Yumi Clevenger-Lee: Transforming Business and Inspiring Leaders

How does a leader transform a brand into a billion-dollar powerhouse while inspiring teams to surpass even their own expectations, and in doing so, lay the groundwork for generations of future leaders? For the past twenty years, Yumi Clevenger-Lee has delivered exponential growth while making it her mission to empower others. Her greatest impact is seen not only in remarkable business outcomes, but also in the culture of bold leadership and mentorship she leaves behind. She proves that driving organizational success and fostering a legacy of empowered leaders go hand in hand.

If you think leadership is about knowing all the answers, Yumi’s story will prompt you to rethink. At the heart of her journey is a guiding question: How can you drive outstanding business results while also shaping the next generation of leaders? Yumi proves that real achievement is not just measured by personal or organizational milestones, but by the enduring legacy you create: empowering others, fostering a culture of growth and inclusivity, and ensuring your success enables the success of those who follow. This dynamic balance between business performance and leadership development is central to her impact and philosophy, and it is the thread that ties her story together.

In her current role as Chief Strategy Officer and CMO at Quest Global, she leads on a global scale, translating lessons from her earlier career in consumer-packaged goods to the complex, fast-moving B2B engineering sector. Her journey offers a powerful, actionable blueprint that leaders at any stage can adapt to their own paths.

Career Highlights: Driving Measurable Business Impact

Her early career is marked by a succession of brand turnarounds: At General Mills, she drove record sales of $400 million for Green Giant Vegetables, alongside a four-year high in profit margins. At San Pellegrino, she and her team drove 30% growth with the launch of Essenza, a new product that expanded the brand’s relevance. With Perrier, she reversed a five-year decline to deliver 22% growth through a strategic brand repositioning in the U.S. market. By retooling the marketing department at Nestlé Waters, she equipped her team to drive 25% growth on premium brands and delivered more than $200 million in revenue long after her direct involvement.

When Yumi noticed that her learning in B2C had begun to plateau, she chose to step out of her comfort zone and ventured into B2B services and engineering, embracing new challenges and opportunities for growth. She sought B2B opportunities in new global markets such as India and Asia, where her playbook was unwritten, immersing herself beyond the familiar marketing world she had mastered. “Strategy is about seeing the bigger picture and stepping outside your expertise to truly understand people, markets, and opportunities from every angle,” she explains. For Yumi, curiosity is not just a mindset. It is a competitive advantage that she instils in her team that drives innovation, opens new revenue streams, and positions organizations to lead in evolving markets.

At Quest Global, a global engineering services company, she found a perfect opportunity to apply her well-developed skills in an entirely new territory. By clearly articulating a value proposition and aligning marketing closely with business development, Yumi helped the organization establish its brand in a competitive industry, sustaining double-digit growth and elevating it to a $1 billion brand operating across 18 countries. Under her leadership, marketing evolved from a support function into a strategic growth engine for the business.

Behind her impressive achievements lies a leadership philosophy that is all about bringing people along on the journey, empowering them through a mix of grit, care, and a commitment to their growth.

Actionable Insights for Leaders at All Stages

Yumi’s philosophy centers on the conviction that the most lasting business success comes from developing people as intentionally as you pursue results. She measures achievement not just by reaching ambitious targets, but by building a legacy of empowered, capable leaders ready to shape what comes next. For Yumi, every milestone is an opportunity to coach, mentor, and elevate her teams, ensuring that growth is both sustainable and shared. The act of driving business performance is inseparable from the work of nurturing future leaders; these pursuits, when woven together, multiply impact far beyond a single quarter or career. For leaders seeking to leave their own mark, Yumi offers practical strategies rooted in her own journey, each one showing how you can achieve exceptional results while lifting others to become the next generation of changemakers.

1. Embrace Ambiguity with Curiosity

Step forward for projects without predefined outcomes, and normalize not having all the answers. When Yumi transitioned from B2C to global B2B markets, she entered spaces where she wasn’t the expert. Faced with an executive role where she could predict the three-year roadmap with probably 80% accuracy, Yumi instead chose to jump into engineering, an unfamiliar field. This calculated risk required her to be deeply curious, open to new information, and willing to unlearn some of her business assumptions. The bold move not only broadened her leadership skills but also led to rapid business growth.

“Real progress happens when we step outside our comfort zones. Say yes to challenges, even if you don’t feel ready. That’s where you’ll discover your true potential.”

2. Foster Trust Through Honesty

Model transparency by sharing both wins and setbacks openly. Create a routine for candid team check-ins and invite difficult conversations. Early in Yumi’s career, she led a product launch that ultimately failed, not for lack of vision, but because she was hesitant to voice concerns in a culture that prioritized consensus over candor. Confronting that setback, she realized the price of silence. She now fosters psychological safety on her teams, leading to higher engagement and more robust problem-solving.

“Silence is one of the biggest risks in any organization. Trust grows when leaders invite the truth, and when there is trust, you get better outcomes.”

3. Empower Your People

Delegate authority genuinely. Give team members ownership over strategic projects and publicly recognize their achievements. At General Mills, Yumi’s approach to giving her team autonomy resulted in record sales for the Green Giant brand. With ownership, people brought their passion and renewed creativity for solving hard problems which ultimately leads to higher business performance.  Although leaders can feel threatened when their teams operate independently, shifting from directing to coaching cultivates the next generation of talent and liberates leaders to pursue more complex, impactful opportunities. This allows leaders to focus on strategic innovation and long-term planning, elevating both the team and themselves to achieve greater organizational value.

“My job is to unlock the potential in others. When people feel ownership, they bring passion and creativity that cannot be mandated.”

4. Anchor Innovation in Purpose

Regularly connect team goals to the larger mission. Share customer stories or community impact to remind teams why their work matters. At Quest Global, Yumi linked technical engineering projects back to their role in improving people’s lives, from safer aircraft to sustainable energy, instilling pride and resilience across teams.

“Purpose gives meaning to every innovation. When we connect our work to something bigger than ourselves, we find fulfilment and create solutions that truly make a difference.”

5. Lift Others Up

Mentor upcoming leaders and celebrate the wins of your colleagues more than your own. Encourage development plans for high-potential team members and support them to lead initiatives that force them out of their comfort zones. Yumi’s proudest moments are seeing team members step confidently into new leadership roles, knowing she helped create the environment for their growth.

“Success isn’t measured by your title, but by how you help others rise. Our greatest legacy is the growth we inspire, creating waves of confidence and possibility that last far beyond individual achievements.”

These lessons are not just reflections of her journey but also a guide for leaders seeking to drive business success and create a lasting legacy of empowerment and purpose.

Conclusion

By combining a bold strategic vision with a deep commitment to empowering her teams, Yumi Clevenger-Lee redefines what it means to succeed. Her journey makes one thing completely clear. The most effective leaders do not just build highly profitable companies. They build incredibly capable people.

As you finish reading her story, take a moment to examine your own path. What bold questions are you willing to ask? Where can you listen more deeply, or lead with greater heart? No matter where you are in your career, Yumi’s unique blend of strategy, empathy, and purpose provides a clear blueprint for transformative leadership. Challenge yourself to lean into curiosity, embrace vulnerability, and unlock the leader within, because the next chapter of growth starts with you.

“My greatest hope is that the lessons I have learned along my own leadership journey can serve as encouragement for the next generation of business leaders. You do not need a perfect plan to make an impact. You just need the courage to start.”