Coming out of retirement does not usually mean stepping into a smaller, more demanding job. But that is exactly what Michael Polk did after leaving Newell Brands in 2019. His return to the workforce brought him to Implus, a private equity-owned company where the work is more personal, more direct, and by his own account, deeply rewarding.

A Role That Requires Full Engagement

At Newell Brands and earlier at Unilever, Polk operated at the level of strategy and resource allocation. The size of those organizations required leading through layers of experienced managers rather than direct participation in functional work. That model served those companies well. “You’re typically working through other people and leading through other people to get things done,” he says.

Implus is a different story. “I’m doing marketing with the marketing team. I’m doing the strategic selling, the design of our selling systems, and the design of our go-to-market programs with the commercial team,” Polk says. The hands-on quality of his current role is not incidental but central to what the company needs. The team is younger and earlier in their careers, and Michael Polk sees modeling the right behaviors as part of his core responsibility.

Private Equity Backing and Room to Grow

The private equity structure at Implus shapes the business environment in meaningful ways. Rather than managing quarterly pressure from public markets, Michael Polk Newell Brands and his team work with owners who take a longer view. “Our owners are focused on the strategic development of the company because they know that this orientation will contribute to the long-term health of the company,” he says. That orientation opens the door to bigger, bolder decisions.

Michael Polk has always operated in high-pressure environments, and he acknowledges that some truths about leadership do not change regardless of the setting. Authenticity and accessibility matter whether you are leading a company worth tens of billions or building a smaller business from the ground up. At Implus, he gets to practice both. Refer to this article for additional information.

Find more about Michael Polk Newell Brands on https://www.rttnews.com/2986513/newell-brands-president-and-ceo-michael-polk-to-retire.aspx?Arch=1