Ironman’s CEO started out unloading trucks when he was 13. He warns Gen Z networking is ‘dangerous’—and to do this instead

For Scott DeRue, the climb to the C-suite has mirrored the literal peaks he’s summited along the way.

As CEO of The Ironman Group, he oversees nearly 250 endurance events worldwide. But his career path has been anything but linear—spanning roles as a professor, dean of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and president of Equinox. He’s also climbed the Seven Summits, including Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro. The thread connecting it all hasn’t been a single industry or a straight-line path; it’s been intention.