Director of Training & Development ABOUT THE COMPANY “Our business is earning your trust” – Les Schwab, Founder Founded in 1952 by Les Schwab, this organization has grown into among the largest independent tire retailers in the US, with 530+ locations and over 8,000 employees, and a top service provider, winning the 2021 Customer Satisfaction award in our category by JD Power. We continue to grow and innovate in both products and services, including through new store openings and geographic expansion. Les Schwab Tires offers a unique opportunity to support our growth as our new Director of Training & Development, leading our world-class training and development teams in preparing employees and future leaders for successful careers with Les Schwab. THE ROLE As our new Director of Training and Development , reporting directly to the VP of Human Resources, you will be the strategic leader of Les Schwab’s learning and employee development programs. Primary responsibility is building and overseeing programs to strengthen the knowledge and skills of our employees to be successful in their current roles and prepare them for future opportunities in our promote-from-within culture. This role works closely with senior leaders throughout the Company to enhance performance and build leaders in preparation for significant Company growth. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES/FUNCTIONS ● Strategy & Governance Define, implement, and measure the goals and programs of the Training and Development teams to ensure alignment with the Company strategy, department strategy, and guiding principles. Identify needs and build proposals for new programs and program adjustments that align with the Company's strategy for executive review and approval. Collaborate with other departments, especially Store Operations, HR, and Communications, to ensure alignment and that programs support the highest priorities. Partner with CAO, VP of HR, Director of HR, and other key stakeholders to define and implement HR/Communications strategy and best practices. Lead or participate in governance and working groups as assigned. ● Develop People and Team Proactively manage the performance and development of employees. Motivate direct reports to ensure high performance and assign work consistent with current skills and development goals. Provide career development opportunities and coaching. Recognize and reward team contributions. Ensure team members consistently deliver excellent work quality and outstanding customer service. Build a culture of continuous learning and influence a growth mindset. ● Store Training Program Oversee and direct efforts related to building deep skills and capabilities in store employees so they can consistently deliver world-class customer service. Partner with senior operations leaders to identify and analyze organizational needs and recommend training programs. Oversee the Training Design, Development, and Delivery teams to ensure programs support our promote-from-within culture and deliver well-trained and motivated employees ready to support Company growth. Comprehensive learning management systems (LMS) oversight, including maximizing system capability to drive proactive, business-driven data reporting and analysis. Ensure accurate tracking of training programs and provide insight and recommendations for improvements to senior leadership. Update Store Training Strategy and Road Map as needed. ● Leader and Employee Development Oversee and direct efforts to build strong leadership skills in all segments of the Company to ensure a strong pool of well-trained, motivated employees ready to support Company growth. Oversee the Company’s Leadership strategy and competencies, ensuring alignment with Company strategy and with other employee talent programs. Oversee and support the Leadership Development team to ensure their programs support our promote-from-within culture and deliver well-trained and motivated employees ready to support Company growth. Partner with the Executive Coach to ensure lower-level high-potential candidate development is in alignment with the executive development program. Competencies are in alignment with the Company's strategy. Partner with the HR Director to ensure performance management, promotions, and succession programs are in alignment with leadership programs. Facilitate Leadership Development training for select groups. ● Transition Management & Communications Oversee efforts to ensure Prosci change management principles and tools are used effectively to support change in the company. Provide guidance and oversight to Transition Management & Communications teams. Ensure foundation is in place so the team can deliver high levels of change adoption, employee readiness, and effective communications. Influence business leaders by building trust and inclusivity, strategically framing issues, and leveraging data. Serve as an advisor to major Company projects requiring change management. Support the selection of Change Management partner(s) and serve as liaison with the Company. EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIRED Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree or other advanced degree in related fields preferred. 10+ years of experience in training and development, building leaders, employee engagement, talent analytics, change management, and project management. 5+ years of experience managing people, teams, and managers of teams. Interested in Learning More? 180one has been retained by Les Schwab to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Nicole Brady at 180one at: 503.699.0184 / nicole@180one.com

In leadership hiring, one belief persists above nearly all others: that past performance is the best predictor of future success. It’s logical, comforting, and intuitive. After all, if a leader delivered results before, higher revenue, a successful turnaround, a winning streak -they must be capable of doing it again. But that assumption is dangerously flawed. A growing body of evidence, real-world missteps, and cautionary tales suggest that evaluating a leader based solely (or even primarily) on past results can lead to costly misalignments. A recent example highlights this perfectly: The University of North Carolina’s headline-grabbing hire of NFL legend Bill Belichick as head football coach. With six Super Bowl rings and a reputation as one of the greatest coaches in history, Belichick’s track record was unparalleled. Yet in his college football debut with UNC, his team suffered a lopsided 48–14 loss. Suddenly, it was clear: past greatness didn’t guarantee future success in a dramatically different context. While we know Coach Belichick is very early in his tenure at UNC, it’s a fresh reminder that this example extends far beyond sports. It speaks directly to how businesses approach executive hiring, and why it’s time to shift the paradigm. 1. Context Is Everything A key mistake in interpreting a leader’s past success is ignoring the unique conditions under which that success occurred. Was the company in a growth market? Did the executive have access to elite teams, ample resources, or timing that favored bold moves? An executive who excelled in a highly structured, well-capitalized organization may not thrive in a lean, ambiguous, or turnaround environment. Just as Belichick moved from the resource-rich NFL to a university setting with completely different dynamics, many business leaders falter when they switch into unfamiliar ecosystems. Context can make or break performance, and no résumé bullet point can capture that nuance. 2. Success Is Rarely a Solo Act Leadership achievements often look like individual triumphs: “Led $500M product launch,” “Turned around underperforming division,” or “Grew revenue by 60%.” But these outcomes are almost always the result of collective effort. High-performing teams, strong market tailwinds, or favorable internal politics may have played a significant role. Without understanding the true contributors to success, companies risk crediting one person for what was actually a team-driven or market-driven win. Belichick’s NFL success, for example, wasn’t built in a vacuum, it involved legendary players, long-standing staff, and decades of organizational infrastructure. When hiring executives, we must dig deeper: Was the leader truly driving results, or were they simply in the right place at the right time? 3. The Skills That Worked Before May No Longer Apply Many executives ascend by mastering a particular set of skills, scaling a startup, optimizing supply chains, leading sales, but the demands of a new organization may require a completely different skill set. A tactically brilliant operations leader may struggle in a CEO role that demands vision, cross-functional influence, and public-facing leadership. Similarly, an aggressive change agent may clash with a culture that values steady consensus-building. In Belichick’s case, the NFL rewards control, discipline, and closed systems. College athletics requires recruiting 17-year-olds, navigating academic culture, and engaging with boosters. Translated to the corporate world: the same leadership playbook won’t always work in a different environment. 4. Cultural Fit Often Trumps Credentials More than half of executive failures can be traced back to a mismatch in values, communication style, or organizational expectations. Culture fit isn’t about superficial traits - it’s about deep alignment with how a company makes decisions, treats people, and approaches problems. A highly hierarchical leader from a Fortune 50 firm may feel paralyzed in a startup where decision-making is fast and informal. Conversely, a founder-style leader may chafe against the bureaucracy of a multinational. In Belichick’s case, the shift from professional players to student-athletes required more than tactical expertise - it required a mindset and relational approach that wasn’t part of his long NFL tenure. Culture was the hidden barrier. 5. The Future Requires Adaptability, Not Repeatability The pace of change in business today is staggering. AI, hybrid work, geopolitical instability, and generational shifts in employee values mean that today’s leaders must continuously learn, pivot, and adapt. Past performance often reflects a leader’s ability to optimize for the conditions that once existed - not necessarily their ability to navigate what’s coming next. Instead of asking, “What has this leader done?” the better question is, “How do they think? How do they learn? Can they lead through ambiguity?” Executives with linear, legacy-bound thinking may fall short in organizations seeking transformation. Adaptability, not a polished track record, is becoming the most valuable leadership asset. 6. The Halo Effect Clouds Judgment High-profile successes create a “halo effect,” where we assume someone who succeeded in one role will succeed anywhere. It’s why hiring managers are drawn to big names and prestigious brands. But prestige can mask weaknesses. Hiring a famous CEO from a household-name tech company might seem like a coup, until they struggle in a smaller, more complex environment with fewer resources. The same logic applies to Belichick’s move to UNC. The name was dazzling. The record was flawless. But the assumption of transferable success was flawed.  Boards and hiring committees must challenge their own biases and evaluate candidates with fresh eyes. So What Should Companies Hire For? Rather than focusing solely on achievements, companies should shift toward evaluating capability and potential . Here’s how: Learning Agility : Has the leader successfully reinvented themselves in different roles or industries? Self-Awareness : Can they reflect critically on past experiences and acknowledge where they’ve failed? Cultural Intelligence : Are they attuned to the nuances of different organizational cultures? Systems Thinking : Can they see the big picture and lead across functions, markets, and time horizons? Emotional Intelligence : Do they inspire trust, connect with people, and lead with empathy? These traits are harder to measure than revenue growth or market share, but far more predictive of long-term success. The Goal Line The University of North Carolina’s hiring of Bill Belichick was bold, ambitious, and rooted in the assumption that his past greatness would translate seamlessly into a new role. When it didn’t, the world was reminded of a difficult truth: past performance is an input, not a guarantee. In business, the stakes are just as high. Leadership decisions shape strategy, culture, and value creation. To get those decisions right, we must look beyond the résumé and consider who a leader is, not just what they’ve done. Because in a world of constant change, the leaders who succeed are not those who repeat the past, but those who are ready to lead into the unknown.