UPS

From the #1 draft pick to working with Obama, Chicagoan LaRue Martin’s 33 year career outside the NBA had a plot twist that lead him to success . LaRue Martin played for Loyola University and was the number one pick in the NBA Draft in 1972. He had a brief stint in the NBA before an inspiring second career in the corporate world.

Born a Triplet, He Was Always Part of a Team. That’s Why UPS Was a Perfect Fit John Coliton wasn’t thinking of a career when a UPS recruiter visited Henry Ford College in 1984 - he just needed a job. He showed up in a suit – and was still wearing it when the recruiter sent him to the hub that night. “They wanted me to work that night,” he said. “I changed into work clothes and came back and started loading trucks. It’s been a great career ever since.” Coliton worked his way up from package loader to driver to UPS’s Detroit operations; to HR Director in Virginia, Chicago and San Francisco. He’s retiring as Global Director of HR Compliance and Employee Relations, responsible for 528,000 employees around the world. “It’s fulfilling,” he said. “People come to you with issues and you help resolve them. It feels amazing that UPS has the faith in me to put the right policies in place.” Coliton was born in Detroit in '64 as a triplet, with a sister two years older. He and wife have four grown children. “I’ve always had a team around me,” he said. “I think that’s why UPS was the perfect fit.