Featured in Fortune Magazine: BDB Chairman J. Michael Prince Shares the Story Behind a $2.7 Billion Global Brand
Fortune magazine has published a three-part feature series on J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global (U.S. Polo Assn.) and Chairman of the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches’ Board of Directors. The series is a rare, unfiltered look at how one of Palm Beach County’s most influential leaders built a brand that now spans 190 countries, 1,200 retail stores, a $2.7 billion global heritage brand, and an annual polo event at Windsor Castle co-hosted with Prince William, the future King of England.
For anyone tracking the caliber of leadership guiding Palm Beach County’s economic direction, the Fortune magazine series is essential reading — and a reminder that the county’s business trajectory is being shaped by executives operating at the highest levels of global commerce.
A Story That Starts in Rural Oklahoma
As Fortune details, he grew up in southeastern Oklahoma — one of the persistently deprived regions of the United States, where nearly one in four residents in some counties live below the poverty line. He earned his undergraduate degree, later added a Duke MBA, and used public accounting — a profession most of his peers overlooked — as his entry into corporate leadership. From there, Fortune traces a career that included the CFO seat at Nike Affiliates overseeing a $4 billion portfolio of Converse, Cole Haan, Hurley, and Umbro. He later joined U.S. Polo Assn. as COO in 2017 and was promoted to CEO just eight months later.
The full origin story can be read here >
How He Earned One of His Most Consequential Promotions
The second installment of the Fortune series reveals how back in 2005, when told he was not selected for the Converse CFO role, his response was to outwork every candidate the company was considering. Ninety-hour weeks. All-nighters. A quiet commitment to prove them wrong. He earned the role — and that same discipline followed him from Nike to Guess to U.S. Polo Assn., where he now runs one of the world’s most recognized heritage sportswear brands from its global headquarters in West Palm Beach. His advice to the next generation of ambitious professionals, captured in the Fortune feature, is straight-line: take on the challenge, do it with a smile, deliver excellence, and pounce when opportunity appears.
The full article can be read here >
The Boundaries That Come After the Grind
The third Fortune article takes a different turn. Now running a $2.7 billion global brand, he has become deliberate about the boundaries as a leading CEO. He is out of the office by 5:30 p.m. and values family time after hours, prioritizing that on long weekends. As he told Fortune, he lost “some years on the front end” to the habits that got him to the top. He wants the professionals he leads to build careers designed to last decades — not seasons. It is a philosophy that has quietly influenced how he leads on multiple boards, including as Chairman of the Business Development Board.
The full article can be read here >
What This Means for Palm Beach County
Leadership caliber matters. It shapes the standards, discipline, and long-term thinking that direct an entire regional economy. As Chairman of the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches, J. Michael Prince is guiding the strategy that has attracted nearly 12,000 new careers for local residents from the expansion or relocation of 135 companies over the past five years – generating more than $1 billion in capital investment to the local economy.
His global vantage point — running a brand across 190 countries — informs how the Business Development Board approaches business recruitment, retention and expansion, workforce strategy, and the positioning of Palm Beach County as a strong business location. His board leadership sets a tone that reflects the discipline behind his own career: work hard, act with integrity, and stay focused on long-term outcomes.
For residents, that means a local economy being shaped by someone accustomed to operating at the highest tier of global business with a local corporate headquarters. For companies considering Palm Beach County, it means one of the most influential business voices in the region is actively championing economic opportunity in the Palm Beaches.
Read all three Fortune features to see the full picture of how J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global (U.S. Polo Assn.) became one of the most consequential business leaders now guiding Palm Beach County’s economic future.
