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“In the very complex world in which we live, success grows out of teams with disparate ideas.”
His team is grounded in global knowledge, particularly important since much of VF’s future growth is expected to come from overseas markets. The activities associated with the company’s brands – surfing, climbing mountains, skateboarding, hiking – take place worldwide with a consumer base that tunes in to the same media. VF’s presence in India, China, Argentina, Hong Kong, Belgium, Switzerland, and other international locations attests to the importance of building a global infrastructure. The company’s strategy is to be consistent on positioning the brand while at the same time translating that brand for the particular country.
 In response to global markets and the price of manufacturing goods at home, VF moved much of its manufacturing offshore at the beginning of the decade. The result was a layoff of some 13,000 employees and the closing of 30 plants, unpopular decisions at the time but necessary, McDonald says.
“If we chose not to make the tough decision, then everyone would be impacted rather than just a few. We made the decision but in the right way – with lots of input and then follow-up to suppor t those who were negatively impacted.”
Facing tough situations as well as
the unexpected is more common in
business than not, says McDonald. His
answer for dealing with those unexpected twists and turns?
Seeing them through with a plan of action. “When I talk to
my management teams, I tell them it’s not brilliant ideas but
rather brilliant execution that leads to success,” he says.
That lesson was honed for McDonald, who was an army pilot
flying transport planes and observation missions in Vietnam.
His military service grounded him in facing the unexpected.
He found that with the right training and confidence, he could
tackle not only combat conditions but also the challenges of
the business world.
He began his foray into business while still in the army,
stationed at Ft. McPherson by day and attending
business school at Georgia State by
night. During his MBA studies, he already
recognized a growing passion for building
brands in a management development
course that focused on aspirations. “It was
hard to imagine running a company the size
of VF back then,” he says. “Instead of title
or position, I was more focused on what I
could do in managing a brand.”
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