Michael Polk Gets Closer to the Work at Implus

Michael Polk spent much of his career allocating resources and influencing decisions from several layers removed from the actual work. At Implus LLC, he says, that distance has disappeared.

Closer to the Work

Polk took over as CEO of the fitness accessories company in 2020 after Berkshire Partners recruited him following his exit from Newell Brands, where he had served as chief executive since 2011. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and Unilever, spending decades inside large public organizations before making the move to a privately owned business.

At those bigger companies, Michael Polk Newell Brands role often centered on capital allocation and working through multiple layers of management to shape demand creation or cost reduction efforts. At Implus, he spends much of his time directly with his team on brand and business development instead, an arrangement he clearly finds more satisfying.

He has described it as being in the crucible with his employees, helping them make the choices that push the company forward day by day. That kind of direct involvement, he says, echoes his earlier years as a marketing and sales executive, long before he took on broader executive responsibilities.

The shift hasn’t come at the expense of accountability. Polk still answers to a board of directors and to Implus ownership, much as he did to shareholders at Newell, and he still measures success by the value the business creates for the people who back it.

Since joining Implus, Polk has helped strengthen its operating model and guide it through pandemic related disruptions, all while staying personally engaged with the brand work that first drew him into the industry decades ago. Michael Polk has said this closer, more hands-on style of leadership has made his time at Implus feel like the best chapter of his career so far. Read this article for related information.

Find more information about Michael Polk on https://nyweekly.com/business/michael-polk-from-newell-ceo-to-growth-mindset-advocate/

Michael Polk spent much of his career allocating resources and influencing decisions from several layers removed from the actual work. At Implus LLC, he says, that distance has disappeared. Closer to the Work Polk took over as CEO of the fitness accessories company in 2020 after Berkshire Partners recruited him following his exit from Newell…