Excellent Cultures: BizCulture Matters

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, Marketing |Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Jack Hollis is group vice president of Toyota Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. Inc.  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..

Jack Hollis  | Group Vice President, Marketing |Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Jack Hollis is group vice president of Toyota Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. Inc.  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..

CEO of nationwide trucking firm, Interstate Distributor Company, describes growing a new acquisition firm to highly engaged, profitable and safest fleet in the nation.  Loaded with high performance best practices, leadership effectiveness and real people stories that build team, success, and great business results.   Marc Rogers  | President & CEO | Interstate Distributor Co. Marc Rogers serves as President and CEO of Interstate Distributors. Interstate began operations in 1933 with one truck hauling product from Washington to California. Today, Interstate operates 1,700 company tractors and independent contractors across the United States. Interstate provides transportation services including dry van and refrigerated trucking, intermodal, and dedicated services for many of the Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in Tacoma, WA, Interstate is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saltchuk, a diversified holding company. Rogers has led Interstate’s growth and focus on excellence being recognized for its commitment to the environment, being an employer of choice and a service centric organization. Top 50 Green fleets by HDT; EPA smart way certified carrier since 2004; and awarded in 2013 as one of Washington states ‘Greenest companies’ Recognized by Inc. Hire Power Award #66 of top 100 job creators in the nation Awarded Top fleets to drive for in 2014 & 2015 and Top three ‘Safest Fleets’ in North America the last two years. Received ‘Above and Beyond’ award from the Department of Defense for our support of active and reserve military as a flexible employer Recognized as transportation partner of the year award by many of the organizations partner shippers. Before joining Interstate, Marc Rogers served as Senior Vice President for Schneider National, the second largest trucking company in North America. He oversaw the $1 billion operations of the Van Truckload Division. He also spent time at Knight Transportation in various management roles. Marc was raised in California and Arizona prior to graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix and executive education from Columbia University. He and his wife Allyson are very active in the community. They both serve in various church and local youth programs to promote education, community service and self-worth among teenage youth. Marc currently serves on the board of directors for Emergency Food Network in Tacoma and The American Red Cross south Puget Sound chapter. Marc, Allyson and their five children reside in Gig Harbor, WA. Click HereCONTACT MARC The post High Performance Culture appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

Healthcare CEO of 11,000 employee organization weighs in on the real definitions of Culture, Team and Accountability from a results perspective.   An amazing vision for an organizational culture where people know that they are highly valued and get things done as a highly effective team by serving each other.  A real CEO who actually reviews his organizational mission and values daily on the way to work, does his best to live them and then encourages employees to give him candid feedback when he falls off track shares his insights.   How refreshing! Bill Robertson | President & CEO | MultiCare Health System William G. “Bill” Robertson is privileged to serve as the President & CEO of MultiCare Health System. He joined the organization in May of 2014 and is working with the exceptional MultiCare team to provide the people and communities we serve with great access to the best whole-person care — physical, mental, spiritual — that is possible. MultiCare is the region’s largest and best connected provider of high quality and compassionate care. Prior to his role with MultiCare Health System, Bill served as President & CEO of Adventist HealthCare in Maryland for 14 years and the CEO of Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Kansas for 4 years. Engaging committed people in the pursuit of excellent care and compassionate service is Bill’s passion. Click HereCONTACT WILLIAM The post Real Culture, Real Team, Real Accountability appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

CPA / Consultant Chairman Emeritus Bob Nuber shares secrets on building great cultures that produce excellent business results.   How Consulting / CPA firm has grown from a handful to over 200 employees serving hundreds of privately held firms. Bob Nuber | Chairman Emeritus | Clark Nuber PS Clark Nuber, CPA’s & Consultants Managing Partner/CEO, 20 years business consulting to family owned businesses, succession issues, planning retreats, strategic planning leadership/organization structure. With a wealth of experience, Bob has a creative, interdisciplinary approach to the complexities of business planning and management. Over the years, he has worked with a variety of industries including manufacturing, real estate, investment, insurance underwriting and agencies, home construction, food retail, and retirement living. As the chairman emeritus, Bob now works part-time consulting on commercial and family-owned businesses and serving on boards of directors. Click HereCONTACT BOB The post Are Your Leaders Breathing Fresh Air? 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..

Transparency, Honesty, Impact, and Execution are the values Jared Wray, SVP of Platform for CenturyLink is working towards living and inspiring every day. Jared also values data, knowing that proper data will always tell leaders where to go. Jared Wray, SVP of Platform for CenturyLink, is an early cloud pioneer and visionary architect. As founder and CTO of Tier 3, Wray architected the Tier 3 cloud and built it into an industry recognized cloud innovation and performance leader. Tier 3 was acquired by CentryLink in 2013 and is now the foundation of CenturyLink Cloud. Wray is a respected thought leader in the enterprise cloud services space, having originated the Iron Foundry open source Platform as a Service (Paas) project. A serial entrepreneur, Wray previously founded Dual, an interactive development agency with clients such as Microsoft and Nintendo. CONTACTJared Wray The post Transparency, Honesty, Impact, and Execution 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 | Vice President – Marketing Communications and Motorsports, Service, Parts and Accessory Sales and Marketing | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Ed Laukes is vice president of marketing communications and motorsports, service, parts and accessory sales and marketing for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. 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..

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 | Vice President – Marketing Communications and Motorsports, Service, Parts and Accessory Sales and Marketing | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Ed Laukes is vice president of marketing communications and motorsports, service, parts and accessory sales and marketing for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. 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..

Marilyn Gist, Associate Dean and Professor of Management at Seattle University has powerful examples of building excellent culture through meaningful work. She clearly describes the process of how meaningful work leads to a meaningful workplace. How to be more mindful of others and less arrogant. As well as growing in common human dignity and by seeking honest feedback. Marilyn Gist | Associate Dean and Professor of Management | Seattle University Dr. Marilyn Gist has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of executive development. She is presently Professor of Management and Associate Dean of Executive Programs, Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University. Also, she serves as Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Formation providing academic direction for our executive degree and certificate programs. Prior to this, Marilyn held the Boeing Endowed Professorship of Business Management at the University of Washington, where she was also the Faculty Director for Executive MBA programs for many years. In addition to her academic roles, she has served in management positions in the public and private sectors and had extensive consulting experience. Marilyn is an internationally recognized scholar. Her research emphasized confidence-based factors in motivation and training and leadership assessment and development. She has over 25 publications in leading scholarly outlets. Google Scholar, which monitors how often a publication has been cited by other scholars, provides one measure of the quality or importance of a person’s work. It shows that Marilyn’s work has been cited roughly three thousand times in articles and books that were published subsequently by other people. Her current publications include “Developing Dual-Agenda Leaders” (co-authored with Professor Sharon Lobel) in the 2012 Journal of Corporate Citizenship, and ”Self-Efficacy” (co-authored with Angela Gist) in the 2013 Oxford Bibliographies in Management. Marilyn earned her BA from Howard University and her MBA and Ph.D. from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park CONTACTMarilyn Gist The post Meaningful Work to Meaningful Workplace 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..

Herman Forrest, Howard University graduate, is an accomplished software engineer with broad experience in enterprise system architecture, product innovation, and workflow orchestration. He has designed patented technology that drive features in Windows 8 and Window 8.1. Herman is highly involved in the community presenting STEM seminars/workshops designed to help young people gain greater awareness about software development and computer science. Herman ha a great view of leadership and bringing the best out of his team. Herman R. Forrest III | Lead PM Digital Content and Experiences | Microsoft Accomplished software engineer with broad experience in enterprise system architecture, software product innovation, workflow orchestration and agile software development. Interested in opportunities to design and deliver scalable web applications and services across desktop, tablet and mobile devices. Excellent track record managing and shipping software, demonstrable understanding of agile project management methodologies. Full lifecycle experience in scoping, designing, developing, deploying, and supporting enterprise-scale applications Deep technical knowledge of the modern web platform stack (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks, cross-browser, coding patterns) In-depth knowledge of user experience design – user profiling/grouping, persona development, interface design, information architecture, user scenario development, task analysis, wireframe creation, prototyping, and usability testing. Experience in front-end interface design of web, tablet and mobile applications Experienced in the creation of documents pertaining to the governance and management of all project phases and cycles; (e.g. Project Charter, Business Case, Feasibility Study, Project Plan, Functional and Design Specifications, Communication Plan, Acceptance Plan, Financial Plan, Resource Plan, etc..) Unique competency for driving complex business process redesign initiatives in which strong business and analytical acumen are required Highly involved in the community developing and presenting STEM focused seminars/workshops, helping young people gain greater awareness about software development and computer science. The post Better Culture, Better Service, Better Lives 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 how leaders can get a firmer grip on employee engagement. John Guaspari is interviewed about his new book OTHERWISE ENGAGED. John Guaspari | Author & Speaker Since the mid-1980s, John Guaspari has helped leaders increase the level of employee engagement throughout their organizations. His new book is Otherwise Engaged: How Leaders Can Get a Firmer Grip on Employee Engagement and Other Key Intangibles (If, That Is, It Were Possible to Grip Something That’s Intangible). Guaspari is the author of six previous books on the topic, including the best-selling I Know It When I See It and The Value Effect: A Murder Mystery About the Compulsive Pursuit of The Next Big Thing. His writing credits also include seven training videos, such as the best-selling Time: The Next Dimension of Quality, as well as hundreds of articles and columns for a broad range of business publications. He has worked with clients in scores of industries and has delivered over a thousand engagement-related presentations, seminars, and workshops for public and client-specific audiences alike. In the process, he has gained an enviable reputation for his ability to unravel complex subject matter and communicate it in the kind of accessible and engaging way that leads to real learning. Said another way, he knows how to be engaging about engagement. Long before entering the world of consulting, Guaspari began his professional career as an aerospace engineer, after which he went on to hold senior management positions in such widely varying functions as marketing, sales support, customer support, quality, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development. He lives in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, with his wife Gail and her (not “their” but “her”) four cats. His hobbies include golf, obsessive reading, and avoiding water sports. Contact John & Purchase OTHERWISE ENGAGEDClick Here The post The Intangibles of Employee Engagement | John Guaspari 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 Denny Fitzpatrick, General Manager of Willow’s Lodge. From the Beverly Hilton to the Hotel 1000, Denny has serious experience at changing cultures fast and gets results. Denny Fitzpatrick | General Manager | Willow’s Lodge Denny is the General Manager of Willow’s Lodge a 5 star hotel in Woodinville, Washington. I had the opportunity to spend an hour with Denny learning about his life, his Christian journey and his business values. He is one of the more dynamic leaders I have met in sometime. You will need to come to the roundtable to hear how he manages his staff at the hotel by the 5 I’s. This philosophy is ingenious to convey positive values in common everyday language. Contact DennyClick Here The post Creative Leadership to Change Culture Fast appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..

This episode highlights Danielle Burd, the EVP of Umpqua Bank. Her passion for her work, passion for people, and passion for helping form a winning team has made her the youngest recipient of the Business Journals top 40 under 40 award. Danielle Burd EVP | Commercial Banking Regional Manager | Umpqua Bank Danielle Burd, serves as Executive Vice President and Commercial Region Manager for Washington state, for Umpqua Bank (NASDAQ: UMPQ). She oversees the bank’s delivery of commercial banking products and services and is responsible for expanding Umpqua’s commercial banking presence in the state. At the close of Umpqua Bank’s merger with Sterling Bank, Danielle was promoted to Executive Vice President and Director of Client Relations for the company. This enterprise-wide position was created to ensure client retention and growth while maintaining the high level of service Umpqua and Sterling are known for. CONTACT DANIELLELinkedIn The post Passion for Work, Passion for People, Passion for Team appeared first on Excellent Cultures Inc..