U.S. Polo Assn. CEO credits accounting for path to $2.7 billion brand

U.S. Polo Assn. CEO J. Michael Prince told Fortune that an accounting career gave him the opening he needed to enter senior roles in fashion and retail. His path now runs from southeastern Oklahoma, one of the poorer parts of the U.S., to a Palm Beach-based brand that Fortune said generates $2.7 billion globally.

Prince told Fortune he grew up in southeastern Oklahoma and saw public accounting as his best shot at a serious business career after attending a smaller university. Fortune reported that nearly 600,000 Oklahoma residents, or 14%, live in poverty, and that some counties in southeastern Oklahoma have poverty rates near one in four residents.

Prince earned a degree from East Central University and later received an MBA from Duke, according to Fortune. He said accounting was not his passion, but it gave him access to companies and jobs that would have been harder to reach from his background.

From accounting to retail leadership

Prince became chief financial officer of Nike Affiliates, where Fortune said he oversaw a $4 billion portfolio that included Converse, Cole Haan, Hurley and Umbro. He later became chief operating officer at Guess before joining U.S. Polo Assn. as COO in 2017.

Eight months after arriving at U.S. Polo Assn., Prince was promoted to lead the company, Fortune reported. The brand now operates in 190 countries, has 1,200 retail stores and counts 15 million social media followers, according to the magazine.

Prince told Fortune that his career gains came from more than credentials. He pointed to work ethic, respect for other people and a habit of finding common ground as qualities that helped him stand out in companies where some colleagues were more negative or combative.

He also told Fortune that people get only a limited number of major personal and professional openings. His advice was to recognize those chances early and make the most of them before they pass.

Prince William connection

Prince’s current role also includes a prominent link to the sport behind the apparel brand. Fortune reported that each July he is at Windsor Castle, co-hosting a charity polo event alongside Prince William, the Prince of Wales.

U.S. Polo Assn. has sponsored the event for years and is the second-longest-running sponsor on its roster, according to Fortune. Prince told the magazine that working with Prince William has shaped how he thinks about professionalism and personal attention.

Prince described the royal as sincere and thoughtful, saying he engages with Prince’s family and business partners despite carrying major public responsibilities. Fortune reported that Prince sees that ability to connect with individuals as a lesson for his own leadership.

Fortune also linked Prince’s views on attitude to comments from other executives, including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who has said that a large share of early-career success depends on attitude. For Prince, the lesson from accounting, retail and polo is more direct: preparation matters, but demeanor can decide whether the next door opens.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.