President, Bates Communications, Inc.
David Casullo’s passion is developing leaders who have the courage and capability to change the world. He is the author of the upcoming book Leading the High Energy Culture, which will be published with McGraw Hill in 2012.
Prior to joining Bates Communications, David held the Senior Vice President of Human Resource role on the executive team for the rapidly growing northeast mega-retailer, Raymour & Flanigan.
His methods ensure that leaders remember what is important by clarifying values and recommitting to behaving consistently with them. Acting in alignment with the “who that you are” exudes authenticity and is essential to be the best leader you can be.
He has a proven process to clarify organizational values and communicate them effectively in a way that drives growth and bottom line results. David’s experience helping leaders has consistently been recognized as remarkable. His style is quickly engaging, refreshingly genuine, and promotes trustworthiness at “hello”. His experience as a successful business leader and entrepreneur give him credibility with executive leaders in the C-suite as well as with emerging leaders in key roles throughout organizations.
For ten years his leadership helped Raymour & Flanigan become a billion dollar retail giant, the largest furniture retailer in the Northeast, and one of the fastest growing in the US - with nearly 100 store locations in seven Northeastern states and 4,300 associates company-wide.
David began his career in management in 1984 as the Computer Operations Manager for TJ Sheehan Distributing, a large Anheuser-Busch distributor located in Syracuse, NY. His desire to lead and to tackle tough business challenges head-on has led him on a path of increasing leadership responsibility throughout his 26-year career. He has served as General Manager of a successful small business; he spent five years in Cincinnati, Ohio as the Vice President and General Manager of multiple large divisions of a successful manufacturing business, and was President of a $200 million multi-national business before joining Raymour & Flanigan. Always having worked for tightly privately held companies, David is keenly aware of the leadership challenges uniquely present in a privately held organization.
David earned his Bachelor degree in Math and Computer Science from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY where he was captain of the varsity football team, and he earned an MBA from RPI in Troy, New York. He married his high school sweetheart together with whom they have three wonderful children – Andrew, Jenna, and Sara.
His passion is leadership development and his ‘hobby’ is real estate development. He and his wife are entrepreneurs who together own a 188-acre residential development, Overlook Ridge, in their hometown of Little Falls, New York.
David's program on Leading the High-Energy Culture, based on his book of the same name, to be released Spring 2012 with McGraw Hill!