No more monkeying around. With Evolution Fulfillment’s recent growth (we added two new warehouses in the last year), there was a need to add some leadership that would advocate for our customers and listen to staff (64 and counting). And while it’s a jungle out there trying to find the right skills and fit, Evolution was very fortunate to have found our new Chief Operating Officer, Dion Willis.
Dion is responsible for overseeing Evolution’s employees, providing mentorship to the senior management team, helping our 50+ brand owners succeed, hiring & training and enhancing company culture. Let’s take a moment to get to know this evolved homo sapien.
FUN FACTS
- Best in Show: Dion can watch any dog show and tell you the winner (his mother was a professional Dog breeder and he’s been to well over 50 dog shows).
- “Hey, is that Dion!??!”: Dion gets a kick out of seeing old friends who didn’t know he sang watch him as he belts out the national anthem at a sporting event.
WHO IS THIS NEW TOP BANANA?
We put a few serious (and not-so-serious) questions to Evolution’s new COO:
If you were a primate, what primate would you be?
The rare and often not heard of, Monkey Nonners.
What’s your mandate at Evolution?
To be the voice of our customers and an ear for our staff.
What’s your commitment to Evolution’s customers?
To look at all scenarios from the brand’s perspective: “What would I want if this was my brand?”.
How would you characterize your leadership style?
Lead by example and Servant leadership.
Have you always walked upright?
I rode a Big Wheel when I was a kid and ever since I’ve always tried to catch up to where my feet are taking me.
From a customers’ perspective, what makes Evolution different/special, in your opinion?
Compared to your standard 3PL, we provide brands with a greater degree of control and transparency. We’re more like an embedded shipping department for a brand than, say, an arms-length warehouse. Also, we like to partner with brands that have some sort of social responsibility component to their business and that want to make a difference in the world.
At what point does it really, really make sense for a brand to engage with a 3PL warehouse like Evolution?
When a brands’ value is not reaching its full potential because their staff is spending too much time and resources on logistical areas of their business. Evolution can take that off their plate and provide effective and efficient expertise in those areas.
If a brand is interested, but uncertain, about Evolution’s fulfillment services, what do you recommend they do?
I would offer them the number of one of our current customers and allow them the opportunity to chat with someone who’s in the same boat.
Rapid fire round…. Have you ever…?:
- Climbed trees? I’m not the “vertical” type. I would find an alternative way to get to the top of the tree.
- Eaten bananas?Every day.
- Scratched under your armpits? As much as anyone else.
- Vocalized “ow ow…. ah ah”? I sing. So….I guess so?! More so in the “warm-up” to singing.
About Evolution Fulfillment
Evolution Fulfillment provides eight turnkey services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate, and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.
If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.
