Ty Staviski says one of the greatest leadership lessons he has learned is that there are often multiple solutions to problems, and it’s important to give a voice to people to offer those other answers.
“By empowering your employees to bring their ideas and experiences to the table, and taking the time to listen and understand, you open the door to answers you may not have even considered,” said the chief financial officer for Milwaukee Tool. “The best paths forward are paved through the efforts of many. But you also need to make sure that agility is part of any answer. When there’s multiple right answers to a problem, you and your team need to be able to proactively look at those options and change course if needed.”
Milwaukee Tool, founded in 1924, is a leader in delivering solutions to the professional construction trades that increase productivity and safety. The company is known for its M12, M18 and MX FUEL cordless systems; battery-powered outdoor power equipment; job site lighting and cleanup; time-saving accessories; and hand tool and PACKOUT Modular Storage products.
Staviski earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and rose the ranks from project engineer to director of operations at SIG Beverages NA. He went on to receive an MBA in finance and accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas. After holding financial management roles at Newell Rubbermaid and GE Healthcare, Staviski was appointed CFO of Milwaukee Tool in 2008, directly responsible for the organization’s finance, accounting, operations and legal functions.
In a little over a decade, Milwaukee Tool has evolved from its position as an “underdog” with 3% market share for power tools in North America to holding the No. 1 spot in market share for cordless tools across the globe. The company’s growth is fueled by its investments in innovation and laser-focus on the trades. Staviski and the leadership team have invested much of this growth right back into the company’s people, especially over the last year.
In the past year, the company has hired more than 3,000 people in the U.S. and now employs more than 10,000 people around the nation. Also in the last year, the company invested more than $216 million in seven expansion projects within the U.S.
“The fact that we’ve been able to grow Milwaukee Tool from $500 million to over $8 billion in 15 years — it’s remarkable,” Staviski said. “I think about the stamp we’ve left on the community, the buildings we’ve built, the jobs we’ve created, the partnerships we’ve developed. I’m very proud of how far we’ve come and where we continue to head. Nowhere in my mind would I have thought I’d be part of something this big. And it’s fun. It’s fun to do all of it and be such a big part of the region.”
