Known for his infectious smile, business acumen and ability to make every conversation feel like the most important one in the room, Tom Moeller was a trusted champion of independent florists and an admired leader across the floral industry. Moeller, president of florist partnerships and operations at FTD, died July 26. He was 62.
“We lost a very special person — not just someone from FTD, but from the industry itself — and someone who was very interested in the floral industry and all of us in it,” says Charles Kremp, AAF, of Kremp Florist in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and a past president of the Society of American Florists and SAF Floriculture Hall of Fame inductee.
Moeller began his career in the consumer-packaged goods industry, holding positions with Nabisco, Schering-Plough and the William Wrigley Jr. Company before joining FTD in 2010. He led FTD’s Florist Division for 11 years. After consulting for Passion Roses in 2022, he returned to FTD in 2023 as president of florist partnerships and operations, where he focused on strengthening member relationships and the support available to FTD’s florist network.
The florists Moeller worked with say they felt heard and understood when they were with him. Whether they met in their shops or on the golf course, Moeller had a way of making people feel like they were at the center of his attention.
“No matter how busy he was, Tom always made you feel like the conversation you were having with him was the most important one in the room,” says Tina Coker, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of Designs of the Times Florist, in Melbourne, Florida. “Tom made my job as a retail florist easier because he genuinely cared about the success of the independent florist.”
One way he contributed to florists’ success was by sharing his knowledge about the skills and products that would help them grow.
“Tom was very strong on helping you with bookkeeping, financial work and making a profit,” says John Looby of Lake Forest Flowers in Illinois. “He also was very good at promoting new opportunities for purchasing flowers and hard goods and making sure that they were successful for the business.”
‘Winning While Having Fun’
During his 15-year tenure at FTD, Moeller was also very good at motivating his employees, and encouraged them to not only work hard, but also enjoy themselves as they did. As someone who prioritized his own family, he encouraged his employees to do the same and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
“Tom led with integrity and he did a really great job,” says FTD’s CEO Mike Chapin. “He had a motto of ‘winning while having fun.’ He wanted to make sure that everyone had an incredibly good work-life balance, and he made it very clear to everybody to take care of your life and your family first, and then focus on work.”
Emily Bucholz, the senior director of marketing communications at FTD, says Moeller always encouraged her to think outside the box, challenge herself, and maintain a level of curiosity that would allow her to look at challenges in new ways.
“He had my back and my best interest at heart to grow and develop,” says Bucholz. “Sometimes I felt like Tom was my biggest cheerleader when I needed a boost or I felt like I wasn’t doing something right or doing something well enough. He was always there to give you that support and make you feel better.”
The American Floral Endowment has established the Tom Moeller Memorial Tribute, which benefits its FTD Fund. Donations can be made here to contribute to the fund’s ongoing support of floral research and education.
Read Moeller’s obituary here.
Kenya McCullum is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
