Tom Falk
Campaign Co-Chair
Tom Falk learned some of his most important lessons on the fairways and greens of Chenequa Country Club in Hartland, Wis.
Growing up the oldest of nine kids, Falk was eager to find ways to get out of the house. Caddying was the only job available to an ambitious 12-year-old, so he started riding his bike to the nearby club.
The first thing he learned was how to hustle. Chenequa caddies would race to claim the bag of one member who tipped $5 just for bringing his clubs from the car to the golf shop. He also learned about mentoring. On one of his first loops, a WGA Director asked him about his future, and encouraged him to pursue the Evans Scholarship.
Falk took that advice to heart, earning Chenequa’s first Evans Scholarship. He went on to become the Chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark, leading 56,000 employees in 35 countries.
Now, as a Co-Chair of The Promise Campaign, he is determined to give a new generation of hustling caddies the same opportunity to reach their dreams.
“I remember getting the envelope and opening it and the joy you felt, because you knew it was going to change your life,” Falk said.