Seasoned executive Michael Polk is no stranger to being in the spotlight. He has decades of experience serving in high-profile roles in public companies like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Newell Brands. Polk briefly retired in 2019 before realizing it wasn’t quite time for him to hang up his hat.

However, instead of returning to the rigors of managing a public company, Michael Polk took a different route. He became CEO of Implus LLC, a smaller private company owned by Berkshire Partners. Reflecting on this transition, Michael Polk shares how small, private companies allow leaders to generate true innovation.

Former CEO of Newell Brands Michael Polk’s second act at Implus

After retiring from Newell Brands in 2019, Polk re-entered the corporate world in 2020 as the CEO of Implus LLC, a fitness accessories portfolio company. The executive knew how to get results for large public companies, but Implus was different. This shift marked a significant transition from leading a multinational public corporation to steering a smaller private company.

Polk’s tenure at Implus began just as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses worldwide. Despite the challenges, Polk led Implus through these turbulent times, transforming its operating model, strengthening financial performance, and positioning the company for sustainable growth. The challenge would have distressed even the most seasoned leaders, but for Michael Polk, it was just another opportunity to serve.

In his former role at Newell Brands, Polk focused on high-level decisions that separated him from his employees. But at Implus, he engages directly with his team. Under his leadership, Implus, with its 16-brand portfolio and global footprint, adapted to an evolving marketplace. “I spend much more time doing the brand and business development work directly with my team as opposed to focusing on resource allocation and having to work through layers in the organization to influence the demand-creation or cost-reduction choices people are making. I am right there with them in the crucible, helping them make the choices that are going to drive our business forward,” Michael Polk explains.

Private companies’ surprising edge

After decades of working in public environments, Michael Polk greeted his Implus role with enthusiasm. Instead of leading with an iron fist, he came to Implus eager to see what the private sector could teach him.

While large corporations often provide structured, long-term leadership development programs, private companies offer a more hands-on, fast-paced approach that accelerates growth. Smaller companies challenge employees to take on significant responsibilities earlier in their careers. After all, smaller companies have fewer resources, so management has to make scrappy decisions. “They grow and learn by doing,” says Polk. “As a corollary, senior leaders are drawn deeper into the business as player-coaches and have to help their people in those moments of choice and also manage risk.”

In Michael Polk’s experience, small companies also have an edge thanks to their collaborative, hands-on environment. Small, private companies also can’t afford the luxury of layered management. This setup comes with challenges, but it does expose leaders and employees to more business functions. The flat arrangement allows Polk and his team to better understand business operations, from sourcing and manufacturing to retailer partnerships and marketplace dynamics.

Sometimes smaller is smarter

Reflecting on his second act as CEO of Implus, Polk describes his work as a “back to the future moment,” combining the strategic demands of a CEO with the hands-on aspects of marketing and sales he enjoyed earlier in his career.

From transforming Newell Brands’ enterprise value from $5 billion to over $15 billion to revitalizing Implus, Michael Polk’s career shows how leaders can generate results when they lead with curiosity and humility. His second act is about building a business and fostering the next generation of leaders, proving that growth, transformation, and fulfillment can thrive in any corporate environment. “I am having the time of my professional life building Implus LLC into what I expect will be a bigger, better, and highly competitive fitness and active lifestyle consumer goods company. That just makes the work so much fun,” Michael Polk concludes.

DISCLAIMER – “Views Expressed Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of any other author, agency, organization, employer or company, including NEO CYMED PUBLISHING LIMITED, which is the publishing company performing under the name Cyprus-Mail…more