Some Background
Senior Vice President, Business Development
The Right Place Inc. rightplace.org
2022 - 2024
Economic Development leader responsible for helping to build the Greater Grand Rapids economy.
I lead 4 teams that drive value for key industry verticals that include Technology, Health Sciences, and Advanced ManufacturinHaving a great time leveraging my business experiences to help founders, CEOs, and owners realize prosperity for themselves and employees.
Director of North American Sales and Business Development
Ottobock Paexo.com
2019 - 2022
Helping forward-thinking businesses and governments to enhance their human workforce with a leading wearable exoskeleton brand called Paexo. These bionic body enhancements make jobs in industry, government, logistics, and trades more productive.
Customer Strategy, Operations, & Systems
Accenture.com
2001 - 2008
Accenture is a large technology and strategy consulting company. There I sold, designed, and delivered Customer Relationship Management (CRM) products & services to large tech company clients. The industries I specialized in were in the communications and high-tech space. Some examples of clients I worked with include AT&T, Citrix, Bell South, Verizon Business, UK & US Governments, and more).
Developed sales proposals and pitched professional services to senior-level executive leads/customers. Leveraged consultative sales approach to sell ideas. After winning proposals, I was ultimately responsible for turning these ideas into tangible strategies and technical solutions.
Led design and delivery project teams to build customer strategies, processes, and information technology solutions. Specialized in Project Management, System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Management, Orders, Customer Management, Product Management, Campaign Management, Case Management, and Technical Architecture.
North American Enterprise & Mobility Sales
SES.com
2010 - 2017
SES Networks is a GEO & MEO satellite communications company. My role was focused on sales and business develoment, making satellite communication services affordable and widely available. Helped customers to develop new opportunities and bring new vertical solutions to Consumer Broadband, Civil Government & Enterprise Networks, Cellular Backhaul & Trunking, Commercial Maritime, and Commercial Aviation markets.
Managing Director
Elite Circle LLC
2018 - 2019
Private business advisory services that specialize in coordinating and closing high-value deals on behalf of UHNW individuals and wealth managers.
Co-Founder, Chairman, & Chief Operating Officer
WaferMessenger.com
2016 - 2019
Wafer Messenger is a mobile phone messaging platform focused on three pillars - which are user creativity, reach, and privacy. Creativity in the sense that it gives users the tools to create and overlay media in ways never seen before. Reach in a sense that it allows users to have single or group conversations with any of their phone contacts (even if their contact does not have Wafer installed yet). Privacy because your conversations should be your personal business... not ours. My role as a co-founder is to do everything I can, with the team, to deliver on Wafer's pillars for our users.
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Co-founder, Project Manager
Llanes Electric
1999 - 2001
Founding member of a family-owned electrical contracting business. I took on various responsibilities to help the business succeed. Projects sold and delivered to many types of business and residential customers including small factories, grocery stores, gas stations,multi-family homes, and single-family homes.
Soldier
US Army Cavalry
1995 - 1997
Joined the Army to give myself some much needed self-inflicted discipline. Trained as both 19D (Cavalry Infantry Recon Scout) and 19K (M1A1 Abrahams Crewman).
Educational Experience
My Formal Schooling
Northwestern University
Masters of Engineering Management - Business and engineering with focus on product management within high tech companies
University of Illinois
Information Systems and Decision Science - Business with focus in operations, statistics, and information systems
Some Thought Contributors
Some of my Informal Schooling
Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
Pragmatic Marketing Framework
*RL Note: These certifications are simply frameworks to help with the challenge of collaborating with teams on complex projects. They are good sources to sample from, however, I never over use them so much that they become hurdles to completing a project.
Some of my Favorite Business Books
Poor Carlie's Almanack, Managing One's Self, Crush It, The Art of War, Tools of Titans, The Obstacle is the Way
Endurance & Combat Sports
4 Years of competitive wrestling with some training in boxing and jiu-jitsu
3 half-marathons, 1 full-marathon, with many fun-run and mud races
*RL Note: I enjoy sports that hurt a little. Going into the uncomfortable zone is the most rewarding and fun part.