Episode 908 — Dave Brandon, Executive Chairman and Former CEO of Domino's
On this episode of the Business Beyond Usual podcast, hosts Aishwarya Dhume and Vashisht Sai sit down with Dave Brandon, Executive Chairman and Former CEO of Domino's. Brandon takes us through his long and varied career, from attending U-M as a student athlete and aspiring teacher to working in executive leadership roles across industries. He shares his insights and advice on building a successful career in business, leading organizations, and facing adversity.
Taking Two Companies Public
When Brandon took Domino’s public in 2004, it was the largest restaurant IPO in history. This came twelve years after taking Valassis public in 1992 in one of the largest concurrent debt and equity deals at the time. He emphasizes the importance of preparation in this process. He explains that after taking the necessary steps in advance to fulfill the requirements of operating as a public company, you can focus on running the business as a public company. Domino’s, which started as one pizza store in Michigan, is about to open its 21,000th store.
“I start pretending we’re a public company at least a year in advance of the IPO,” Brandon says. “I put the investor relations functions in place. We start looking at our earnings on a quarterly basis. We start reducing everything to EPS. So when the IPO happens, we are well-positioned to execute as a public company,”
Career Challenges
Brandon says he’s faced no shortage of challenges throughout his career. For example, he speaks candidly about the experience of trying to save Toys R Us while being unable to fund necessary solutions due to the business’s debt. Brandon shares that the extreme challenges you face in business make you better and tougher, as long as you can learn and grow.
“Was it difficult? Absolutely. Were there some sleepless nights? Yes. We were at the depths of despair as an organization, and then we climbed to the mountain top, and that journey made us better. It made us tougher. It made us more resilient,” shared Brandon.
The Most Important Brand is You
Brandon shares that the most important thing in business is to conduct yourself positively. Everything, from jobs taken to online posts to relationships with bosses and coworkers, is an opportunity to build your brand positively. Brandon states that if he had not conducted himself in a way that would have made future partners want to continue the relationship, they would’ve simply moved on. Brandon leaves listeners with advice that has allowed him to advance his relationships throughout his career.
“[For] all students, and ultimately all of us who go out into the business world, the most important brand that we manage is our name. What I’ve worked really hard [for], over the course of what has now been a long career, is to build a brand where I stand for something. I have skills and I have experiences that people not only respect, but in some cases want to take advantage of,” shared Brandon.
Have thoughts about topics we should cover, or just want to get in touch?
Send us an email at [email protected].
Want to hear more from Ross students, faculty, and alumni?
Check out more of our podcasts.
Working for the Weekend: A deep dive into the daily life of part-time MBAs at Michigan Ross. Weekend and online MBA students discuss their experiences and advice for prospective and current students.
Business + Society: Michigan Ross professors discuss the business world and how it impacts our society. Each episode features a panel of featured experts addressing a current issue or problem facing our world.
Down to Business: Join Dean Sharon Matusik as she interviews Michigan Ross alums in the C-Suite to learn how Ross set them on a path to organizational leadership
About the participants
- Host and Episode Producer: Aishwarya Dhume and Vashisht Sai
- Guests: Dave Brandon
- Executive Producers: Mark O'Connell, Aishwarya Dhume, Vashishta Sai, and JT Godfrey
- Audio Production: Jonah Brockman
- Editorial Production: Mads Henke
