ALWAYS LEARNING
Lessons on Leveling Up from GameStop to Laura Mercier and Beyond
The Gary Kusin Approach
If you boil me down, I am about learning and teaching, in that order. I love learning new things and am very open and curious about the world around me. I understand the power of mentoring and get my greatest satisfaction out of sharing with others in ways that could possibly be helpful to them on their own journey.
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Gary’s Journey
Gary Kusin is a mentor, investor, entrepreneur and business advisor. He today advises an array of public and private companies, large and small, on strategy, management and growth issues. In addition, Gary continues his full schedule of mentoring and has mentored well over 500 individuals during the course of his career. Mr. Kusin co-founded two companies, Babbage’s, operating as GameStop (NYSE: GME), and Laura Mercier Cosmetics, both of which today are well-known global brands. Gary spent 13 years as a senior advisor to the global private equity firm TPG, including a large amount of his time mentoring CEOs of TPG portfolio companies. He served from 2001-2006 as president and chief executive officer of Kinko’s, today operating as FedEx Office. Mr. Kusin was responsible for the turnaround, strategic growth and transformation of Kinko’s and oversaw the ultimate sale to FedEx, directly reporting to Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, for the 2 years required to integrate Kinko’s into FedEx and be renamed FedEx Office.
An Inc. magazine “Entrepreneur of Year” award winner, he has served on many public and private firms both in America and abroad including names such as Electronic Arts, Petco, Sabre, and Myer Department Stores in Australia.
Mr. Kusin has been very involved in Dallas community activities throughout his career. A representative sample of organizations and positions include the St. Mark’s School of Texas Board of Trustees, Dallas Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) chairman, Dallas Citizens Council board of directors and the Southwestern Medical School Foundation.
A member of the University of Texas McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame, Mr. Kusin earned a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a MBA from the Harvard Business School. A native of Texarkana, Texas, Gary lives in Dallas with his wife Karleen. Their four children, spouses and 11 grandchildren live from coast to coast with most pursuing their own entrepreneurial journeys.