Episode 50: Bob Vitoux, Senior Investing Leader at Ambassador Capital Group, Former CEO at Seymour Midwest/CFO at Steinway & Sons

Show Description:

Bob Vitoux leads the investing activities for the Ambassador Capital Group in the Ambassador Enterprises private equity business. Prior to joining Ambassador, Bob served as the President & CEO of Seymour Midwest, a privately held landscape and specialty tool manufacturer, and was the CFO for Steinway Musical Instruments. The majority of his career has been in the medical device industry, including commercial and finance leadership roles with Zimmer, Johnson & Johnson, and Biomet, following the start of his career in public accounting with Price Waterhouse.

In this interview Bob walks us through his professional journey in the medical device industry, his company leadership roles later in his career, and important life lessons he has learned in the areas of leadership, people development, and self-investment.

Show Highlights:

4:10-13:40: Bob highlights his professional journey, especially through the finance realm of the medical device industry, experiencing a company acquisition, and eventually becoming the CEO of a landscape tool company called Seymour Midwest.
13:40-31:10: **Bob discusses his passion for, and the landscape of, the medical device industry. He describes learning through a variety of different relationships with internal employees and stakeholders, and the importance of becoming a student of your company.
**31:10-41:40: Bob goes into the challenges that are present at the CEO or top-executive. He walks through his process and motivations toward making impactful decisions for the companies he leads.
41:40-59:10: Bob describes the difficult decision to leave the medical device industry, his CFO leadership role at Steinway & Sons, a piano company in New York, and communicating with his family from long distance while experiencing the piano and music industry.
59:10-1:06:10: We ask Bob how he developed himself as a leader, important characteristics to lead people, and the influence that mentors have made on him throughout his career.
**1:06:10-1:20:10: **Bob explains his leadership program with Ambassador Capital Group, and his partnership with Remedy Live to help improve mental health in communities and lower teenage suicide rates. He gives advice to parents on how to continue to remain engaged in children's lives.
**1:20:10: **Bob gives critical concluding advice to those who are still in the process of finding their ideal career path.