Todd Yates Email and Phone Number

I’m a curious leader. In every company I’ve come into – no matter what function, product category, industry or business challenge I’m working with – I start with questions. That dedication to learning equips me to know a business deeply and make changes that will move the needle, such as:✓ Raising margins 36%, sales growth 12%, and grew operating income 50% for the Wolverine brand despite loss of a $20M+ account when Sears filed for bankruptcy.✓ Reversing a $1M annual loss and quadrupling Wolverine’s Heritage Brand Group apparel business from $4M to $16M.✓ Expanding and tripling Igloo’s soft-sided cooler business from $7M to $21M. ✓ Reversing Woolrich’s $10M wholesale loss and turning it into a $10M profit.✓ Growing my own Columbia Sportswear sales agency from $150K to $30M.I’ve led brand strategy, marketing, sales, research and product development. Even in industries that were new to me, I’ve broken down silos, aligned teams toward common goals, and had us quickly moving toward results. I’m known for implementing a structured product process that examines the right issues, involves the right people, and ensures brand alignment with consumer needs. ➤ LEADING FROM OUT FRONTWinning a game is good, but when you win it in a way that everyone wins, that’s great. When I think about going into a job, I think first about the people – the coaching, mentoring and building of a team. I’m a leader whose door is always open (in our post-Covid remote working world, I’m a leader whose phone is always on). I’ve never gone into an organization and fired a lot of people. I just found the right seat for them or the right structure. People often come in and make assumptions, but I get to know people. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking someone what they want to do and seeing where they light up.➤ ADAPTING TO A CHANGING WORLDE-commerce strategy is more important than ever now that people are spending more time online and less time in retail stores. Getting people to make additional purchases from a website is not as easy as it is in a retail store. At Wolverine, I shifted the culture to embrace e-commerce and focused on expanding and optimizing our e-commerce offerings, and it created 35% CAGR even before Covid. Businesses with strong planning and strategy will come through these changes more robust than ever. A leader with diverse experience and a willingness to ask the right questions and challenge entrenched modes of thinking can make all the difference. To talk more, let’s connect.