How many CEO's will admit that they learned more about managing a company from underprivileged children than from Harvard MBA's? Or opened a flower shop simply because they had to feed their families? Jim McCann, President and CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS, is a rare example of corporate leader, who built a $250 million company in ten years, and in fact, KPMG Peat Marwick has recognized 1-800-FLOWERS as among the fastest-growing companies in the country. McCann has achieved success by breaking business rules that have guided most corporate leaders. For example, he has not received an MBA, he did not choose a high-margin industry and he did not go where the labor is cheapest.
McCann recognizes that management consists of more than keeping track of profit and revenue, in his view. It requires an eclectic approach to management, rather than rigidly abiding by one school of thought. A good manager learns from experience, rather than focusing on creative approaches to writing business plans. He or she uses what works, rather than concentrating on what doesn't work. Experience, as well as concern for one's workers, McCann believes, is more important than memorizing a few rigid management principles in business school. McCann deplores the notion of downsizing, as is the current fashion in many industries, and instead focuses on right-sizing through growth, recognizing that growth in an industry whose market conditions afford it is a better path.
With more than 20 years of experiences in business, McCann believes that his training as a social worker has better prepared him for the challenges of managing people. He notes that no matter what industry one works in, whether is be flowers, insurance or making cars, the most important thing is to pay attention to the corporate culture - and not just the bottom line. Ensuring that people are provided a stimulating working environment, and that their efforts are recognized, is crucial to success for all.
McCann has demonstrated his qualifications for espousing his ideas in management, having transformed 1-800-FLOWERS in a very short period of time from a company that was near bankruptcy into the world's largest florist. Understanding that his customer base was predominantly business people on the go, McCann saw the advantage of providing customer gift-giving from anywhere in the U.S. and worldwide through three convenient channels: the internet, retail stores and an international 1-800 number.
As an Administrator at St. John's Home for Boys in Rockaway, New York, McCann recalls, he had to help underprivileged children learn how to overcome the scourge of poverty, drugs and despair. In such an environment, he says, one must create hope where none seems to exist. From that experience, he learned to appreciate how important it is that people feel loved, no matter who or where they are, and that they be part of a culture that fosters caring rather than selfishness. When McCann needed to supplement his salary as a social worker in order to raise his family, he incorporated his spirit of giving and of expressing emotion with his choice of business. He opened his own chain of flower shops in New York before buying 1-800-FLOWERS in 1987.
McCann's humanitarian efforts, combined with his entrepreneurial acumen, have been widely recognized in the business community. Among his many honors are the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Merrill Lynch and Inc. magazine, the Retailer of the Year award from Chain Store Executive Magazine, the Advocate of the Year award from Ernst & Young and the Long Island Association, Enterprise Chairman of the World Congress in Madrid, Spain and one of the Top Business 100 in Irish America Magazine.
McCann is active in numerous business and community organizations, which include the Dean Council of Harvard University's School of Government, as well as the national boards of The Long Island Philharmonic, Hofstra University Board of Trustees, Winthrop-University Hospital, the Long Island Coalition for Fair Broadcasting, the Entrepreneur of the Year Institute and the Very Special Arts. He also supports programs for the developmentally disabled. A frequent lecturer and writer, McCann has discussed business and social issues before AT&T, IBM and Inc. 500, as well as numerous community and national groups.
In September 2009, McCann was named brand ambassador and spokesperson for The Palm Restaurant Group. His role was commemorated with the unveiling of his caricature on The Palm wall, a restaurant tradition.
McCann lives in Manhasset, New York with his wife and three children.
Jim McCann, Chairman & CEO of 1-800-Flowers, is available through IMG Speakers Bureau for speaking engagements. Jim McCann is also available for corporate meetings and events, business seminars, panel discussions and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Jim McCann.
