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Hometown: Westminster, Colorado
Education:
University of Colorado, BS, Magna Cum Laude
Experience:
President & CEO, since 1998
Senior Marketing Director, Samsonite Americas
Product Management Director, Samsonite USA
Samsonite (11 years total)
Why @ eBags: I became a "bag expert" at Samsonite. There, my teams worked on more than 20 distribution channels, and I managed design direction, presentations, pricing, P&L's, and forecasts for more than 1,500 products. As the Internet began expanding, I knew the world was facing radical change. Rejoining some of my all-time favorite workmates and helping to change the world's shopping habits -- via more convenience, better information and outstanding values -- excites me!
So yes, having 11 years of relevant bag and retail experience is important. But I am really at eBags because of belief and determination. I am thankful to have grown up in a great family and to have great friends. They inspired me to follow dreams. They also taught me to value relationships with people. To get great satisfaction in life, you need to create good things "with" and "for" other people.
Throughout my life, certain core values have proven to work. To (1) believe, (2) remain positive, (3) focus and (4) work hard no matter what. In high school, I left home to play Junior A hockey. After eight grueling months, my team won a national championship. Our team included 19 amazing guys and a fantastic coach who believed, worked hard and treated each other with immense respect.
Later, my roommate on that team got cancer three times and lost an eye playing hockey. Yet, today he is a 36-year-old radiology oncologist. To me, he's an incredible inspiration. He always believed in his dreams, remained positive and stayed focused.
Another teammate became rookie of the year in the NHL after being ignored at draft eligibility time. He showed me again that good things happen when you believe, remain positive and keep your nose to the grindstone.
Starting in mid-1998, the founders of eBags worked eight months without pay. More importantly, they spent their savings to build the eBags Web site. At times, I still get chills when I think of their incredible belief in an "idea" and their commitment to making it real. They believed, remained positive and stayed focused -- week after week. In January 1999, angel investors and firms including Benchmark Capital, Mitsubishi Corporation, Dain Rauscher Wessels, and partners from Goldman Sachs placed significant investments into eBags ... helping eBags become world-class in the way we provide services to consumers. Today, more people have joined our team because they "believe" in eBags and the professionalism of each person here. We all share the same values!
So it goes beyond my bag experience. Our shared beliefs, our positive attitudes and our focus on building a world-class e-store are the primary reasons why I am here at eBags.
Favorite Childhood Trip: My Dad is drawn to golf. When I was 10, he loaded my brother, sister, Mom and me into the car with luggage and three sets of golf clubs. We drove for three weeks, from Denver to Spokane to Vancouver, ferried to Prince Rupert British Columbia, then drove to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise and finally home. We played some great courses along the way and I caught the travel bug!
Other Great Trips: A 90-day, 2,500-mile bicycle/tenting trip through the British Isles. A seven-day hike up 19,000-foot Kilimanjaro in Africa. A 10-hour ice and snow climb up 19,000-foot Cotapaxi in Ecuador -- done through the night with four layers of clothing, axes, crampons and headlamps. In the past, I craved adventurous travel, but I am more likely to go to the beach these days.
Favorite City: Hong Kong is #1 for big cities -- picture New York City dropped into the hills around Vail with an unbelievable harbor and a hundred cultures mixed together. Boulder is my favorite for small cities -- I love the Pearl Street Mall, Chataqua Dining Hall and the University of Colorado.
Favorite eBags Feature: Consumer Ratings! Placing the power of information in your hands -- the person who "uses" the product -- is unique to the Internet.
Favorite Product: For my business case I use the Trager Cross Country Brief or the Chrome Fireball. And for me, Ogio makes the best locker bags.
Favorite Travel Book: "Investment Biker" by Jim Rogers ... a great story about a couple who completed a 20-month, 51-country, 57,354-mile around-the-world trek on a BMW bike. It is a top-flight travelogue. The book includes highly colorful sketches of people and places visited in addition to thorough insights regarding highly diverse local economies on six continents.
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