Tony Hawk
Hawk — the man who put skateboarding on the global map — will present his inspiring keynote, “How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO.” With his trademark modesty and humor, VIPAR says Hawk will share the remarkable journey from professional skateboarder to successful CEO, offering lessons on leadership, perseverance, and staying true to one’s values.
In a sport that’s especially youth-oriented, Hawk, a 50-something father of four, still connects with his audience by staying true to who he is. Moving easily between the ramp and the boardroom, he founded a skateboard company, Birdhouse, and has a video game series bearing his name that has sold over $1 billion worldwide, making it the best-selling action sports game franchise in gaming history. He founded The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), which has given away over $13 million to over 700 skatepark projects throughout the United States that serve over nine million visitors a year.
Starting his business out of the trunk of his car, Hawk pledged to maintain authenticity in all he did, and it has served him well. VIPAR states his story of building global brands and giving back to the community, and his lessons of leadership, perseverance, and initiative are sure to resonate with both seasoned leaders and those just beginning their journey — even if they don’t grind rails in a skatepark.
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“Tony Hawk stands out as an entrepreneur who worked hard, rose through the ranks, and achieved great success, which perfectly aligns with the experiences of our distributors,” says Jeff Paul, VIPAR Heavy Duty vice president of Marketing. “Our attendees are sure to head back to their businesses inspired to catch air and carve their own path to success with renewed energy and vision.”
The IMPACT Conference is a weeklong event that brings together the heavy-duty aftermarket industry’s leading distributors, suppliers, industry associates, and aftermarket leaders. In addition to Hawk’s keynote, VIPAR states the conference will feature business and industry updates, annual stockholder and member meetings, interactive panels, educational sessions, a trade show, networking opportunities and more than 1,500 one-on-one distributor-supplier partner meetings.
