Brooks Running CEO Dan Sheridan filled many roles in his 27 years at the running shoe company—including chief operating officer—before he took the reins last year. One thing that’s helped him ascend is an ability to take a holistic view of the company’s needs.
COOs are typically brilliant at technical things but also need to understand how other functions play into a company’s overall success. So yes, a running shoe company has to nail supply-chain and e-commerce logistics, but it also has to get customers interested in its gear and make footwear that is competitive in today’s running shoe wars.
