ow's top management is family, literally and figuratively. "Sandy
Stewart, our vice president of sales, came to the company five months after
our company was born. She's now the face of Bugle Boy," he says, by way of
illustrating his commitment to his employees. The senior VP of product
planning has been there since 1983 and travels with Mow. The senior
vice-president of license development and domestic production was once
Mow's CFO. He left in '87 to start his own business and returned last
September. The chief financial officer has been at Bugle Boy since 87. "I
don't give up on people," Mow repeats. At the same time he readily admits
that in his opinion employees can't fully share an owner's concern for the
welfare of the business. "No employee is indispensible," he says. Mow
stresses the importance of having a partner to joke with and bounce ideas off.
"If Vinnie didn't own 10%, I don't think I'd sleep at night knowing that I'm
alone." At the same time, he would not be willing to trust even Nesi with the
responsibility of running the company.
Mow believes that a dominant owner enjoys a tremendous advantage in
being able to use family members in key positions. The senior vice president
of operations and distribution is his 34-year-old nephew who has been at BBI
seven years. Rosa has been executive vice president of importing since '81.
She accompanies Mow on his half-dozen annual transpacific trips. "I used to
spend two weeks in Taiwan and China. With her I only spend a week. We
divide up what we need to get done. She can read Chinese. That's a big
help." Mow speaks some Chinese but doesn't read it. He credits her
involvement with giving him the luxury of not having to stay on top of the
import side of BBI's operations. "But even she doesn't know everything that's
going on. I wouldn't burden her with that." Mow tells of the time a screwup
in a major shipment cost BBI $4 million. "They just assumed it was going to
be like last year. You can never assume anything. You always have to follow
up." The responsible overseas employee was fired immediately, but only
after Mow made sure he was given enough severance pay to preclude future
headaches.
And of course there is his oldest daughter Genevieve, now married, in charge
of advertising. "That's a tricky area where you can get taken to the cleaners
if you don't know what you're doing," Mow says. It's like the saying, "In God
we trust, all others must pay cash." As patient as Mow is in cultivating
long-term relations with people, he has a distinctly Chinese preference for
investing that effort in family members.
Mow sees "a lot of Asian nature" in what he calls his "ability to outpatience".
"It's easy to give up on a country or a person. I like the challenge of turning
that person into somebody." Mow's patience doesn't extend to dishonesty or
disloyalty. "I will fire people instantly if they lie. If somebody tries to cover
up, it's extremely harmful. Stripes on a zebra don't change."
Mow doesn't feel that race has been a handicap in his career. "At the same
time you have to realize where the buttons are," he cautions. "Don't go
against the buttons." For example, I know that if my face is on the tube,
some people wouldn't want to buy Bugle Boy pants."
Big as it is Bugle Boy still faces barriers at certain department stores and
retail chains. "I'm going to penetrate the old boy network," Mow says. There
is an edge to his voice. "If they don't buy, I'm going to surround them."
Asked if the old boy network is a source of frustration for him, he responds,
"I choose to see it as a challenge. That's how I'm able to keep my sanity."
PAGE 14
ow's top management is family, literally and figuratively. "Sandy
Stewart, our vice president of sales, came to the company five months after
our company was born. She's now the face of Bugle Boy," he says, by way of
illustrating his commitment to his employees. The senior VP of product
planning has been there since 1983 and travels with Mow. The senior
vice-president of license development and domestic production was once
Mow's CFO. He left in '87 to start his own business and returned last
September. The chief financial officer has been at Bugle Boy since 87. "I
don't give up on people," Mow repeats. At the same time he readily admits
that in his opinion employees can't fully share an owner's concern for the
welfare of the business. "No employee is indispensible," he says. Mow
stresses the importance of having a partner to joke with and bounce ideas off.
"If Vinnie didn't own 10%, I don't think I'd sleep at night knowing that I'm
alone." At the same time, he would not be willing to trust even Nesi with the
responsibility of running the company.
