In this episode, Tom Oliver shares his career journey that began as an 'Army brat,' his aspirations to attend the Air Force Academy, and how he navigated challenges during his military service, including life-threatening situations while flying. After transitioning to the corporate world, Tom excelled in turnaround and crisis management roles at companies like General Foods, Nabisco, and Dole Food Company, showcasing his ability to streamline processes and improve performance metrics. Later, Tom ventured into entrepreneurship, founding a successful medical device company. Throughout his career, Tom emphasizes the importance of mentoring, developing people, and the simple but powerful principle of 'try.'

Episode Highlights:

10:19 Flying Career and Near-Death Experiences

14:31 Transition to the Pentagon

17:01 From Military to Corporate: The Big Shift

27:05 Addressing CEO Burnout

28:06 Revitalizing Dole Food Company

32:36 Innovative Solutions for Workforce Management

37:10 From Corporate to Entrepreneurship

37:41 The Power of Trying

Tom Oliver is a seasoned leader specializing in business turnarounds, change management, and strategy execution. As CEO of CoolSystems, he transformed a struggling startup into a leading medical device company, growing revenues to $19M despite significant challenges. His career highlights include leading PowerBar's $415M acquisition by Nestlé, saving Dole Food Company $131M through global productivity initiatives, and driving a 97% revenue increase at Dolefil. Known for his ability to rebuild companies from the ground up, Tom's focus on innovation, strategic growth, and culture-building consistently delivers extraordinary results across industries.

How to connect with Tom:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasoliver/

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