Blake Sports: Evolution of the CEO and the Executive Team

Cameron (Cam) Barker, CEO and Founder of Blake Sports Apparel, sat in his office at his company’s headquarters in Birmingham, England, feeling stunned and disappointed. Only a few minutes prior, he had wrapped up a meeting with CFO James Ryan, a highly-respected star executive who had just abruptly given Barker his notice of resignation. When Barker hired Ryan in November 2020, he had asked Ryan not to take the position unless he intended to stay for at least five years, which Ryan agreed was his plan. Yet, here Barker was just eighteen months later and Ryan was ready to walk out the door, citing Barker’s leadership style as one factor in his decision to leave. After years of struggling to find the right executive team structure and size and to fill the positions with the right people, Barker thought he had finally gotten it right. The executive team had proved that they were capable of communicating, collaborating and making smart decisions in ways that put the organization’s priorities ahead of their own. Furthermore, Ryan had proven himself to be just the kind of CFO the growing company needed. Baker knew his departure was a loss. Why did Ryan resign? What issues had he taken with Barker's leadership? Should Barker take Ryan's feedback to heart, or was it simply a case of conflicting styles? After years of managing dysfunctional executive teams, did Barker need to change the way he managed his reports now that his executive team was collaborative and high-performing? If so, how?