Before Chris Macaulay, CEO of Killara Outdoors, began scaling outdoor brands across the U.S. and Asia, he was shaping global marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 clients. His transition from agency life to operational leadership wasn’t just a career change — it was a complete shift in philosophy.
“We were getting paid for time, not outcomes,” Macaulay recalls. “I wanted skin in the game. I wanted to build something tangible.”
In his blog The Evolution of a CEO: How Chris Macaulay Transitioned from Global Advertising to Outdoor Industry Leadership, Macaulay reveals the personal and professional leap he made in 2023 — stepping away from creative briefs and boardrooms to lead one of the fastest-growing holding companies in the outdoor industry.
That leap began with more than a job title change. It required a crash course in logistics, supply chain, finance, and team development — skills rarely honed inside a marketing firm.
“I knew brand and marketing,” Macaulay writes. “But I had to learn how to run warehouses, manage inventory, lead vendor ops, and build P&Ls. So I surrounded myself with experts and got to work.”
Today, Killara Outdoors operates a growing portfolio of brands with team members spread across Fort Worth, Boulder, and Hong Kong. But according to Macaulay, the real growth came from applying a student’s mindset to every corner of the business.
“You can’t just be a vision guy,” he says. “You have to be in the trenches. That’s how you earn trust and build companies that last.”
That balance — between humility and high standards — now defines Killara’s culture. From legacy fishing brands to emerging lifestyle ventures, the company focuses on scaling businesses without compromising the soul that made them great in the first place.
“We’re not flipping brands,” Macaulay says. “We’re stewarding them for the long haul.”
Read the full article: killara.com/blog/empowering-the-next-generation-of-entrepreneurs-chris-macaulay-s-advice
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