Aldo Bensadoun, affectionately known as "Mr. B," built a global footwear and accessories empire, the ALDO Group, from a small Montreal shoe concession into a brand recognized in over 100 countries.[1] His journey is a testament to a business philosophy deeply rooted in compassion, ethics, and a profound understanding of the customer.[2]
On Vision and Founding Principles
- A Vision of a Different Kind of Company: From the outset, Bensadoun's goal was to "create a different kind of company, built around ethics, compassion and a deep understanding of the customer."[3]
- Creating a Brand That Cares: He "envisioned a different kind of company, a brand that cares."[2][4]
- Building a Model for Society: Bensadoun has said that when he founded his shoe company, he "wanted to create a model of what [he] believed society should be."[5]
- A Pledge of Compassion and Ethics: He "pledged to build his company on a commitment to compassion, ethics, and understanding the customer in order to offer them the best possible products and services."[2]
- A Brand with a Conscience: "Simply put, Mr. Bensadoun created a brand with a conscience; a brand that cares."[2]
- The Goal is to Make People Feel Good: "The ALDO Group vision is to make people feel good through the products and services we provide every day."[6]
- More Than Just Selling Shoes: His business is footwear, but his personal values, business philosophy, and philanthropic efforts demonstrate a commitment to making a difference from the ground up.[1]
- The Power of Serendipity: Bensadoun acknowledges the role of serendipity in his career path, from a university marketing project for a shoe chain to being offered a job that tripled his salary to solve a packaging problem at a shoe company.[1][7]
- Inherited Passion: As the son of a shoe merchant and grandson of a cobbler, he was armed with "passion and a deep-rooted understanding of the shoe business."[2]
- Starting Small: The ALDO empire began in 1972 as a footwear concession within a Le Château fashion boutique in Montreal.[4][8]
On Business Philosophy and Strategy
- Focus on Your Customer: "A brand cannot be everything to everybody. You have to focus on a certain kind of customers."[6]
- Know Your Niche: For ALDO, the focus is on "style seekers, the type of people who play or put a huge emphasis on the way they look."[6]
- The Importance of Timing: "Timing... plays an important role as we always try to offer major fashion trends where the customer needs it, when they need it."[6]
- Vertical Integration is Key: ALDO's vertically integrated model allows the company to quickly turn around designs and eliminates middlemen in distribution and manufacturing.[1]
- Evolve with the People: "A brand cannot live by itself. The brand has to evolve with the people and be faithful to its customers."[6]
- Constant Reinvention: "We are constantly evolving and re-inventing—nobody is quicker at adjusting shoe styles and retail."[6]
- Global Competence: To serve a global market, a brand must offer "a different product with fantastic value to the customers."[6]
- Build on Founding Traditions: "Successful companies build on their founding culture and traditions while looking ahead to the future."[7]
- Principled Decision Making: There have been moments in his career where he walked away from financially sound deals because "there's something about the deal that doesn't feel right to him."[9]
- Gutsy, Value-Based Choices: He once made a "gutsy decision that that is as much principal-based as it is business based" when he felt a partner had led him in the wrong direction.[9]
On Corporate Culture and Values
- Three Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Love: The company is driven by three core values: Respect (valuing diversity and equality), Integrity (a commitment to excellence), and Love (caring passionately).[6]
- People are the Biggest Asset: "There is no doubt that the main reason we are successful today is our people—they are the biggest asset we have."[6]
- A People-First Approach: From the beginning, Bensadoun has focused on ensuring every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential.[7]
- Human Development as a Priority: The ALDO Group is an industry leader in employee recognition and incentive programs.[7][10]
- A Universal Language of Values: "Here you have people from around the world working with us, of different colours of skin and religions, of different languages, but we all are using the same language as far as values are concerned."[1]
- Leading with Passion and Creativity: Those who have worked with him describe his management style as one of passion, love, respect, and integrity.[11]
- Fostering a Collaborative Environment: He is seen as a "bee who brings ideas from one team to another."[11]
- Be a Capitalist and a Fair Person: This was a key part of his business model from the start.[9]
- Creating Opportunity to Change How Companies Work: "By creating a company, it gave me the opportunity to change, if you will, the way in which companies generally worked."[11]
- Success is Tied to Values: He believes that "prosperous, successful businesses are those that stay centred on their values."[10]
On Entrepreneurship and Leadership
- An Entrepreneur's Daily Motto: "Do what you really like, enjoy what you do and always stick to your last."[6]
- On Hiring the Right People: "Always look for intelligence, hard work, creativity, good human values — those are essential. Pick the person who really has the desire to succeed.”[12]
- Inspiration is Everywhere: "I am a strong believer that inspiration comes from all kinds of resources such as history, political movement, economic events that are happening around the world, what people are wearing on the streets, movies, poetry."[6]
- Great Entrepreneurs Recover from Mistakes: Acknowledging he has made many mistakes, he embodies the idea that "great entrepreneurs can make mistakes and recover from them."[9]
- The Role of Luck and Chutzpah: He acknowledges that "luck play a big role" and that key moments in his career required "chutzpah."[9]
- Learn from Family: "I learned hard work from my parents... I learned discipline from my parents, I learned resilience, I learned to not show off, I learned to share and I learned philanthropy from my parents.”[1]
- Stay Actively Involved: Even in his later years, Bensadoun has remained actively involved in the day-to-day operations and strategic growth of the company.[10]
- The Courage to Go It Alone: A pivotal moment in his career was the decision to leave his former employer and start his own business.[9]
- The First Freestanding Store: In 1978, he opened the first freestanding ALDO store in Montreal, ending the practice of leased departments.[4]
- No Regrets: "I don't have regrets. I mean to be honest. No I don't have regret. I mean I certainly make a lot of mistake... but I tried to correct it."[9]
On Philanthropy and Giving Back
- Giving Back is Second Nature: "Whether in education, social welfare, medicine or the arts, the act of giving back has always been second nature."[7][13]
- Corporate Social Responsibility as a Core Element: Long before it was a buzzword, he was "determined to make corporate social responsibility and citizenship a core element of his business."[13]
- A Forerunner in Charitable Causes: The ALDO Group was one of the first companies to support the fight against AIDS in 1985, a time when the disease was still taboo.[7][10]
- Enriching Communities: A key part of his business philosophy is "placing a premium on working to enrich the communities in which we live and work."[7]
- Every Citizen Can Have an Effect: "I believe every single citizen can have an effect on the community where they live and on the world in general."[1]
- The Purpose is to Make the World Better: Referencing the Jewish concept of "Tikkun Olam" (repairing the world), he sees the purpose of his work as making the world a better place.[9]
- Investing in Future Generations: He made a landmark $25 million gift to McGill University to establish the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.[14]
- Training a New Generation of Leaders: His goal for the school is to "raise up a new generation of industry leaders who are equipped to balance successful innovation with genuine care for their communities."[14]
- A Proud Canadian: As a citizen for whom it was not a birthright, he is "grateful for the opportunities made possible by this country."[7]
- A Legacy of Kindness: His son describes his father's life lesson as "be kind," not just for business, but for life.[11]
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