Name:  Jack Denault

Where were you born and raised?
San Francisco Bay Area but now live in the NY/NJ area

What’s a short story around the biggest transition you’ve faced in life?
The financial crisis hit the business I was leading quite hard and after trying to take actions to turn the ship around, I ultimately was let go.  This was the first time in 25 years I had ever been let go.  I was a top performer, how did I end up here?  The frustration was there, but I owned this. I am not a victim and there were learnings here for me.

I quickly took stock of what I had and what I could work with – my health, my family, confidence in my skills, my network, the learnings from this experience – and quickly mapped out my new plan. I committed that my “new” job was to find my next job.

After quickly building my approach, I began contacting my network, reaching out to recruiters – the ones I knew and those I didn’t.  Through feedback, I quickly learned how to more effectively articulate my successes and learnings from my failures.  I received great advice, which I like to pay forward, about the process and how best to articulate what I can bring to a company. This energized me and I found another role quickly at an amazing company where we grew our part of the business 72% in 2.5 years.

Great learnings around continuing to adjust your organization for the future and how important it is to know what is working and what isn’t.  Also this experience has allowed me to help others by sharing my learnings and approaches in the job seeking process.

What’s the once piece of advice you’d give a younger you?
Work smarter and harder than anyone else. Own your results – be accountable and have high amounts of intellectual curiosity so you continue to learn and show a great capacity to taking on more.

Your Personal Why?
I wake up thriving on outcomes and I like to help others see the choices they can make to drive theirs.  Choice is ownership.

How does your Why drive you to be a part of the THF Ecosystem?
I have developed skills in the commercial world that I want to “pay forward” to others considering their choices, their outcomes, as they venture into their next journey. I found THF is serving a critical need and I wanted to be a part of it.

Military Connection or Why do you respect Special Operators?
Never been in the military but have the utmost respect for all that serve.   The fellows at THF are amazing. Their commitment to succeed, desire to learn, their passion, their candor, their intellect (I can keep going here….) is unique.  They are the best of the best and the community I want to help succeed in their next journey – the commercial world.

Favorite THF Value, and why?
I have two, Exemplify Trust, which for me is all about integrity, accountability and truth.  One is None – which for me is about team and transparent leadership

Area/Industry of expertise (Faculty, Sponsor, Mentor, Community Ambassadors):
I am a Mentor, my pedigree of skills, accomplishments, and learnings has developed through 30+ years in Sales and Services Leadership.  I have lead in small and large company environments and have focused on Sales and Service Transformation.  I have been mentoring THF fellows for over a year now and am honored to be a part of it.