What I Do: I serve as a strategic adviser and on boards of directors and advisory boards. I advise investors and CEOs and executive teams, sales teams and build advisory boards as business development engines. My expertise includes innovation, governance, succession planning, mergers & acquisitions, team building, strategic planning, turnarounds and reorganization.
I specialize in turnaround situations. My experience in building six for-profit companies and helping to launch two non-profit organizations allows me to help management overcome challenges that may seem daunting to them. My wide range of contacts allows me to tap into substantial pools of resources – including senior executives, highly effective professionals and sources of financial support.
An effective leader and innovator, I blend academic research with hands-on management expertise. I have a record of successful innovation in a variety of industries including technology transfer, film financing, property investment and management, team building and leadership, board design/population and management, management/team/board assessment and executive/leadership/team coaching. (Recent Engagements)
What Attracts My Interest: Two of my very favorite engagements are helping others build their business and building teams that accomplish great things. Some of my most rewarding experiences have been creating opportunities for highly motivated people and watching them enjoy successes that they never thought they might.
I work as a senior adviser to investors and CEOs because I believe that hard problems can be solved – it’s just a matter of finding the right approach, resources and team to solve them. When it comes to overcoming tough challenges, there is no substitute for experience and proven judgment. I have worked with investors and CEOs that were stuck – unable to find a way forward. Once the way is cleared, watching them succeed is a real ‘Rocky Mountain High’!
I build advisory boards as business development engines because I discovered that they are by far the best way to drive the gross revenue of a company. I built the first ones for my own companies. My book, Amazing Pace: Turbocharged Business Development describes these boards.
I have also published Dream Walk: Parables for the Living – Zen stories for the present.
Who I am: I am a proven entrepreneur, seasoned senior executive, political and social theorist, published author and speaker. A veteran of Wall Street, I have founded two non-profit and six for-profit companies.
My experience includes designing and organizing companies, business/technology management, team building, strategic alliances, negotiating complex arrangements, governance & compliance, resourcing & financing, mergers & acquisitions, management/team/board assessment, coaching and strategic and tactical planning and implementation.
I received a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Masters of Management Science from the Alfred P. Sloan School at MIT. In 1996 I was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy by the Department of Government and International Studies, Strathclyde University, Glasgow Scotland with a focus in political and social theory and comparative cultural analysis. Subsequently I taught advanced political and social theory as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Government, University of Birmingham in England.
I am available for radio and TV appearances, panels, seminars, speeches, key-note addresses, book signings and as a subject-matter expert. I am also a motivational speaker who combines humor with lots of content. Contact me with details on your event and needs.
Featured Articles
Executive Coaching Means Putting Your Key People on Their A-Game
The last decade has seen a major shift in attitude towards executive coaching. Ten years ago the most likely engagement would have been with a client who was having serious problems. Organizations tended to hire executive coaches when one or more of their people was either having or causing serious problems. Many would wait until things had progressed to such a state that damage control was the only option. In those days, executive coaches were, more often than not, crisis managers. But things have really changed. Read the rest of this entry »
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It is the dream of many executives in this world to become a great leader. Some are born leaders while others develop leadership qualities thorough perseverance and diligent work. In my long experience with leadership coaching, the later group is the larger by far – and the most productive. The ‘natural’ is often beaten out by the ‘self-made’ leader. Read the rest of this entry »
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Assess and Fine Tune Your Leadership Skills
Just as every ship needs a captain, every organization needs a leader. Every captain needs a support network of officers and every leader needs a senior team – leadership is an extended function. Organizations seldom choose a leader. Mostly leaders emerge, contend for supremacy and are selected from among competing candidates – much like the selection in the recent US presidential election. Read the rest of this entry »
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