building the Coast Group of Companies together, delivering today the strongest integrated commercial real estate company in the Pacific Northwest. Coast|Sperry Van Ness® – real estate advisory, brokerage & leasing Coast Real Estate Services – property and asset management Coast Equity Partners – private real estate investments Commercial Property Maintenance (CPM) – facilities maintenance and preservation Each service is unique and operates within Coast with staff dedicated to and experienced in that particular specialty. All services utilize the support departments within the company including Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Compliance. Tom Hoban | CEO | Coast Group of Companies Tom Hoban, CEO, and his brother, Shawn Hoban, President, CCIM, CPM have led Coast into one of the region’s largest and most respected real estate services firms of its kind, managing more than $3B in real estate assets (multi-family, office, flex, mixed use, self-storage, retail, industrial). Tom and Shawn are partners in related ventures in brokerage, investments and general construction as well. Founded in 1987 on a simple premise that client’s interests come first, the Hobans and Coast have become an award-winning firm enjoying a remarkable client retention and growth rate not typical of the industry. Former Washington State Family Business of the Year winners, the brothers were recognized by their alma mater, The University of Notre Dame, as co-alumni of the year for their professional and personal service to the community. Tom is a recognized leader in real estate and business. He is a columnist, speaker, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, and an active or former board member of over a dozen boards in the industry, banking and in community service. Tom also serves as an Executive Mentor through the University of Portland Leader Development Program. Prior to forming Coast, Tom was a commercial lender with First Interstate Bank in Seattle. A former coach, Scoutmaster, and Sunday school teacher, in his spare time today Tom continues playing recreational basketball, remains active in his church, and enjoys time with his wife and three adult children.   Shawn Hoban | President | Coast Group of Companies Shawn Hoban is Co-Founder and President of the Coast Group of Companies: Shawn is responsible for the operations of property management, asset management, sales and leasing, and investments for the Coast Group of Companies. Under Shawn’s leadership, Coast has advanced its operations to over $3 billion in assets under management or ownership. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance from the University of Notre Dame and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and a Certified Property Manager (CPM) with the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Shawn is licensed with the State of Washington as the Principal Broker for Coast Real Estate Services and holds a State of Oregon Property Management license. Shawn is among the very few recognized as a “Top 40 Under 40″ Business Executive by the Puget Sound Business Journal. His industry and community service roles extend to his work as a Director of the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association, The Institute of Real Estate Management, Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), The Rotary Club, Council for Affordable and Rural Housing, Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy High School Board of Trustees Chair and Co-Founder of Board of Regents, Fulcrum Foundation Board of Trustees, Providence Everett Children’s Foundation and City of Everett Board of Review. Shawn and his wife, Kathie, enjoy travel and outdoor recreation while following the active lives of their four young adult daughters. CHECK OUT COAST REAL ESTATE SERVICES The post How to Have Unified Holistic Leadership appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

This episode discusses what a coach is, what it means to be a coach, and how being coached is an asset to anyone wanting to reach their goals. Cheri Benson | Personal and Executive Coach | Excellent Cultures Cheri Benson is a Certified Professional Coach with three decades of experience in mentoring, coaching, team building and personal development. She has a long history of helping leaders discover and break through limiting beliefs and structures. Cheri has proven time and time again that her Excellent Leader Coaching Process causes leaders to reach new levels of breakthrough performance. This is not based on a hope or a theory but on the reality of results. Cheri has a a wide variety of clients including CEOs, CFOs, Entrepreneurs, Professional Athletes, Medical Professionals, Artists, and Business Owners who have committed to the coaching process and achieved phenomenal results. Cheri is the mother of two boys and grandmother of five and lives with her husband of 46 years, Sam, in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN. She enjoys walking, physical fitness, and is an avid reader and teacher. “The coaching experience was a way for me to be consistent and accountable and to finally break some old habits of scheduling and prioritizing my week. I’ve learned to push myself past the familiar and try harder. Thank you Cheri, it really does work!” – Medical Professional “Cheri’s questions stimulated my thinking and gave me the confidence to look at the changes I wanted to make. Coaching helped me creatively set goals and focus on the most important elements of my life. She set me on a path of hope that I can be different and make a difference.” CEO – Automotive Dealership   “When I started coaching with Cheri, I had no idea how valuable life coaching would be for me.  It has brought a tremendous sense of balance to my life and made me aware of my untapped potential.  With my new found confidence I’ve had the courage to explore new areas of interest and begin a brand new career.” -Owner/Manager Food Service Industry Contact CheriClick Here The post COACHING: Get Coaching, Be a Coach appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

This episode highlights personal leadership development as well as how to hire and onboard the right people for your business culture. Bobby Herrera communicates amazing ways to find and retain the best talent. Bobby Herrera | Head Servant to the Community | Populus Group Bobby believes everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. This stems from being a serial underdog my whole life and it has driven him in everything that he does. He is responsible for the overall direction of Populus Group, and specifically making sure the dreams of the team and the people that work with him come true. His job is simple; he owns the company culture and must make sure the team has what they need to do what we say we’re going to do – for our people and our customers. He’s been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to make a lot of mistakes and grow from them. He believes his obligation is to pay that gift forward. Click HereCONTACT POPULUS GROUP The post Find and Retain the Best Talent appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

This show features the founder and managing partner of the Seattle Nativity School. Seattle Nativity School is a Catholic, Jesuit-endorsed STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) middle school seeking to break the cycle of poverty through an education that nourishes souls and ignites leaders for love and service. We seek board members that would rather have a clean up day than a golf tournament.Michael Mott Michael Mott | Founder | Seattle Nativity School At the core, Michael is a entrepreneur with the drive to achieve bold business goals and the operational skill to catalyze action and lasting results. Throughout his career, he has started new ventures, expanded businesses into new categories and markets, and scaled up profitable operations. Behind each initiative, he consistently developed: > New product, service, go-to-market, and growth strategies that seize market opportunities > Actionable plans for product innovation and monetization > Vital strategic partnerships > High-performing, diverse, and agile teams to drive transformation > Innovative customer experiences Every business he has been involved with has grown, and collaboration, persistence, focus, and passion have been at the heart of these successes. Some highlights of his background include: > A combination of Fortune 500 experience and startup advising/mentoring in the high-tech and digital media industries. > Management of P&Ls from $20 million to $4 billion. > Successful launch of 40+ global products and services. > Strategic and operational leadership of sales, marketing, new product development, operations, and finance. > Formulation of effective go-to-market strategies in the consumer and business spaces, achieving double-digit revenue gains and notable improvements in profitability. > Hands-on involvement in mergers and acquisitions of small and large companies. > Global business expansion, particularly in EMEA and emerging Asian markets. > Leadership of companies from zero to 2 million users and up to 100 million users. Specialties: Business development, strategy development, partnerships, negotiations, acquisitions, new business creation and international management. Bob McCambridge | Managing Director | Seattle Nativity School Bob has over 25 years of executive leadership experience with leading satellite, wireless, technology and business services companies. He has successfully served as a CEO, President, COO, and CFO at Kymeta Corp., Advanced Radio Telecom, OneCom (Cable Plus), Ceridian, Key Business Services, and VP and Treasurer at Control Data. Prior to Kymeta, Bob was an Executive-in-Residence with Spire Capital Partners, a New York based middle-market private equity firm. Bob served as the Lead Independent Director at SkyMall Corporation and guided the Company thru a restructuring and successful sale to Direct Brands. Previously, Bob was a Senior Managing Director and Head of Technology Investment Banking at RBC/Dain Rauscher, and a VP at Drexel Burnham Lambert. Bob currently serves on the Gonzaga University Board of Regents. He also serves on the Jesuit Commons Technology Board. Jesuit Commons delivers Jesuit Higher Education and skills training via satellite communications to refugee camps in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Wireless Week recognized Bob as a “Top 50” wireless industry executive. Check Out Seattle Nativity SchoolMiddle School Seeking to Break the Cycle of Poverty The post Board Members as Servants appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Far too many entrepreneurs and business leaders feel that in order to build a large successful company you have to blur the lines and fudge the truth from time to time. Our guest Ralph Palmen has proven that you can hold your values, and it helps you build a $2.85 billion dollar company. Ralph H. Palmen | Co-Founder | Express Employment Professionals Mr. Ralph H. Palmen is the Founder and President of The Palmen Institute, Inc. and was a co-founder of Express Employment Professionals, the nation’s largest privately owned employment staffing firm. Mr. Palmen serves as a Director of United Petroleum Company, LLC. He has been a Professional Speaker and Consultant to fast growing companies throughout Europe and North America and has written three books and several training programs on recruiting, hiring, and building companies. He also served as President of Pinnacle Forum, a nonprofit organization that networks high influence leaders and challenges them to use their influence to make a positive influence on the culture. Mr. Palmen serves on the Foundation Board of Northwest Nazarene University and has also been active in fundraising for organizations such as Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He has a Doctorate of Laws Degree from Northwest Nazarene University. The post Ethics, Values, and Trust in Big Business appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Often we give up on a transformation because we don’t know where to start or don’t see the change right away. Brig. Gen. John E. Michel is the former commanding general for NATO Training Mission/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan; and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan. He shares how transformation truly works within organizational structures beginning with investing in the relationship with others, and then realizing to go fast, we must go slow. John E. Michel | Brigadier General | US Air Force John is a speaker, author, business advisor, and widely-recognized expert in culture, social media, strategy & individual and organizational change. A recently retired Air Force General, he is also the founder and senior curator of the world’s largest senior military leader blog platform in GeneralLeadership.com. An accomplished, unconventional leader and proven status quo buster, his award-winning work has been featured in a wide variety of articles and journals, including the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Huffington Post, National Geographic, Joint Forces Quarterly, and the Washington Post. His new book, The Art of Positive Leadership, will be released in April. You can contact John Michel at his twitter. Check Out GeneralLeadership.comJohn E. Michel Website The post Transformational Leadership | Go Slow to Go Fast appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Jack Rhodes is the Lecturer of Marketing and the Director of Sales Program at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. “Leadership in sales and sales management in today’s knowledge-based environment requires a passion to excel and learn, a drive to succeed and adapt to the constantly changing workplace and a fierce focus on economic objectives and the needs of the people who will make it happen. Sustained leadership hinges on your strong values and ethical principles.”   Jack Rhodes | Lecturer of Marketing and Director of Sales Program | University of Washington’s Foster School of Business BA, University of Washington, 1961 Specialties Sales and marketing management, personal selling and business-to-business sales and marketing. Positions Held At the University of Washington since 1999 Chair, Tyee Club, University of Washington Athletic Department Advisory Board (2009-2011) Board of Governance, University Sales Education Foundation (current) Board of Advisors, Smith/Western Corporation, Tacoma (current) Faculty Advisor to the Husky Sales Club (2000-present) President, Rhodes & Co., (1981-1998) Vice President of two Times Mirror subsidiaries (1975-1981) Director of Marketing, Division of Avery Products Corporation (1971-1975) Sales Manager, Xerox Corporation (Chicago) Training & Development Manager, Xerox Corporation (New York Region) Sales, Xerox Corporation (Seattle) Honors and Awards Ron Crockett Award for Academic Excellence (2009) Spirit of Business Award (Lifetime Commitment to Professional Sales), AAOA (2014) Undergraduate Instructor of the Year for Marketing and International Business (2007) Undergraduate Professor of the Quarter for Marketing (Spring & Autumn 2006, 2007) Andrew V. Smith Faculty Development Award (2005) Frank Orrico Award (Outstanding Level of Dedication, Commitment and Generosity to UW Athletics), University of Washington Athletics Department (2005) Outstanding 400-level elective course instructor of the year (2004) Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Washington (2001-2002) Elected to National Art Materials Trade Association Hall of Fame (1991) Foster School of Business Certificate of Excellence, Faculty (Winter Quarter 2013) Professional Affiliations University Sales Education Foundation NAMTA (National Art Materials Trade Association) Served on Board of Directors for six years Chaired NAMTA International Trade Show and Convention Founded NAMTA Scholarship Fund OPRA (Office Products Representatives Association) President, 1991 Served on Board of Directors The post Today’s Sales Professionals Need More Than… appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Bob Mayes is in his third year of a one year commitment to be an Executive in Residence in the Entrepreneurial Leadership Business Program at Oregon State University. He has keen wisdom and experience in marketing and sales, as well as entrepreneurship. You will want to have a notebook handy to take notes as he shares important factors for business success, branding, and marketing. Bob Mayes | Executive In Residence: Entrepreneurial Leadership | Oregon State University  Robert M Mayes is the CEO/Founder of Madison Mayes, Inc. a sales and marketing company specializing in conceptual selling within complex niches. Conceptual meaning that all transactions in life must be a win-win (because all others end in lose-lose). His skill set has made it possible to have successfully helped over 56 entrepreneurial start-ups and public companies in 5 industries to traverse the dangerous phases of expansion, always protecting the bottom line while accelerating sales. July 2012, Mr. Mayes took a leave and fulfilled his promise by returning to OSU to pay it “forward” for his Scholarship. In one school year alone, Mr. Mayes introduced the OSU Acceleration Program, with student created companies or inventions tied in with business leaders help with Angel funding goals. Mr. Mayes selected the University’s top 12 students as interns and the first 7 new concepts/inventions as the first to go thru this Accelerator. What started as an assignment for the College of Business expanded to the entire University and is now under the guidance of the State Governor, who has endorsed this program statewide, funding $2,000,000.0 each to Oregon State, University of Oregon and Portland State. Mr. Mayes has facilitated experiential learning classes for 2 years, bringing his network of entrepreneurs to teach his students “case studies” who are experiencing real-life present time decisions vs. theory. He has also instructed 59 students one-on-one “How to Interview the Interviewer” with 57/59 hired. He has coached 9 innovative thinking teams from invention to market and thus far their records are: 7 first places; two 2nd place finishes—including national, state, regional and super-regional contests. This month he was chosen by the University President to implement experiential learning and the art of finding your career upon graduating, into every college, and all students in grad school, athletics, international students and undeclared students. For the previous 3 years Mr. Mayes mentored a member of the Marriott Family, preparing him for much greater responsibilities within Marriott Resorts International. He also helped implement the successful creation of a new membership offering. This creatively designed club now contributes an additional $5 million annual profit without any additional physical improvements. Simultaneously, Mr. Mayes served as the Chairman of the Board for The Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. Mr. Mayes has proven his problem solving abilities with many successes in several industries. Prior to his most recent focus, he built his own Company within the niche of selling and marketing high-end master planned communities. Examples include: Whisper Rock; Silverleaf; DC Ranch; Stone Canyon (Arizona); Tehama, owned by Clint Eastwood; Santa Luz (Rancho Santa Fe, California); Glenwild (Park City, Utah); Las Campanas, Santa Fe. Punta Mita, Mexico. His teams have sold over $10 billion in home sites, homes, condos and memberships. Mr. Mayes also served as CEO and Partner of DMB Realty, LLC, where he directed the Company’s day-to-day operations and long range planning, growing the sales from $30 million to over $750 million annually in 5 years. DMB Realty is an operating company of DMB Associates, dedicated to the exclusive representation of thoughtfully crafted residential communities throughout the west and southwest. Mr. Mayes is the former President of Sales and Marketing of Las Campanas; a 5,000-acre master planned community in Santa Fe New Mexico. In the first two years alone, residential home site sales exceeded $102 million dollars. Prior to his Las Campanas experience, Mr. Mayes was the President and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Thousand Trails, Inc. a Seattle, Washington based network of private resorts serving more than 100,000 families with annual membership sales of over $128 million dollars. Mr. Mayes managed over 1,000 sales agents at 46 selling resorts from Seattle to Miami. His company received the “Marketing Company of the Year” award from the American Marketing Association. Roy Rogers became an active spokesperson. Mr. Mayes served as Vice President and subsequently President of GranTree Corporation, a public company based out of Portland, Oregon. During his seven-year tenure, revenues grew from $6 million to $92 million dollars. Earnings had a compounded increase of 102% per year in each of the last four years. EDUCATION Mr. Mayes received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University, and was awarded the Donald Kirk David Fellowship for two consecutive years and graduated with high honors. He obtained his Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University. While attending OSU he played varsity football and track. He is a member of the Giant Killers football team. He was a member of the Blue Key National Honor Society for the top 25 students and was selected outstanding football rookie and won the Scholar-Athlete of the year award. He was also the only athlete selected to represent Oregon State football at High School Awards Banquets and public speaking throughout the state. BOARDS/ASSOCIATIONS In addition to serving on many Corporate Boards, including GranTree Corporation, Thousand Trails, Easy Grill, and the Marriott Club, Mr. Mayes has been featured in the published books, “Selling Machine” and “Conceptual Selling” for his unique approach in mastering the sales and marketing unified process. His sales professionals are regarded as the best in 61 countries and US as well by Miller-Heiman. He was Chairman of the Board of the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club (increasing the number of participating children, teens and young adults from 500 to over 5000), A Board Member of the New Mexico Governor’s Children Foundation and Chairman of the Planning Commission for the town of Carefree, Arizona. Connect with BobClick Now The post Win-Win Marketing and Win-Win Culture appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Human Synergistics International is a foundational part of how we have diagnosed and transformed business culture in what are now some of the nations top companies. Dr. Cooke, who wants to be called Rob, sheds the light on all the things humans have in common and how we can develop that unity into scalable growth in people and companies. Robert A. Cooke | CEO and Director | Human Synergistics International  Robert A. Cooke is CEO and Director of Human Synergistics International and Associate Professor Emeritus of Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Cooke was previously an Associate Research Scientist at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center (Institute for Social Research) and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, where he was a National Defense (Title IV) and Commonwealth Edison Fellow. Dr. Cooke specializes in the development and validation of surveys used for individual, group, and organization development. His surveys include the Organizational Culture Inventory®, Organizational Effectiveness Inventory®, Leadership/Impact®, and Group Styles Inventory. These instruments have been translated into numerous languages and used throughout the world by consultants and trainers for organizational development and research purposes. Cooke personally has used his materials with hundreds of organizations, including GE, Motorola, Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Department of Defense, and Cinergy. Cooke has served as Study Director on numerous research projects on management, organizational change, and human subject experimentation. His research has been supported by such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Health Services Research, the National Institute of Education, and the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects. He has conducted applied survey research projects for various corporations and government agencies including Ford Marketing Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Merck, the Federal Aviation Administration, Northwestern University’s Readership Institute, and the U.S. Government Accountability Organization. The author of more than 75 articles, chapters, and technical reports, Cooke’s research has appeared in such journals as Psychological Reports, Science, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Educational and Psychological Measurement, and Group & Organization Management. Cooke’s research has been selected for the William Davis Memorial Award for outstanding scholarly research and the Douglas McGregor Memorial Award for Excellence in the Applied Social Sciences. His teaching has been recognized with the MBA Professor of the Year Award and the Alumni Award for Outstanding Teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago. BONUS DOWNLOADS FOR THIS EPISODE WHITE PAPER Using the Organizational Culture Inventory® to Understand the Operating Cultures of Organizations POWERPOINT Ideal vs Current Culture | How Culture Works | Ideal OCI Profiles Across the Globe The post The Science of Business Culture – Part 2 appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Human Synergistics International is a foundational part of how we have diagnosed and transformed business culture in what are now some of the nations top companies. Dr. Cooke, who wants to be called Rob, sheds the light on all the things humans have in common and how we can develop that unity into scalable growth in people and companies. Robert A. Cooke | CEO and Director | Human Synergistics International  Robert A. Cooke is CEO and Director of Human Synergistics International and Associate Professor Emeritus of Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Cooke was previously an Associate Research Scientist at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center (Institute for Social Research) and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, where he was a National Defense (Title IV) and Commonwealth Edison Fellow. Dr. Cooke specializes in the development and validation of surveys used for individual, group, and organization development. His surveys include the Organizational Culture Inventory®, Organizational Effectiveness Inventory®, Leadership/Impact®, and Group Styles Inventory. These instruments have been translated into numerous languages and used throughout the world by consultants and trainers for organizational development and research purposes. Cooke personally has used his materials with hundreds of organizations, including GE, Motorola, Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Department of Defense, and Cinergy. Cooke has served as Study Director on numerous research projects on management, organizational change, and human subject experimentation. His research has been supported by such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Health Services Research, the National Institute of Education, and the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects. He has conducted applied survey research projects for various corporations and government agencies including Ford Marketing Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Merck, the Federal Aviation Administration, Northwestern University’s Readership Institute, and the U.S. Government Accountability Organization. The author of more than 75 articles, chapters, and technical reports, Cooke’s research has appeared in such journals as Psychological Reports, Science, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Educational and Psychological Measurement, and Group & Organization Management. Cooke’s research has been selected for the William Davis Memorial Award for outstanding scholarly research and the Douglas McGregor Memorial Award for Excellence in the Applied Social Sciences. His teaching has been recognized with the MBA Professor of the Year Award and the Alumni Award for Outstanding Teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago. BONUS DOWNLOADS FOR THIS EPISODE WHITE PAPER Using the Organizational Culture Inventory® to Understand the Operating Cultures of Organizations POWERPOINT Ideal vs Current Culture | How Culture Works | Ideal OCI Profiles Across the Globe The post The Science of Business Culture – Part 1 appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Mark Canlis is with us again. This time sharing even deeper how Canlis leadership aspires to lead with transparency and serve their team by helping each individual become the kind of person they dream of becoming. Mark Canlis | Owner | Canlis Restaurant The second of three sons, Mark grew up in a restaurant family. When he officially joined Canlis in 2003, he had already graduated from Cornell University, served as a Captain in Air Force Special Operations, and worked in nearly a dozen restaurants across the country. He met his wife, Anne Marie, while working for famed restaurateur Danny Meyer in opening Danny’s fifth restaurant, Blue Smoke, in Manhattan. Returning to Seattle, Mark spearheaded the effort towards generational transfer and brand modernization that has garnered the family business national acclaim as one of the finest restaurants in America. He now owns and operates Canlis restaurant with his brother, Brian. Visit Canlis HereClick Now The post Transparent Leadership appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Steve Bell, President & CEO of Bellmont Cabinet Company started his company in his garage in the 70’s and built it into a 200-employee, $30 million-a-year maker of high-end cabinets. Then he had to rebuild it again when “the high-rise business went away” with the recession and revenue plunged 60 percent. His sons are now a key part of the Bellmont tradition as it now reaches to almost 300 employees. Steve Bell | President & CEO | Bellmont Cabinet Co. Casey Bell | COO | Bellmont Cabinet Company Tyler Bell | VP of Sales & Marketing | Bellmont Cabinet Co. Steve Bell built Pacific Crest Cabinets into a 200-employee, $30 million-a-year maker of high-end cabinets — the kind found in high-rise developments. Then he had to rebuild it when “the high-rise business went away” with the recession and revenue plunged 60 percent. Employment dropped to 90, those who remained faced wage cuts and shorter hours. “We’d never been through anything like this before,” Bell recalls. “The market simply wasn’t coming back.” Bell’s answer was to shift to a more affordable, contemporary product. And it worked. “We just hit it out of the park,” Bell says. Sales are expected to be in the mid-$40 million range (from a recessionary trough of $13.6 million), the firm is building 500 cabinets a day and shipping to 40 states, and employment is back to 250. Rebranded as Bellmont, though the parent company is still Pacific Crest Industries, it’s also rolling out a private-label line for Lowe’s. “We’re a lot more frugal,” Bell notes. “We’ve learned some really tough lessons about what do we need versus want.” Praising employees for being “all in with me,” he adds, “We all just sucked it up and survived.” Bell’s employees share those lessons about resilience through a project in which the firm sends workers and resources to help build a village in El Salvador, adding homes, a school, a water system and electricity. “It’s been as rewarding for our companies and our employees as it has been for the community,” Bell observes. Bellmont Cabinet Co.Click Now The post Manufacturing Executive of the Year appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

The IT department of most companies gets a bad wrap. Being known for being filled with smarty pants computer nerds with zero people skills. Enter Curt Kwak, proving that that description is just a bad stereotype. Curt Kwak | CIO | Proliance Surgeons As the Chief Information Officer for Proliance Surgeons, Curt oversees all technology implementation & maintenance necessary to meet the business requirements of the 80+ Care Centers within the Proliance Surgeons enterprise. The IT organization is responsible for all internal IT systems & functions that maintainin the Clinical EMRs, Corporate Systems as well as partner systems. The team also is responsible for the development of key data interfaces to assist in developing data & clinical analytic strategies to help enable strategic decision support. Proliance Surgeons, Inc., P.S. is one of the largest surgical practices in the country, with 200 physicians specializing in Orthopedics, Ear Nose & Throat, Ophthalmology, General Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Proliance is committed to providing the highest quality of care available. Our physicians provide care at over 60 conveniently located offices throughout King, Snohomish, Pierce, Skagit and Benton counties of Washington. Previously, Curt was the Chief Information Officer at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Wahealthplanfinder.org) and prior to that, at Providence Health & Services, WA region. Curt’s organization was responsible for all IT systems & components responsible for patient care, business delivery and strategic development. Curt earned his Executive M.B.A. and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. He has also successfuly completed the CIO Certification program from the Haas Business school at U of California, Berkeley. Curt is a member of the HIMSS WA Chapter board, elected as the Secretary of the Board. He is also a board member at PMWF and is a CHCIO (Certified Health CIO). Specialties: Contract negotiations, vendor management, leadership & organization structures & design. Proliance SurgeonsClick Now The post The Customer Service of I.T. appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..