Ethan Casson, CEO, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, on “grit” and “points of differentiation”

Off the Record

A basketball player starting in childhood, Ethan Casson, CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx recalled, “There was a grit, (to) outwork everybody, no matter what the circumstances, component to it,” in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. That drive shapes his approach to work today.
When interviewing young job candidates, Casson said to hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, he looks for “points of differentiation. Why do I feel differently about this person that I just spoke with?” That type of distinction is what Casson was determined to establish while cold-calling and faxing resumes to potential employers after college graduation. Casson’s “grit” and “points of differentiation” eventually led to his first job, in corporate sales, with the Timberwolves.
Once there, Casson’s endeavored to “do my job that I've been hired to do at a high level because nobody wants somebody that’s coming in that’s already like, ‘What’s next for me?’”
Listen to the latest episode to hear more about Casson’s career and outlook as a sports executive, including:
•Growing up as an “ultracompetitive” twin in Milford, Connecticut.
•The life lesson about work Casson’s parents instilled in him.
•The “master’s degree” in being a sports executive earned during his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.
•His return to the Minnesota Timberwolves organization.
Leaders like Casson understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.