The company you keep
I have been fortunate to have worked for and involved in some great companies over the course of my career. Collectively, these experiences shaped my views on business and leadership. Most importantly, I had the chance to work with some great people who were generous with their time and coaching as I was coming up the ranks.
OPERATIONAL ROLES
Starting my career in Finance was a safe bet given the exposure I’d receive to almost every industry and companies large and small. In the 80’s BofA was known as NCNB and had one of the best commercial lending training programs around. Following credit school, I took a job in the Credit Policy department where I focused on financial institutions credit risk (and became a spread-sheet jockey).
Every day, I rely on my P&G experience. Buying methods have changed dramatically since the 90’s but the fundamentals of connecting with a buyer are the same. My experiences on Downy, Downy Sheets, Spic n’ Span and Cinch created a foundation in product marketing and the realities of working within a complex, matrixed environment.
In the mid-90’s, IBM was going through a renaissance and I jumped on board to help start a consumer PC, software and peripherals group. Technology in the 90’s was a wide-open frontier of ideas and possibilities. For the next 18 years, my career would take me back and forth between Japan and Raleigh, NC and then ultimately to the Corporate Headquarters in Armonk, NY where I’d help lead the Marketing function. P&G taught me how to market a product. IBM taught me how to market a company.
The Xerox brand needed help. Comprised of a myriad of acquisitions and stuck with its historical copier identity, Xerox needed a make-over creating coherence and a forward-looking value proposition. The CMO position had been vacant for a year and everything needed to be modernized top-to-bottom. When Xerox decided to separate into two companies, I got first-hand experience leading the extensive communications supporting a massive corporate split and subsequent divisional spin-off.
As Xerox’s services business was spinning-off, I jumped at the chance to join a $6B start-up. Conduent was the first NYSE listing of 2017. I held three roles in 2.5 years, each an opportunity to broaden my experience and work closely with the CEO. Whereas Conduent continues to find its footing operationally, it’s b2b branding, positioning, and brand architecture have proudly endured despite it’s challenging beginning.
ADVIS0R AND BOARD POSITIONS
Qless is the leading mobile-based queue management platform, eliminating lines and enabling social distancing. It has successfully completed two financing rounds and is approaching it’s series B.
Waymark simplifies video production through its web-based, self-service platform. Initially targeted to small businesses, I am helping the company expand its presence and offering set for large enterprises.
INVESTMENTS
GenomeSmart utilizes AI to accelerate the administrative aspects surrounding genetic testing. It was acquired by Konica Minolta Precision Medicine in 2020.
EnRevo Pyro designs, develops and implements advanced waste-to-value systems. It’s innovations and best-in-class components convert waste and other feedstock to produce fuels, electricity and other highly useful outputs delivering a range of economic and environmental benefits.