TOM SESTI:
President of Bandals International Inc. in Rochester Hills. Bandals are sandals with interchangeable bands. Sesti has more than 10 years of experience in footwear and outdoor and sporting goods marketing and management. He is responsible for day-to-day management of the company along with sales and operations. Launched in 2009, Bandals was just starting out in business when the economy stagnated. Sesti then expanded Bandals sales overseas, and grew the product line to include Boot Hugs, bracelets added to boots, for year-round sales. As a result, revenue increased by 250 percent and profits tripled in 2011. Bandals has received seed capital from Hennessey Capital and TechTown's microloan fund First Step Fund. Previously, Sesti managed multiple brands and had overall profit-and-loss responsibility for the retail business unit at Excelda Manufacturing. He launched his career as a founding partner of what is now the Regal Financial Group, a multi-service financial firm based in Grand Rapids, an
Inc. 5000 company. Sesti received his bachelor's degree in economics and management from Albion College and his master's degree in management and marketing from Aquinas College.
