Peter Furnish | VP at Starbucks, Cineplex; Virgin, Labatt, & The Walt Disney Company | The power of learning, collaboration, and competition—insights for building a successful career

Behind the Brand®

“The other thing I would say too is it's important to celebrate decisions where you decided not to do something, that was maybe a great idea. So products you thought about launching that you decided not to launch and in hindsight that was a great decision.”
— Peter Furnish

Peter Furnish has had a long and exciting career, full of interesting experiences that have helped him learn valuable lessons. His journey has taken him to visit Walt Disney's home in California, where he gained insights into the creative genius behind the Disney brand. He also had the opportunity to witness Sir Richard Branson's daring promotional stunts for Virgin Mobile, which taught him the importance of taking risks to create a buzz.

During his career, Furnish has worked with some of the most iconic brands, including The Walt Disney Company, Labatt Breweries, Cineplex, Virgin Mobile, and Starbucks. Each of these experiences has provided him with valuable lessons that have helped him build a successful career.

Here are some of the highlights from the episode:

• Failure is a valuable teacher — always use its lessons to improve
• Being flexible and unlearning what you know are essential when transitioning between companies of different categories and growth stages
• Creativity is key to making an impact
• The differences between founder-led and founder-inspired businesses
• Build a network and learn from those around you

Enjoy!

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