Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1407173
After some soul searching and research, he landed a job with iconic cataloger and retailer L.L. Bean. "I identified the need for change and took a chance, packing my worldly possessions in my 1985 Honda Accord, moving to Maine, and renting a furnished apartment sight unseen," he says. CAREER LADDER Hired in 1992 as an inventory analyst at Bean headquarters, unexpected opportunities arose after he and colleagues found solutions for longstanding projects. Process improvement became a theme for McKelvey, whose responsibilities increased. Despite his early success, McKelvey's career wasn't without setbacks and complications necessitating bold moves at pivotal moments. While his tenure at L.L. Bean provided growth, he recognized that employee longevity made advancement increasingly more difficult. During this self-described inflection point, McKelvey left the retail giant in 1998 for small, little-known L&A Molding, a Bean vendor: "It was scary, but I needed to try something different to continue to grow." After two years at L&A, he applied to be liquidation manager at Ballard Designs, but instead was hired as director of quality and sourcing. In 2005, his promotion to president of improvements catalog of Cornerstone Brands necessitated two years of weekly trips to Cleveland, Ohio, departing on Sunday and returning home on Friday. "Rebecca and I committed to raising our children in Middle Georgia, and rather than uproot our family we agreed I'd travel to maintain stability at home," he says. "It was challenging, but I wouldn't trade my work in Cleveland for anything. There I gained the experience I needed to run one of the businesses." Meanwhile, an opportunity arose at Ballard Designs and McKelvey was named president in 2008. McKelvey proved his worth with 13 years of solid leadership at Ballard's helm. Mike George, president and CEO of Qurate Retail Inc., Cornerstone's parent company, lauds McKelvey for "expanding Ballard's retail footprint and critical innovations including experiential, virtual and in-person interior design services." For six months, McKelvey maintained dual oversight for Ballard Designs and Cornerstone Brands, but in March 2021 he relinquished the Ballard presidency, naming a long-time colleague as his replacement. THE CORNERSTONE WORLD Although each brand has its own president, the four Cornerstone companies share distribution and call centers, technology, website platforms, marketing, transportation, delivery and collectively purchase supplies. "We leverage where it makes sense, but keep the brands separate and unique to maintain a small-business feel. Brand appeal varies, but similar customer demographics enable us to introduce customers to the other brands in our portfolio," McKelvey says about the business model. McKelvey knows he inherited a successful company. "I didn't step into something broken, but I want to improve the customer experience and operations while growing Cornerstone for shareholders and consumers," he says. McKelvey calls navigating COVID-19 and planning for its aftermath his biggest challenge: "There are supply chain issues and I'm trying to develop relationships and a team without face-to-face time. But despite the separation, we work collaboratively and meet regularly." According to McKelvey, Cornerstone is meeting the moment. "The real estate market is strong and three of our brands are in the home sector. People are focusing on their homes and new home owners are our best customers. We're uniquely positioned to help them make transitions," he says. RYAN MCKELVEY ON LEADERSHIP "I wasn't overly aggressive in trying to grow my career. My mindset was to do my best work where I was at the time. Opportunities presented themselves. Maybe I could have made things go faster if I had been more aggressive, but my career has always provided us with what we needed to be very comfortable in our lives." "I learned a long time ago, my success isn't ultimately what I contribute to the organization, but how I can help others succeed in their roles." "I'm not afraid to take calculated risks and don't mind failing as long as we're learning." "The pandemic has revealed new ways of doing business. The office will continue to be important for building the community of a business and for sharing and creative purposes, but maybe it means going to the office for events or key meetings, or working there a couple of days a week with the other days spent at home. There's been a lot of change, but there's still quite a bit of runway." 'BOO WAS ALWAYS A CREATIVE SOUL, RESOURCEFUL AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. NOW, HE'S DOING IT ON A NATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE LEVEL.' — GENE DUNWODY JR. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 | maconmagazine.com 89