Three axioms I try to adhere to that have been more prevalent in the past year:
- An aspect of success comes from being emotionally tied to the outcome while at the same time not allowing emotion to influence decisions to get to said outcome.
- Personal and professional success don’t typically come easily, but rather by building relevant knowledge, a focus on the end goal and dogged determination.
- Setbacks, at some level, along the way are inevitable. Knowing when to move on versus doubling down is essential to long-term success.
This year reinforced a simple truth: growth begins with people. Every success – whether a merger or a promotion – starts with trust, empowerment, and shared belief in the future.
Refrain from changing course until you reach the decisive point with your people and your plans. A little tactical patience is essential to remain on the critical path to your goals.
Once the foundation is in place, the results will come fast. The foundation of course is the right plan, the right team and the belief that it can get there…and then, anything is possible.
2025 showed us that strategic creativity and bold ideas drive growth. By envisioning and building Delaware Park’s first outdoor slot patio and introducing innovative events like Safari Sprint, we transformed a property long seen as unchanged into a destination buzzing with excitement. We proved that innovation and heritage can coexist. These efforts not only elevated guest experiences but also reinforced our competitive edge in a dynamic market.
For Star Waste, 2025 was about staying resilient and refusing to get distracted by noise. By staying focused on key issues and opportunities, adding the right talent to sharpen that focus, and building supporting capabilities, we have generated tremendous results and momentum.
Our people and shared values defined 2025. Their passion to reestablish our services as the industry benchmark – supported by strong leadership, disciplined processes, and a reengaged client base – has set us on a clear path to growth and success.
It’s worth the work to find a great CFO, even if that means having to hire multiple people before getting it right. Having a great CFO is a game changer.
I admire how the Clairvest team dealt with adversity. When tested by unforeseen circumstances, the Clairvest team remained united, accountable, and disciplined. This inspires even greater confidence in prospects for future success.
2025 has been a year filled with growth, strategy development, and organizational enhancement. It has taught us the importance of setting a stable foundation before pursuing aggressive growth. To this end, we have focused on improving the depth of our team, processes, and overall corporate infrastructure. We are confident that this will set the business up for M&A, growth, and success in 2026 and beyond.
This past year has reinforced the importance of clarity, alignment, and disciplined execution at the leadership level. When values, accountability, and strategic direction are consistently reinforced, the organization is able to move faster and make better decisions. Addressing misalignment decisively allowed us to strengthen trust across teams and focus the business on what matters most. With the right leadership in place, execution improved exponentially. This translated into record production volumes and the strongest financial performance in Brunswick’s history.
As a business grows, it is easy to focus on top-line growth without putting enough attention into building the inside of the business (people, processes, systems) that will allow it to level up over the medium to long term.
Clear priorities and a strong, adaptive culture proved to be our greatest strengths this year. By simplifying goals, sharpening communication, increasing cross-team collaboration, and empowering our teams to respond quickly to changing scientific and regulatory needs, we delivered higher-quality outcomes with greater speed and alignment. When our people are focused and connected to the mission, performance follows.
Leadership by example is the key building block underlying exceptional organizations and superior long-term outcomes. As the newest addition to the board, I am delighted and impressed to see this so strongly manifested at both the board and executive levels of Clairvest. Clairvest lives by its values with no gap between words and deeds.
