Even at an early age, Lee Flood was something of a statistical savant. In one memorable season on the gridiron pitch, Flood rumbled his way to 55 touchdowns and earned a spot in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Upon entering his professional career, Flood kept piling up gaudy numbers. He became a sales manager at Pearson-Kelly Technology in Springfield, Missouri, in 2018 and rebuilt a depleted salesforce. In the process, PKT increased its managed IT contracts by an astounding 1,900%.
After being elevated to executive vice president, Flood enabled PKT to reap a 50% increase in revenue across the board, with growth in all four of the dealership’s main lines of business—IT services, business phones, surveillance cameras and copiers. Thus, when the time came for CEO Chelsey Bode to select a president, Flood was the ideal choice.
“Lee led our team through the pandemic,” Bode said. “I had a vision for where I wanted Pearson-Kelly to go, and he made it happen.”
For Flood, who joined the organization in 2014, the opportunity to guide PKT through the next stage of its development is a compelling challenge. Growth is a key part of that future, and he’s looking to fortify the PKT staff by hiring a CFO. That would also help take some aspects off Flood’s plate and allow him to focus on branch additions.
“Right now, Pearson-Kelly is in a place where we’ve got a pretty good market share in a variety of ways,” Flood said. “We’re growing in the Springfield market, and are in the process of building out our team in the Joplin market. We’re looking to add another branch in northwest Arkansas, either organically or through acquisition.”
Flood and Bode follow the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which the company embarked upon in 2019. Bode is the company’s visionary, responsible for crafting the vision and culture of PKT. As the integrator, Flood is tasked with implementing Bode’s vision and managing the day-to-day aspects of operations.
For an executive who’s yet to reach the age of 34, Flood is hoping to parlay his success in sales and the executive VP positions into even greater heights. “Sales had never been on my radar,” he confessed. “To fall into it was kind of comical, but looking back, it fit into my skill sets really well. I’m very relational, and buyers are looking for people who care, someone who wants to get to know their business and get to know them as individuals. That’s who I am, naturally.
“Leadership-wise, I was fortunate to make a lot of mistakes early in my life that humbled me. It made me a lot more empathetic. So much of leadership is putting yourself in another person’s shoes, and helping guide them through whatever it is they’re dealing with.” When he’s not taking part in the Springfield Business Journal’s Economic Growth Survey or the Radiate Positivity podcast, this 2019 ENX Magazine Difference Maker can be heard hosting PKT’s Innovator podcast. A man of deep faith, he is an active member of the NorthPoint Church and serves the community in a number of ways, including as a board member for Harmony House.
