Rags to riches is a uniquely United States story. It's the American Dream of starting from humble beginnings, working hard, fighting against adversity and making something of yourself. Brian Garish embodies this ethos. Though, his version is a little different. Garish went from stocking shelves at Walgreens to becoming the president of Banfield Pet Hospital, the largest pet hospital chain in the U.S.

He began his career stocking shelves at the local Walgreens pharmacy during high school. Garish dropped out of college after only a six-month stint when he was 18 years-old. It was a trying time. Back at home with his parents, he felt lost without any direction. As he explains, "At the time, I didn't see the value of sitting in class to hear about business. I wanted to do the work." A mentor at the pharmacy chain suggested that Garish focus on working hard and advancing within the organization, especially since he didn’t have any other alternatives.

After serving about 12 years as a manager at Walgreens, then spending more than 10 years rising from district and regional manager roles to area vice president at CVC Health, Garish is now the president of Banfield Pet Hospital, the industry’s leading provider of preventive care, a division of Mars Inc.