Jim Pisani
With his extreme passion for working with others and an intense love for competitive sports, Jim Pisani ’05 hit a home run in both his personal and professional career. He has become an accomplished executive in his various merchandising, marketing, and operations sales roles over the last 20 years.
Early on, Jim accepted an athletic scholarship to Northern Illinois and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, he worked for companies like Kraft Foods and PepsiCo. In his sales and marketing positions there, he learned how to effectively manage a high performing team of individuals. Jim made the decision to go back to school at Lewis University to pursue a Master’s of Business Administration.
“Going back to school for my MBA helped put together all the pieces of my puzzle,” says Jim. “It was a true turning point in my life.”
Jim hit a homerun in 2008 when he joined VF Corporation as the President of VF Licensed Sports Group, a business that offers an assortment of authentic fanwear for Major League Baseball®, National Basketball Association®, National Hockey League® and major colleges. This business includes Majestic®, which is the on-field apparel provider for all Major League Baseball teams. Jim uses his prior professional experiences and the knowledge he gained from Lewis to effectively manage the manufacturing and selling of product globally in his current role.
The combination of Jim’s ability to work well and communicate with others and his admiration for the competitiveness atmosphere of sports has allowed him to become successful in his career. Jim takes pride in the idea that when people see the uniforms during a baseball game, they see Majestic. In other words, they see all of the company’s hard work and determination. “I love playing such an important role in this underdog company,” Jim says with a smile. “We have worked hard to beat out our big brand name competitors. We are hungry, yet humble.”
Jim is thankful for the experiences he had leading up to his victory. “Lewis helped me be comfortable and confident in my ability to successfully be the President of a company,” Jim proudly says. “My time there provided me with a solid foundation for professional and personal success by giving me hands-on training and real life experiences.”
As a sport lover with a desire for working in a team, Jim prides himself in the work that he and his colleagues have accomplished. “I am so proud of the professional team we have developed here at VF Licensed Sports Group,” Jim says. “We have been so successful in renewing several major contracts with some of the biggest companies in the world.”
That is not his only team, of course. Jim has been married to his wife Kristen for 25 years and has raised three children – Jenna, Jake, and Josh. “Having that amazing support system at home really helped me be a better individual in both my personal and professional life,” says Jim.
Jim’s love of the game and constant support from everyone around him, at home and on the job, helped him obtain this victory. He would offer the following advice to anyone walking out onto the field for the first time: “Life is a team effort. Never stop listening to those around you and learning from them; it will help you in continuing to take your horizons and understandings to new levels.”
May 2016
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