Brian Picanco
Pelham
Summary
Strategic people and operations leader with 15 years of experience building high-performing teams, scaling multi-site organizations, and driving workforce innovation. Proven record of expanding headcount while achieving industry-leading retention, implementing leadership development frameworks, and fostering cultures of accountability and growth. Recognized for aligning people strategy with business outcomes, driving employee engagement, and delivering sustained revenue and performance improvements.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
President
U-Haul Company of New Hampshire
02.2016 - Current
- Scaled leadership team from 12 to 25 managers, leading 180+ employees with a 100% management retention rate over 5 years—compared to 25% industry average.
- Designed and launched leadership development and training programs, creating a sustainable pipeline of managers.
- Built dealership partnership model that strengthened employee engagement and community collaboration, later adopted nationally.
- Grew revenue from $13M to $30M annually while ensuring people-first performance culture.
- Oversaw acquisitions, onboarding, and integration of teams into a consistent high-performance culture.
Field Relief Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Partnered with executives to design onboarding and training programs for new facilities, reducing break-even from 180 days to 90.
- Re-engaged underperforming teams, retrained managers, and restructured workflows to improve compliance and performance.
Certified Area Field Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Expanded distribution by recruiting and onboarding new dealers, including training and workforce development.
- Supported leadership accountability through performance metrics and coaching.
General Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Directed facility and staff operations, managing daily performance and driving training improvements that boosted sales and service.
Sales Associate
Verizon Wireless
01.2008 - 12.2010
- Served as lead onboarding trainer, increasing new hire productivity and accelerating sales success.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Newbury College
Brookline, MASkills
- People Innovation & Performance
- Leadership Development & Coaching
- Employee Engagement & Retention
- Workforce Scaling & Succession Planning
- Culture Transformation & Change Leadership
- Strategic HR Alignment
- Performance Management & Accountability
Training
- U-Haul “You and Me” Leadership Methodology
- Annual Presidents Conference – U-Haul Technology & Products
- Software: Salesforce, Smartsheets, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Sheets
Languages
Portuguese
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
President
U-Haul Company of New Hampshire
02.2016 - Current
Field Relief Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2014 - 01.2016
Certified Area Field Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2013 - 01.2014
General Manager
U-Haul Company of Boston
01.2011 - 01.2012
Sales Associate
Verizon Wireless
01.2008 - 12.2010
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Newbury College