Embracing a vision with a healthy dose of stubbornness and a side of empowerment, Sean Kaplan is described by his staff as a titan because he is able to articulate. “Throughout his career, Sean has consistently seen challenges and opportunities, and he has been able to motivate those that he’s led to achieve more than what they thought they could individually or collectively achieve,” they said. “By empowering and challenging others, Sean has created cultures where his teammates have been able to experiment, to fail, to learn, to improve and to ultimately succeed.”
Kaplan was hired to lead Action Plumbing by Helios Service Partners, Action Plumbing’s parent company. Action Plumbing is the premier commercial plumbing company that provides a full suite of plumbing services in addition to peripheral services to provide customers with a full-service and one-stop solution for their plumbing needs.
It was Kaplan’s approach to leadership that prompted the hire. To Kaplan, leadership means being genuine. “When you aren’t authentic, you are unable to build trust and it’s impossible to be a good leader when you’re not trusted,” he said. “To succeed, we need to work together and not against one another, and to do so, we accept and refrain from judging one another.”
According to his staff, Kaplan is known for asking hundreds of questions. “He has made a career of asking why, not to annoy but to challenge the status quo, to break through bias and to leave no rock unturned,” they said. “This approach to problem-solving has consistently been embraced by those Sean has worked with, resulting in a multiplier effect that is unparalleled.”
Kaplan said his proudest accomplishment has been the success of those he has mentored and led. “My sole focus as a leader is to help others outperform their own expectations,” he said.
As a leader, he has relied on empathy, collaboration and flexibility. “In post-COVID-19, the requirements of our workforce have changed dramatically,” said Kaplan. “There is a renewed – and much needed – focus on self-care and self-interest which leaders must carefully balance against the needs of their firm, customers and shareholders.”
Kaplan also said taking risks is also important. “Through my career, I’ve made several dramatic professional turns – engineer to investment banker, vice president of finance to people leader, and most recently, the stability of a large multi-billion organization to a fluid startup,” he said. “Each of these decisions, risks and sacrifices were done based on an evolving set of personal and professional goals.”
