Oct 7, 2019

Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Ed Stack on taking a stand

Ed Stack, CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods Tom Cwenar/Courtesy Dick's Sporting Goods

In his new book, the CEO talks about taking over the family business and when he knew it was time for the company to take a stance on gun violence.

When Ed Stack took over the family business, it was only two stores in Binghamton, New York. Over three decades later, Dick’s Sporting Goods boasts over 700 stores, making it one of the biggest sports gear retailers in the country.

In his new book, “It’s How We Play the Game: Build a Business. Take a Stand. Make a Difference,” Stack describes taking the business over from his father and why the company has taken a public stance on firearms, cutting down on gun sales following the Parkland, Florida, shooting. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

“The majority of the leadership seems to be coming out of the private sector,” Stack told Kai Ryssdal in this installment of the “Corner Office” podcast. “I’m not sure that’s the way it should be, but that’s the way it is.”