Press release from UNC Asheville:
UNC Asheville’s Family Business Forum will present a free public presentation by Garry Ridge, president and CEO of WD-40 Company, from 8-10 a.m. in the Sherrill Center, Ingles Mountain View Room.
In addition to leading the WD-40 Company, Ridge is a coach, mentor and co-author of the book, Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” Ridge also is an adjunct lecturer at the University of San Diego where he teaches leadership development, talent management, and succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program.
WD-40 Company describes its structure as tribal: “The elders of our tribe provide strategic guidance and the wisdom that comes from experience, though every WD-40 Company tribe member is empowered to make real-time decisions. We believe that is ultimately the key to our continued growth and mutual corporate success.”
Ridge, who has helped establish the organizational culture at WD-40 Company, has served the company in different capacities for more than three decades and was appointed president and CEO in 1997. A native of Australia, he served in advisory roles for the Australian Marketing Institute and the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association.
This event is free and open to everyone, thanks to the support of UNC Asheville’s Family Business Forum sponsors: First Citizens Bank, McGuire Wood & Bissette, Johnson Price Sprinkle, the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center and Meridith Elliott Powell. To attend, please register at fbf.unca.edu/register.
The Family Business Forum is a member-driven organization located at UNC Asheville. All forum events are based on feedback from members, and membership in the forum is open to family and privately-held businesses. The mission of the UNC Asheville Family Business Forum is to provide professional learning opportunities to help family-owned businesses maximize the overall well-being of their company and to assist with transition planning for the next generation of family ownership. UNC Asheville’s Family Business Forum is the only ongoing professional development and awareness-raising environment specifically designed for family businesses in Western North Carolina.
For more information, visit fbf.unca.edu or contact Cindy Clarke at cclarke@unca.edu or 828.232.5091.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.