Mitch Freed never intended to enter the family business.

After getting his MBA from Northwestern University, he worked as a management and strategy consultant in Toronto. But then a couple years ago, his father – Mark Freed, president and CEO of Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588) – talked about a succession plan. Mitch’s future became crystal clear.

“My best contribution to the company culture is having the experience to tailor to the millennial audience,” says Freed, the firm’s executive vice president of sales & strategy. “I’m a millennial, so I think and work a little differently than what the status quo at Genumark originally was.”

Since joining the company in 2017, Freed’s influence can be felt in the sales force’s fresh appreciation for technological integration, as well as the company’s new website. “The hardest thing, probably for any business, is implementing change – especially in an organization that has been successful for so many years,” he says.

In addition, Freed has been influential in the recruiting process, pushing for more young, intelligent and driven people like himself to add to the experienced team.

“I enjoy watching people that I work with grow and develop into experienced and sophisticated merchandising professionals,” Freed says. “There have been some watershed moments for people where I can confidently reflect and tell myself that I’ve had a small impact on that person’s growth.”