Will Gray – About the Author
Growing up in the north Florida town of Gainesville—the youngest of five children – I always believed I would be an attorney like my father and his before him. Fascinated by history, I loved the stories about my family and the impact of service to community and country. Sports and the concepts of responsibility, competition, leadership, and camaraderie have always resonated with me.
After serving as an officer on active duty in the Marine Corps, I returned to the University of Florida to earn my MBA full time. It was a transitional time that allowed me to explore various career opportunities. I quickly determined traditional finance and marketing careers held little appeal for me. I thrived on setting and achieving goals and enjoyed working in and leading teams.
The day the recruiters from Frito-Lay PepsiCo came to campus was an epiphany for me. They reminded me of Marines. They weren’t wearing suits, they spoke about the challenge of selling, they laughed a lot, and clearly liked each other. They were a team.
The recruiters explained that the new hires for the management program would have to get up at 3 a.m., drive a chip truck, learn how to sell, and fill the shelves at gas stations and grocery stores for four months before being allowed to lead a team. I never considered myself a salesperson, but I thought this would be challenging and fun. Many of my classmates were horrified.
I had an MBA and had served as an officer in the Marines, and now I was driving a chip truck. I loved it.
After a few years of learning how to sell and becoming ingrained in the amazing culture at Frito-Lay, I had an offer to work for a medical device company. Even though the compensation was much higher, I really struggled to leave Frito-Lay. The culture of selling imbued everything we did. Titles and education never mattered. It was the teamwork. It was results. It was the winning spirit.
Having spent the last twenty years and counting at another great company, Boston Scientific, I have worked with talented leaders and observed peers, competitors, and customers who have inspired and molded my sales and leadership styles. I had the fortune of being awarded four President’s Clubs early in my career by being proactive and being lucky to work alongside some great people.
For the past decade, I’ve been put into positions that have exposed me to unique and challenging circumstances that have demanded proactivity. Working with large customers and managing diverse teams has been an amazing learning experience.
Although a third generation Floridian, I now live in Concord, MA with my wife Amy and enjoy cheering on my kids as they grow and take their own paths. I also try to keep up with Amy who is one of the most uniquely accomplished marathon runners ever. I can be contacted at willgrayproactive@gmail.com.