The career corporate executive recounts the many ups and downs of his professional life, and relates some of the most important lessons he has learned.
PORTLAND, OR / ACCESSWIRE / August 13, 2021 / It is with great pride and pleasure that Mike Edwards, a career corporate executive who has served as CEO for companies such as Borders Books and Music and Hanna Andersson, announces that he is featured in a new professional profile. The interview was conducted by an online periodical aimed at businesspeople and entrepreneurs.
At the outset of the profile, Mike explains how, in his role as an executive at top-tier companies, he manages to bring ideas to life. “I like to brainstorm as many ideas as possible, and I like to work with my team during that process. I'll sometimes bring in outside experts to help vet the ideas, in terms of what ideas are the most important, what problems we're trying to solve, and what the economic benefit is of pursuing these ideas. We agree on typically no more than 3 out of 10 ideas. Once some kind of agreement is achieved, we build an execution plan around the ideas.”
Further along in the interview, upon being asked to divulge something that he believes to be true but that most people wouldn't agree with him on, Mike Edwards responds by espousing the virtues of making mistakes, saying that “personal failure is can be a wonderful asset because that is how people learn, evolve, and grow.” He expands on that thought, citing examples from his own experience as an executive and hiring agent at the large companies he's worked for, 'A lot of times, when I interview people for employment, they have these perfect resumes and these perfect educations, and then when I talk to them, I can tell that they've just led this charmed life. When that happens, first of all, I don't believe it, and second of all, I'm not sure I want to hire that person anyway. Because what happens when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does from time to time? How will these people who have never faced any kind of adversity deal with a tough situation? I much prefer to hire people who have had to overcome some obstacles and challenges in their life."
Anyone interested in reading the full text of the interview is encouraged to keep watch for its publication in the coming days, while anyone curious to know more about Mike Edwards is encouraged to visit his professional website.
About Mike Edwards:
Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mike Edwards is a career corporate executive who has held high positions at an assortment of large corporations. Mike majored in marketing and earned a BS in business from Drexel University in 1983. After graduating, he went straight into retail, having been recruited by May Department Stores into their executive training program. He continued to work at May for five years, before accepting a job as a store manager at Target. Starting in 1990, Mike Edwards took a position at CompUSA, starting out as an assistant store manager and rising the ranks to attain an executive role as senior vice-president before leaving the company in 1998.
Mike has been president and CEO at many well-known companies, including Lucy Activewear, Borders Inc., eBags.com, and Hanna Andersson. He has also held various senior leadership positions at Golfsmith, West Marine, Jo Ann Stores, and Staples. Over the last decade, Mike Edwards and the organizations under his management have received the American Heritage Award from the Anti-Defamation League for leadership and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as Brand of the Year from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Additionally, Mike won Multichannel Merchant's Customer Service Award of the Year, and was also a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young. Mike Edwards currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is the independent director and digital technology committee chairperson of the publicly-traded company Central Garden & Pet.
Contact Information:
Mike Edwards
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (734) 604-0946
SOURCE: Mike Edwards