Robert S. (Rob) Apatoff is the Senior Advisor on US Corporate Partnerships to Listen Communications. Rob is the Executive Director of the Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute (KELI) and a Clinical Professor of Executive Education at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Rob is also a Senior Advisor for the Texas Pacific Group (TPG).
Rob has more than 30 years of experience in executive management, strategy, ecommerce and consumer marketing, with a record of consistently and successfully leading companies through tough, competitive markets. He has leadership experience in diverse industries that include consumer packaged goods, beverage, athletic shoes & apparel, healthcare, personal lines insurance, retail, as well as floral and gifting.
Rob spent more than eight years as President and CEO of FTD Companies worldwide, before retiring at the end of 2016. At FTD, he engineered the 2014 acquisition of Provide Commerce from Liberty Interactive, creating the preeminent global floral and gifting company. The acquisition doubled company revenue while continuing to grow FTD's industry-leading profitability.
Prior to FTD, Rob served as President and CEO of Rand McNally & Company (RM&C), after being recruited by private equity leader, Leonard Green and Partners. He led a turn-around and subsequent sale, by modernizing the RM&C product portfolio and growing the company through new digital, mass merchant and education initiatives.
Rob has been an innovative leader in executive marketing roles at: Anheuser-Busch, Reebok, Aetna, and as the first CMO at Allstate, during key inflection points in these companies histories.
Rob has served on several public and private Boards including FTD Companies, Rand McNally, Inc., Club Champion and Intercontinental Art. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), the Board of Visitors for DePauw University and is a member of the Chicago Commercial Club and Chicago Economic Club.