The Experience I Hope to Bring to the Board

Education Background

I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received my BA in Computer Science.  I graduated within 4 years while playing Basketball on full scholarship.  I received several All Academic honors.

 

I attended the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB) where I received an MBA in Finance.

Professional Experience

  • Co-Founder of The ROIG Group LLC
  • Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and New Business Development
  • Senior Vice President and General Manager 650+ store retailer with 5,000+ employees
  • Vice President, Best Buy
  • 9 Years with Accenture Consulting

I started my career with Accenture in Chicago working with clients such as Sears, Target, Montgomery Ward, Kmart, and Best Buy.

 

After consulting with Best Buy for three (3) years, we made the decision to join Best Buy.  We have lived in Eden Prairie ever since.

 

I was an officer at Best Buy until I left in 2004.  Best Buy sold its Musicland division to a private equity firm and I was offered the chance to run Sam Goody Stores as SVP and General Manager.  I was promoted to SVP of Strategy and New Business Development working directly for the CEO until I left in 2006 to start my consulting business.

 

I co-founded The ROIG Group, a management consulting firm, with a 15+ other ex-Best Buy officers & friends.  Our two primary practices focus on 1) innovation (ideation and venturing); and 2) maximizing operating resource investment decisions.

How My Experiences Would Benefit the EP School Board

Accenture taught me be comfortable in new situations - where I might not be an expert.  I learned how to ask the 'right question'.  At Best Buy I learned to start with the customer and work backwards.  To find ways to reward success and share best practices across stores and functional boundaries so others could learn and apply those lessons to improve themselves.

 

I have run very large organizations and had to make decisions that impacted peoples lives.  I have set and managed budgets during good and bad times.  As a leader of people - and our schools are all about people - I have learned how to set goals, motivate people around those goals, executed, and how to define and measure success. 

 

I believe my experiences would benefit this particular board as it faces the following sets of issues:

  • How to balance responsibility and accountability between the board and administration
  • How to interpret new ideas into policy and how to measure and hold both the board and administration accountable to results
  • How to deal with the changing demographics and future decisions on how and where to invest in physical infrastructure
  • How to define strategic investment principles that are used to guide both investment and rationalization decisions (e.g., how important does the community believe it is to have children grow up in their neighborhoods?, etc); without principles, revenue and cost decisions are defined using a short term lens and makes it difficult for the community to support the initiative or goal
  • To think thru potential unintended consequences of good ideas and to make sure there are no hidden 'agendas'

I look forward to earning your confidence and vote!