Red Thread promotes Jason Chapman to Senior VP. With 8 years of strategic leadership, he’ll oversee growth in our furniture and architectural products divisions across Connecticut.
We’re thrilled to announce the promotion of Jason Chapman to Senior Vice President. For the past eight years, Jason’s strategic guidance has been instrumental in propelling our ongoing success with remarkable speed.
In his new role, he’ll keep driving growth and oversee our furniture and architectural products divisions across three Connecticut offices, catering to corporate, higher education, and healthcare sectors. We had an opportunity to talk about what his new job involves and what it means for Red Thread.
What type of leader do you aspire to be?
Jason Chapman: I aspire to be a leader who resonates with the next generation. Our industry is facing a significant transition in the next five years as experienced veterans move on to the next stages of their lives. This means I need to build a strong team now and understand what matters to them. Leadership expectations have changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Beyond delivering results and performance, I want to lead with transparency, empathy, passion, and by example, while mentoring younger team members to take on significant responsibilities. Building relationships and becoming someone your client feels comfortable with is crucial. Having the right products and support system is essential—and I am spoiled having both at Red Thread.
We are at the forefront of our industry in leveraging data to understand and manage our business. Equally important is the collaboration and input of myself and our other sales leaders in interpreting the data and sharing our own experience with customers when making major decisions. It is important to me that I have a chance to understand the data and lead with my gut.
Additionally, I aim to unify our three groups (architectural products, furniture, technology) in a more cohesive manner. When customers want to engage with us to explore ideas, concepts, applications, and solutions, our strategy allows us to choose the right elements individually, but also ensure that when integrated they work perfectly together. We are the market leader in Connecticut for these separately operated business segments. By working with our customers in a more holistic integrated approach, I will aspire to reach our untapped potential for growth.
How has the industry changed over the years, and how have you adapted to those changes?
Jason Chapman: One major change I’ve observed over my eight years at Red Thread is the composition of our overall business. We’ve always been fortunate in Connecticut to have a diverse customer base across sectors such as corporate, higher education, healthcare, architectural products, and K-12. However, the way these sectors view their spaces today is quite different from the past.
We’ve needed to adapt to fast-paced change like never before. In the past, we relied on larger customers who planned centrally but executed regionally or nationally, following a more defined standard process. With the shift to hybrid work, our focus has had to become more flexible and agile. This new environment requires us to be quick and adaptable to meet our clients’ evolving needs.
Most clients now use less space overall due to hybrid working models but are investing more per person or per square foot. We assist them in creating spaces that are not only beautifully designed but also support productivity, helping attract and retain employees. Each client has unique values and goals, so we’ve adapted our approach and solutions to meet the specific needs of each vertical and their unique culture.
What part will collaboration play with other senior leadership in your new role?
Jason Chapman: You know, nothing can ever truly prepare you for a bigger role completely. The mentorship I’ve received from senior leaders at Red Thread has been invaluable, and their support has allowed me to develop my own leadership style within our entrepreneurial-minded organization. Building on our strong collaboration, I will focus to unify our efforts across all locations, to foster transparency and teamwork, learning from each region’s experiences and tackling challenges collectively. This ongoing communication and partnership with leaders will be key to our success.
How do you approach building customer relationships?
Jason Chapman: At the end of the day, I have a motto when it comes to sales: regardless of whether you’re selling furniture, architectural products, technology, bicycles, office supplies, cars, beauty products, or anything else, we are all social beings. I believe that people like to buy from people. Building relationships and becoming someone your client feels comfortable with is crucial. Having the right product and support system is essential—and I might be spoiled in this regard with Red Thread—but leveraging your people skills is the most straightforward and effective strategy to grow your top and bottom line.
This approach is particularly important because each customer has unique requirements. Some want us to simply act as a competitive purchasing agent to fill their space, while others seek to engage with us to explore ideas, concepts, applications, research, and solutions. Ultimately, I believe our customers want to buy from people they like who possess the right skill set.
How important is community involvement to you?
Jason Chapman: Community has and will continue to play a significant part in shaping my role and how I connect with individuals in our industry. CoreNet has had the biggest impact on me since I joined over eight years ago. Its focus on education and learning within corporate real estate aligns perfectly with Red Thread’s mission. I’ve learned a great deal and forged meaningful relationships, even with competitors, through CoreNet. Currently, I serve as Co-Chair of the Programs Committee and on the Board of Directors. My philosophy at CoreNet mirrors my approach to mentoring new employees at Red Thread: helping the team benefits the greater good. I truly believe CoreNet is the top organization in our industry and local community.
I also believe strongly that Red Thread and our employees must continually engage with the communities we work in every day. This includes sponsoring charitable organizations like the Fairfield/Westchester County March of Dimes, as well as dedicating time and effort. Recently, we supported Paier College students in a furniture-focused interior design class. We also engaged with Fairfield University Bellarmine Campus, sharing our career journeys, and conducting mock interviews. These efforts were genuine and impactful, reflecting our commitment as a corporate citizen and as good citizens. We’ve even formed an internal group called Club Red (a play on Club Med) to focus on employee appreciation and community-driven events. This engagement is crucial not only to our clients but also to Red Thread as an organization.
