2026 FDU Forward Transformational Honoree Mike Winters, BS‘13

In this role, he leads a team of more than 200 professionals responsible for generating the leads and estimates that fuel the company’s sales engine. Mike focuses on building high-performing teams, strengthening lead generation strategies, and ensuring the sales department has the pipeline necessary to support continued growth.

Mike began his career in the home remodeling industry in 2014, where he developed a strong foundation in field marketing, cold calling, and lead generation. His first leadership opportunity came in 2015 managing a small team of six people, an experience that sparked his passion for developing others and building scalable systems. In 2019, he stepped into a leadership role at Victory overseeing the SDR department, where he learned how to lead and grow a larger team of roughly twelve representatives.

One of Mike’s major milestones was launching an outbound cold-calling operation that ultimately generated approximately $7 million in revenue for the company. That experience gave him a new perspective on building and operating a business unit and reinforced his belief in the power of disciplined lead generation and strong team culture.

Over the past several years, Mike’s leadership has continued to evolve as he has learned from Victory’s CEO, executive leadership team, and founders while helping scale the organization into a $100+ million company.

At the core of Mike’s leadership philosophy is a simple principle: great leadership begins with putting people first. He believes decisions should prioritize the well-being and development of the team, not just short-term profits. When leaders take care of their people, growth naturally follows.

One of Mike’s proudest professional moments was receiving the Vanguard Award, which recognizes influential senior leaders who actively shape Victory’s culture, growth, and long-term vision. The recognition was particularly meaningful because it reflected the impact he strives to have on both the business and the people within it.

What energizes Mike most about Victory is the opportunity to build something meaningful alongside family. Early in his career, the idea of truly loving what you do never fully resonated with him. Today, he says he can’t imagine working anywhere else or with a different group of people.

Outside of work, Mike’s greatest joy is his family. He’s a proud girl dad to three daughters -Poppy (4), Gracie (2), and Ivory (1 month) – and husband to his high school sweetheart, Courtney. Becoming the best father and husband he can be is what drives him every day, and he strives to always be someone his daughters are proud to call their dad.