This month’s SeaSquad features Brian Beach, CCS’ newest advisory board member and president of Beachside Strategy, which guides organizations in developing their vision and models for innovation and transformation. Beach shares his deep connection to UF, his motivation for joining the board and features of the coast that he hopes his children and future generations will continue to enjoy.
Tell us about yourself and your connection to UF.
As a first-generation college graduate, I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to graduate from the University of Florida, with a finance degree and MBA. Later in my career, I returned to UF to serve as the Senior Vice President of Administration and Business Ventures and Chief of Staff to the president. My wife is also a double Gator, so the connection to UF runs really deep! I grew up in Florida, and my business career has taken me to several locations in Florida and to Houston, Texas. I have three teen-aged boys, so I have spent a lot of time watching baseball and basketball games.
What motivates you as a leader?
I enjoy working in complex situations, working to create clarity and a vision for the future. The best part is inspiring and empowering teams to own the solutions and big ideas to make that vision come to life.
Can you share a story about when you realized your efforts were making a difference?
When my team at Sysco developed and delivered a solution that had a multi-billion dollar impact and helped change culture, despite some doubt and headwinds along the way! The team was built from the ground-up, in Houston, Austin, Silicon Valley and Sri Lanka and we developed an e-commerce platform that was generating $12 billion in annual revenue within six months of launch!
What drew you to the CCS and why is joining our board important to you?
I am constantly amazed at the CCS team and its impact on the critical challenges facing the state of Florida and its important coastline. This is an amazing state, and people and nature will continue to interact in our bays, estuaries and on our beaches. I am excited to work with the board and CCS team as we continue to explore meaningful approaches to ensuring that those interactions also allow nature to flourish.
Can you tell us about a favorite memory at a coastal spot?
That favorite memory is my entire youth! I grew up in Sarasota, and I spent a lot of time on the beach, fishing and sailing in the bay or watching sunsets with friends. I probably did not appreciate enough the paradise that was around me!
Looking ahead, what experiences or qualities of the coast do you hope your children and future generations will be able to enjoy?
There is something really special about the beaches and bays of Florida. The calm and beauty. The happiness that many of us Floridians feel the instant we see it. Our kids and future generations must not only have the opportunity to enjoy that same, unique beauty of Florida’s beaches and bays, but also better understand the critical role that people play in keeping Florida’s waterways healthy.
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By Megan Sam