Chief Executive, Business Consultant & Harvard MBA:
Headline: Expert guidance in building, growing, transforming, and selling companies from a successful entrepreneur & Harvard MBA
Having been an entrepreneur all my life, I’ve experienced every situation a business can face. This first-hand knowledge and the lessons I’ve learned in navigating through countless and complex challenges, allow me to provide clear and straightforward direction to companies at any point in time.
Acting as a consultant or Board member, I come into an organization, assemble the facts, and rapidly identify the central issues. I look at each situation from 3 critical standpoints: strategic, structural, and financial. I am a serious problem solver who is forthright in telling the company exactly where they stand and exactly what they need to do to rectify the situation.
I’ve been a key resource in raising capital, analyzing debts/assets, turning around troubled operations, performing complex negotiations, empowering the Board of Directors, facilitating change and healthy growth, and evaluating whether to stay, consolidate or exit the business.
During my career, I built several companies in competitive niches, raised $100M+ in equity, acquired/managed/syndicated over 50 properties, executed a plan of withdrawal as CEO of an insurance carrier, orchestrated private company buyouts, rescued companies from periodic misfortunes, and kept businesses profitable during economic downturns.
While I specialize in real estate and insurance, I also co-founded an ambulance service (now the second largest in its region), helped replace the founders at a failing seafood company, and drove a 7-affiliate expansion of a religious and social services organization.
I am active in the community and served as a president or Board member on organizations such as Specialty Insurors Association of Illinois and University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard, I possess dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Economics and Chemistry.
Acting as a consultant or Board member, I come into an organization, assemble the facts, and rapidly identify the central issues. I look at each situation from 3 critical standpoints: strategic, structural, and financial. I am a serious problem solver who is forthright in telling the company exactly where they stand and exactly what they need to do to rectify the situation.
I’ve been a key resource in raising capital, analyzing debts/assets, turning around troubled operations, performing complex negotiations, empowering the Board of Directors, facilitating change and healthy growth, and evaluating whether to stay, consolidate or exit the business.
During my career, I built several companies in competitive niches, raised $100M+ in equity, acquired/managed/syndicated over 50 properties, executed a plan of withdrawal as CEO of an insurance carrier, orchestrated private company buyouts, rescued companies from periodic misfortunes, and kept businesses profitable during economic downturns.
While I specialize in real estate and insurance, I also co-founded an ambulance service (now the second largest in its region), helped replace the founders at a failing seafood company, and drove a 7-affiliate expansion of a religious and social services organization.
I am active in the community and served as a president or Board member on organizations such as Specialty Insurors Association of Illinois and University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard, I possess dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Economics and Chemistry.
Online Advertising Executive & Consultant:
Headline: Reaping Huge ROI from YOUR Online Advertising Dollars
Companies come to me when they want to learn how to spend their online advertising dollars most efficiently. As one of the few people in the world who’s worked on both the selling and buying side of advertising, I act as a “Rosetta Stone” in interpreting and navigating through these two worlds, always with your best interests at heart. During my career I sold over $30M in advertising for Yahoo! and bought over $15M worth of media transactions with more than 25 different vendors.
Online advertising is still too new and complex to be fully understood by both the seller and buyer. Companies are being sold advertising solutions that aren’t right for them or are poorly executed. Clients don’t know what they have purchased and are not seeing the expected results. This is where I come in. Using my vast industry expertise and astute problem solving abilities, I can quickly identify the issue(s) and recommend a better way to optimize your advertising. Often, just making one small change can have a dramatic impact on your advertising budget!
I have an intricate knowledge of Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AOL, and am passionate about online media. After building my first website at the age of 14, I realized how incredibly impactful the Internet was. I got a degree in Communication/Interactive Media and went on to build and sell many websites for substantial amounts of money. I’m a technical evangelist and early adopter of what’s cutting edge. I do my research and make well-informed decisions. People trust my guidance and are always asking me for advice on what type of computer, phone, or gadget to buy.
As a former inside/outside advertising sales executive, I worked across all verticals and rapidly delivered astounding results for Fortune 500 companies, small to medium sized businesses, startups, top-tier agencies, and top-tier networks. Most recently, I directed media buying at a startup firm and managed a $15M direct response advertising budget for nationally distributed brands.
Financial Executive & Controller
Headline: Recommending financial and business alternatives that take companies to the next level
As a controller and financial executive, I work across every organizational level to mitigate risk and increase revenue, profitability, and efficiency. Whether it’s restructuring the finance department, cleaning up the books, establishing internal controls, identifying potential fraud or implementing technology, I’m the person who heads up the initiative.
I am intuitively aware of what’s going on in the company at any given time, and provide clear direction to upper management in achieving short and long-term goals. I’m a bridge builder between upper/mid management and work collaboratively with business units, sales, production, and IT.
I’m all about alternatives – I believe there is always more than one way to solve a problem regardless of circumstances, capabilities or budget. My philosophy has resulted in an 80% cost savings at the Better Business Bureau, 115% efficiency increase at Fly Paper Media Holdings, and 60% reduction in financial preparation time at Coleman & Coleman. I drove implementation of new tools that grew revenue by $250K in 6 months in my very first job at Kent Cole Smith & World.
I adapt my approach to what’s needed and can successfully step into any situation that arises. In my current role, I manage a team of sales directors and am heavily involved in networking and business development – not something your typical controller does!
My unique background also includes 4 years in Risk and Anti-Money Laundering at ABN AMRO/LaSalle Bank where I was awarded for teaming with the DEA and FBI to investigate suspicious activity and fraud on corporate, small businesses, and individual accounts.
I am intuitively aware of what’s going on in the company at any given time, and provide clear direction to upper management in achieving short and long-term goals. I’m a bridge builder between upper/mid management and work collaboratively with business units, sales, production, and IT.
I’m all about alternatives – I believe there is always more than one way to solve a problem regardless of circumstances, capabilities or budget. My philosophy has resulted in an 80% cost savings at the Better Business Bureau, 115% efficiency increase at Fly Paper Media Holdings, and 60% reduction in financial preparation time at Coleman & Coleman. I drove implementation of new tools that grew revenue by $250K in 6 months in my very first job at Kent Cole Smith & World.
I adapt my approach to what’s needed and can successfully step into any situation that arises. In my current role, I manage a team of sales directors and am heavily involved in networking and business development – not something your typical controller does!
My unique background also includes 4 years in Risk and Anti-Money Laundering at ABN AMRO/LaSalle Bank where I was awarded for teaming with the DEA and FBI to investigate suspicious activity and fraud on corporate, small businesses, and individual accounts.
