DALLAS, TX — At 31, City Electric Supply (CES) Chief Marketing Officer Thomas McShane is celebrating 15 years with the company. From starting the CES marketing department to bringing the largest conference in the industry to the organization, McShane credits his accomplishments to the team that has helped bring every idea to life.

"My success is thanks to those who I've surrounded myself with. Those individuals are key to everything that we've achieved as a team and as a company. None of it would have happened without those individuals," McShane said. "We've won over 100 global marketing awards as a department and as a team. Not one of those awards was won by one specific individual. Collaboration, for me, is integral to what we do. It creates stronger products and a stronger creative process that allows us to grow and improve as employees and as a department. Collaboration is everything."

Prior to landing the role of CMO in 2017, McShane kicked off his career crushing boxes in the manufacturing facility at TAMCO Group, the in-house brand of City Electric Supply, at the age of 16. At 19, he pitched an idea about social media and marketing to CES President & CEO Thomas Hartland-Mackie. McShane was asked to conduct some research and share the results with him in six weeks. He then presented his findings at a VP meeting.

"They were like celebrities and they were intimidating, though not purposely. But it was awkward because you don't want to say something that makes you look foolish," McShane said. "I thought I would get laughed at, but they were all on board. One of the VPs approached me on the way out and said, 'Congrats, looks like you got yourself a new job.' I imagined that after fleshing out the proof of concept they would hire someone to manage that department, I never imagined it would be me."

McShane immediately got to work. In 2010, at the age of 20, he started the marketing department at CES in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with only three employees: one Designer, a Copywriter, and himself. In 2013, at the age of 23, he was asked to rebuild the team at the new CES headquarters in Dallas, Texas. McShane accepted the challenge, and by 2017, McShane was asked to take on the position of Chief Marketing Officer of CES.

As CMO, McShane has had the opportunity to help others grow with him. After originally starting with just seven team members over a decade ago, the marketing department has grown to more than 40 employees today.

"I love seeing team members grow with the company. I consider that a luxury," McShane said. "Growing up, I always saw the impact my dad had on people's lives and how he encouraged everyone to grow. So, that's always been my goal."

CES Creative Director Juan Villalba joined McShane's team over 10 years ago. From Port St. Lucie, Florida, to Dallas, Texas, Villalba says McShane has helped create a special community where people can work together for a common cause and shine even in the toughest of circumstances.

"The office and peers are an extension of home for many," Villalba said. "We have built an extraordinary culture in the workplace. A place where everyone has a voice and is empowered to write their own future within the organization. None of this would be possible without Thomas's support, imagination, nor his drive and devotion to the company and to its people. His spirit inspires a community. It has been a pleasure and an honor working alongside Thomas over the years."

CES Senior Marketing Manager Leigh Ann Moltz, who considers McShane a true friend and mentor, said she will never forget the day she interviewed with McShane six years ago.

"It was a pivotal moment in my life," Moltz said. "Thomas never asks someone to do work he wouldn't be willing to do himself. He goes out of his way to create an opportunity for his people, and I've learned so much under his guidance. He has a way of building teams that just work exceptionally well together. It is exciting to look back at where the department started knowing I entered in the early stages of its growth and see how much we've accomplished. From 11 o'clock nights to big projects to enormous conferences and restructures — the sky's the limit."

Some of McShane's accomplishments include organizing the first-ever City Electric Supply conference, the North American Managers' Conference in 2014. Today, it has turned into the company's bi-annual conference, which is the largest in the industry. He also started the new team member orientation in 2019, which gives more than 3,000 CES branch employees across the U.S. the opportunity to visit the company's headquarters in Dallas, Texas. This day-and-a-half event is hosted by McShane and other C-Suite executives, including CEO Thomas Hartland-Mackie, Co-COO Andrew Dawes, Co-COO John Gray, Global CFO Phil Flaherty, and CTO Rob Hodgson. Employees not only get to learn about the company's history, but they are able to ask questions to the leadership team and learn about all of the opportunities available within CES.

"The importance of what that means to new employees coming on board is truly incredible. The ability for us to tell that story of who we are as an organization, the company culture, the history of CES," McShane said. "And now, taking that to the next level through a mobile application as well, where individuals have access to that content at their fingertips at any point throughout the employee's career, I believe is a significant brand advancement that we've made throughout the past 24 months."

The most recent idea McShane was responsible for is the development of a propriety technology platform that enables CES to engage with its over 600 branches throughout the U.S. and Canada with on-demand video content through a back-of-house solution. It is designed to connect and empower branch members with new product information, monthly sales promotions, and special campaigns that enable branches to maximize customer service and sales performance.

"The current solution is the old traditional game of telephone, and before you know it, the message that gets passed along is something totally different," McShane said. "It just evolves, or someone doesn't fully understand it, so our ability to modernize that form of communication is something that's truly unique. And knowing that we've built that entirely proprietary has been exciting."

With more than 100 global marketing awards under his belt, McShane will continue to say, "it takes a great team."

"Anything that comes out of the marketing department is something that was built and nurtured by many different people," he said. "So, I attribute the success to the incredible team around me. I watch them work, and I am truly inspired."

As for advice to those seeking a career in the business world, McShane said to remember that the user experience is not defined by the industry that you are in, but by the customer's expectation.

"If a contractor is on his iPhone, and he's using an application to purchase a product for himself at home, he expects that same level of ease, that same level of user experience when he's purchasing products for work, when he's working through stuff for the job site, and other services," McShane said. "All those expectations — it doesn't matter what industry, what products you sell — the bar is set at the same level across the board. Therefore, we have to continue to innovate."