April 2018: On Location

Go behind the scenes of “BBVA Compass Presents Leaders & Legends,” a regal portrait series featuring Jim Allison, Lauren Anderson, Ben Berg, Jonathan Brinsden, Tilman Fertitta, Janet Gurwitch, Gerald Hines, Tiffany Masterson, Patricia Oliver, Padmanee Sharma, Phoebe Tudor, Tony Vallone, Connor Walsh and Lynn Wyatt! Special thanks to Hotel Graduca, Lamborghini Houston and CultureMap for your support.

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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You’ve eaten at Nancy’s Hustle, Tiny Champions, Better Luck Tomorrow, Milton’s and Lee’s Den. Now, you can explore the private warehouse of the design firm that created those spaces!

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UPON ARRIVAL AT Maroma resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, a beautifully dressed attendant, briefcase and tablet in hand, ushers guests to their respective rooms. “Here’s your welcome amenity,” she says, gesturing to ceramic vessels on the coffee table with one hand as she completes the check-in process with the other. “It is tequila.”

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