After starting his career working in aerospace and telecom, in 2001 Doug Wood was approached for a COO role in an industry he admits he knew little about – apparel.
“I was introduced to these three wonderful guys that had caught lightning in a bottle with Tommy Bahama,” he says. “They had US$200 million in sales, but they didn’t really have a company.”
Ever since, Wood has been the driving force behind the business of the upscale lifestyle brand, known for its resort-inspired apparel, accessories, homeware and restaurants. Now, as CEO of Tommy Bahama, he has taken the company to impressive new heights.
“You can’t go to the beach anywhere in the United States and not see Tommy Bahama. Since 2008 we have sold 27 million beach chairs,” Wood says.
“We’re out there trying to inspire the world to relax. We’re the island-inspired brand, an affordable luxury.”
Innovating for growth
In recent times, Tommy Bahama has been embarking on impressive new ventures. “We opened our first resort last year,” Wood reveals.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells opened on 1 November 2023, following a US$20 million renovation. Pairing desert living with island luxury against the backdrop of the Santa Rosa mountains, among its offerings are 215 guestrooms, three saltwater swimming pools with cabanas, and a tropical design and planting style.
Wood now has his sights set on opening another Tommy Bahama resort, while also aiming to open three-to-four more of its Marlin Bars per year.
“Marlin Bars combine the efficiency of a food truck with the outstanding quality of our restaurants and retail stores. They deliver a great Tommy Bahama experience without the same investment of time and money as our 13 full-service restaurants,” he explains. “Now, traffic in our retail stores is rising.”
This diversification is part of a broader, ambitious shift in its branding. “Guests start seeing us as more than just us trying to sell them a shirt,” Wood says. “They start to think about it more as a lifestyle that they want to live in.”
Weathering storms
This change reflects a spirit of constant evolution at the core of Tommy Bahama, which has partly been influenced by Wood’s experiences handling times of crisis.
“We’ve been able to weather two giant crises at Tommy Bahama,” Wood says. “The first was the 2008 financial crisis, and that one event prepared us for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2008, we had a burgeoning ecommerce business, but about 75 percent of our business was as wholesalers, selling to department stores and retail stores,” he recalls. “Overnight, I watched our business contract by 50 percent. It was terrifying.”
“If you asked me the one thing I take the most pride in, it’s the teams of people that I get to work with.”
Fearing for the future of the business, Wood made the call to refocus on its own stores, restaurants and ecommerce, which gave it a lifeline.
A similar moment came in 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. “I woke up one day and suddenly the situation was: we’ve got 4,500 employees and no revenue. What the hell are we going to do?” he says.
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Even though he couldn’t continue to pay all of his staff, he still felt a duty of care to them. So Wood opened up the restaurants of Tommy Bahama specifically to feed the furloughed workers. This benevolence earned him the loyalty of the staff.
“When the doors opened back up, and people were really having trouble getting their employees back, our employees came back,” he says.
Treasured team
Part of the reason why Wood was protective of his staff during the pandemic was because he realizes the contribution they make to Tommy Bahama. Because of this, he expresses a tremendous amount of gratitude toward them.
“If you asked me the one thing I take the most pride in, it’s the teams of people that I get to work with. I can’t even tell you, without them, we’d be nothing,” he says.
“And they perform day in and day out. They understand the brand, they understand our guests and they understand the need to keep developing and progressing the products forward.”
“Build wonderful teams that actually aren’t like you, that look at the world a little differently than you, and use that to propel your business.”
As well as its employees, the company also relies on long-term supplier relationships that are built on trust.
“I absolutely believe our long-term partnerships are one of the reasons why we’ve been able to stay in business and grow for 30-plus years,” Wood says.
A key partner is ShelterLogic Group, providers of outdoor shade, shelter and lifestyle products. Both with his strategic partners and his team, Wood channels the power of collaboration. He explains one of the key lessons he has learned from his years of successful leadership is the importance of building diverse teams with diverse perspectives.
“I can’t be successful by myself,” he says. “I need to surround myself with people who are better than me. As you surround yourself, looking for quality people and strong people of all ethnicities, it opens up the world to you.
“Build wonderful teams that actually aren’t like you, that look at the world a little differently than you, and use that to propel your business.”
