Steve Yates is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in leading and transforming high-volume operations for Fortune 500 companies. With a passion for health and wellness, social impact, and business innovation, he has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to increase efficiency and productivity, develop people and teams, and deliver exceptional customer satisfaction.
As the Founder and CEO of Yangua Wellness, Steve is dedicated to providing health solutions through cannabis-based products such as topicals, tinctures, and edibles. His leadership at Yangua Wellness reflects his commitment to leveraging his expertise in cannabis and hemp to drive positive change and equity in the industry and society. Additionally, he serves as the Texas State Co-Director at Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM), the largest community-based nonprofit in the cannabis and hemp industry. In this role, he focuses on advocacy, outreach, education, and training for communities of color.
Before founding Yangua Wellness, Steve held key positions at Wing, where he was Head of US Business Operations and later Global Infrastructure Operations Leader. In these roles, he was responsible for overseeing ground operations, P&L, customer experience, partner operations, logistics, facilities, and fleet management. His strategic vision and operational excellence were instrumental in supporting the company’s commercial drone service and delivery initiatives.
Steve’s career also includes significant leadership roles at Marsh & McLennan Companies as Senior Vice President of Operations, Centralized Services, where he managed enterprise support for various core functions, and at CIP Business Consultants, where he provided business advisory services focusing on strategic planning, process improvement, leadership development, and financial controls.
At JPMorgan Chase, Steve served as Executive Director and General Manager, leading Consumer and Community Business operations in the San Antonio Area. He was responsible for building the Chase brand through improved business performance, employee experience, and community relations, managing over 5000 service center employees. His previous roles at JPMorgan Chase included Vice President positions in Auto Loan Servicing and Payment Services.
Steve’s extensive experience extends to his tenure at Kinetic Concepts as Director of Fulfillment Operations and at Dell Canada as Regional Operations Manager, where he managed call center infrastructure and fulfillment operations. He also held a General Manager position at Kozmo, an online delivery service for retail goods, and a Senior Manager role at FedEx, overseeing delivery operations in the Los Angeles market.
Steve holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University Global and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Phoenix. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, showcasing his commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. His diverse skills and expertise, combined with his dedication to social impact and business innovation, make him a dynamic and influential leader in the health and wellness and cannabis industries.
Character: Steve Yates is a seasoned professional known for his passion for health, wellness, and social impact.
Knowledge: With over 20 years of experience, he has a deep understanding of leading and transforming high-volume operations for Fortune 500 companies.
Strategic: As the Founder/CEO of Yangua Wellness and Texas State Co-Director at M4MM, he strategically leverages his expertise to drive positive change and equity in the cannabis and hemp industry.
Communication: Steve Yates excels in building and maintaining strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, effectively communicating his vision and fostering collaborative environments.
