[Leadership] John Wilson

Loyal, hardworking, tough minded. That’s how Crown Leadership Award winner John Wilson describes himself. But others say it’s his ability to get the job done that makes the difference.

Case in point: Orkin recently promoted Wilson to president of Orkin USA, a new position in which he oversees the company’s five division presidents and the vice president of sales.

It’s an impressive achievement for a man who’s worked in the industry approximately 15 years, a comparatively short period of time next to other industry brass.

Wilson’s abilities to gain results and think on his feet are among the qualities that have impressed his colleagues. Harry Sargent, president of Orkin’s South Central Division, says in the past four years Wilson consistently improved performance in the divisions he managed.

"He is successful in attracting talent for Orkin," said Sargent, "and being active in pest control associations, nationally and internationally."

FORMATIVE YEARS. Like many other industry leaders, Wilson is a second-generation pest management professional, whose father’s career had a significant impact on Wilson’s own.

Unlike other second-generation pest control pros, however, Wilson didn’t quite follow in his father’s footsteps. This industry leader grew up with an untraditional family arrangement, and experienced significant hardships along the way that would affect his life, priorities and decisions later on.

The oldest of three brothers, Wilson was born in Memphis, Tenn. But he wouldn’t stay there long. His father, John Wilson Sr., was rising through the ranks of sales and management at Orkin. As is often the case with corporate executives, the elder Wilson’s career entailed numerous moves for the family throughout the South, before the younger Wilson even completed high school.

Further complicating matters for Wilson was his father’s status as a single-parent and primary caregiver for many of those years. John Sr. had gained custody of Wilson and his two younger brothers in 1964. "A single dad was unheard of then," recalls Wilson. Thankfully, he adds, his father never really discussed the issues surrounding his custody pursuit and simply got down to work raising his sons.

"He worked a lot," recalls Wilson. Despite the hard work, however, his father "always had time for us when he was home," Wilson recalls.

Also profoundly affecting Wilson early in his career was the untimely loss of his two younger brothers. His brother Anthony succumbed to bone cancer and his youngest brother Tom was killed in an automobile accident.

"I don’t know if I fully grasped the situation at the time but it still had an impact on me," says Wilson. "When my brother passed from cancer, I was not a dad yet, so I didn’t understand how hard that must have been for my dad to focus on his work during such a challenging period in his life."

CAREER ASPIRATIONS. Picking a career came easy to Wilson, as he always had a keen sense of his skills and interests. "I wanted to do something that would allow me to work with people," he says.

Having relocated to Knoxville, Tenn., during the second half of high school, Wilson quickly began seeing himself as a future Tennessee Volunteer. "I had been on the University of Tennessee campus a bunch of times since I went to high school in Knoxville. It seemed like the only choice when it came to choosing a college." Wilson majored in business, and went on to complete the University of Virginia Darden School Executive MBA program.

Not surprisingly, Wilson had been introduced to the pest control industry at a young age, courtesy of his father. "Occasionally I’d go in with him on Saturdays during the summer and cut the grass or fool around with the guys on the lot," Wilson recalls. "It was a lot of fun and very interesting."

Likewise Wilson’s first pest control job ensued the summer after his freshman year in college after the family had moved to Orlando.

"I had visions of lying on the beach and working on my tan," Wilson recalls. His father, however, had other ideas. "He put me directly to work on a fumigation truck." Wilson was able to get his tan, although at a price, since his assignment was working in the hot sun, carrying heavy tarps up and down ladders all day.

Today, Wilson reflects, "that experience taught me the value of hard work. It also taught me to value just how hard our employees work and the importance of treating them well and letting them know how much they are appreciated."

Despite his early exposure to the profession, pest control wasn’t to be Wilson’s first job out of college. He had worked for the Morrison Restaurant chain while in high school and after graduation rejoined that company, in a management trainee role. "I found the interaction with customers and employees in the restaurant business very appealing," Wilson said. The public food service company owned the Ruby Tuesday group of restaurants as well as the Morrison Cafeteria chain.

Wilson spent 18 years with the company, rising through its ranks in the Southeast and covering as many as 14 states. Eventually he was responsible for new store development, in charge of selecting locations, building restaurants, hiring staff, and training personnel.

The career which he now calls "a young man’s game," was one he thoroughly enjoyed. Meanwhile his career path at Morrison began to resemble his father’s at Orkin, requiring him to relocate eight times in 12 years. "The restaurant business is very fast-paced and rapidly changing," Wilson reflects. "It’s also a lot of fun."

However, that feeling started to change for Wilson after he married his wife, Alison, and their family began to grow. Soon he began to question the late nights and weekend travel his job required. "My kids were newly born at the time, so I was spending a lot of time away from home," says Wilson. "I wanted to see them grow up and to be involved," he says, "and you can’t do that if you’re working 16-hour days for four to six weeks at a time and away from home.

"My dad suggested that I look into opportunities at Orkin," Wilson said. "We were just starting up the commercial division in the mid-90s and that seemed like a good fit for me due to my restaurant background."

Seeing how Orkin treated his dad toward the end of his career further convinced Wilson that Orkin was the kind of organization he wanted to join. "The last couple of years, he got pretty sick," says Wilson of his father. "They stood by him and valued his knowledge."

In 1996 Wilson was hired to work in the newly formed Commercial Division of Orkin as a management trainee, with the goal of eventually running a commercial branch. Wilson recalls how Division Vice President Clyde Cobb, a 40-plus-year veteran of Orkin, described for him how his career could advance. "It’s far exceeded what he described to me," Wilson says. "Mr. Cobb was a terrific leader in every way."

ROLE MODELS. While many individuals have apparently affected Wilson throughout his career, none has been a greater role model to him than his father, who retired from Orkin in 1997 after 37 years. "He taught me what determination, perseverance and hard work could mean to someone," says Wilson. John Wilson Sr. died in 2005 at the age of 72.

Another of Wilson’s professional mentors was Larry Davis, Wilson’s first boss at Morrison Restaurants who eventually went on to become president of the company. "He taught me that people were your most valuable resource," said Wilson, "and that customers returned to do business with you as much or more due to the quality of your service, than the quality of your product."

These lessons have resonated with Wilson throughout his career at Orkin. Over the years, says Wilson, the company has placed more of an emphasis on recognizing the hard work of its employees, thanks in part to his efforts, as well as the entire management team.

"We’re much better at telling our employees how much they mean to us now than in the past," said Wilson. He explained that the company’s employee retention rates are now approaching the high 70s, with the goal of getting to 80. In the past, those figures were around 50 percent. "I believe very firmly that a focus on retaining our employees and treating them well has really helped our company’s performance over the past 10 to 12 years," Wilson explained.

Orkin has also focused more heavily on overall service quality, Wilson said. At no time was that more critical than in the past year as the economy struggled, which taught him, "you have to work harder than ever before to earn your customers’ loyalty." The hard work has apparently paid off: "Even during the recent economic downturn our customer retention has fared very well," Wilson observed.

ALWAYS A PEOPLE PERSON. Wilson says he has always enjoyed working with people. "I believe I have always been a people person. When it comes to management, Wilson likes to be up front and honest with people, letting them know what they need to do to achieve their goals. "So often, people aren’t willing to give honest feedback," he says. "I think people like and respect that about me. I believe you need to tell them what they need to hear."

But the part of management Wilson enjoys most is observing people, particularly those he has hired, develop professionally and move up in the organization. "I enjoy seeing our team members progress and meet their goals," says Wilson. "I also enjoy working with our customers and satisfying their pest management needs."

His life experiences, Wilson says, probably have had a lot to do with his outlook on life. For instance, the frequent moving in his own formative years, while challenging, ultimately enriched his life in other ways. "I think it made me much more adaptable and flexible," reflects Wilson. "It made me able to acclimate myself to new surroundings."

Wilson also says his experiences with Orkin, particularly operating a region for the company, have been exciting and rewarding. "You’re so close to the customer and the employee and that’s what I enjoy the most."

It doesn’t hurt that one of the biggest names in the business has his back. "I work for people who are terrific," says Wilson. "The Rollins family really cares about the business. They really care about the employees."

For the last 11 years Wilson has reported directly to former Orkin President Glen Rollins, who has a real sense of Wilson’s strengths. "John’s character is admired by our team and our customers," observes Rollins. "He starts the day early spending time helping customers, developing people, improving our company and investing in the future. He never hesitates to face our shortcomings or do the right thing and he knows the importance of following up."
 

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IN BRIEF…

NAME: John Wilson

COMPANY: Orkin USA

HEADQUARTERS: Atlanta, Ga.

POSITION: President

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; completed University of Virginia Darden School Executive MBA Program; held various management positions with Morrison Restaurants; served as Orkin’s Atlanta Commercial Branch Manager from 1996 to 1997, Central Commercial Region
Manager from 1997 to 2001,
Atlantic Division President from 2001 to 2005, and Southeast Division President from 2005 to 2009.
Currently serves on the NPMA
QualityPro board of directors.

PERSONAL: Married 18 years to wife Alison; two children, daughter Sydney, 16, and son Jay, 15; volunteers for Boy Scouts of America.
 

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Life on the Home Front

Perhaps because he grew up in a single-parent household, John Wilson appreciates the importance of family, an appreciation shared by his wife Alison. "We have very similar backgrounds," Wilson says. "She was raised by a single parent, just like me, although in her case it was her mom." Wilson says he and his wife also share an interest in hiking and the outdoors. The couple is involved in volunteering for Boy Scouts of America and fundraising for their children’s school.

Family activities also take center stage for Wilson, and these days he’s taking pride watching his two children, daughter Sydney, 16, and son Jay, 15, mature. "It is really fun watching the kind of adults they are developing into."

In his free time, Wilson also enjoys cooking, a hobby that remains as a holdover from his restaurant days. "I was always working during the holidays, so today I enjoy putting together our holiday dinners," Wilson reflects. "I also enjoy spending time with family, and cooking for your family is one way to stay close to them."