TAB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President of the Balzer Companies
Al Balzer is the president of The Balzer Companies, a business development firm dedicated to contributing to the success and development of growth oriented companies for over 20 years. In addition to focusing on basic strategic planning and implementation issues, the mantra of the company is "helping others achieve direction." This extends the effort to mentoring and coaching executives in leadership initiatives.
Al has a Mechanical Engineering degree. His background and experience include a career start in technical heat transfer sales with The Trane Company. Success resulted being awarded three independent franchise operations in; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Houston, Texas. Commercial, Industrial and Residential responsibilities included full sales, distribution and service as well as business development and strategic planning for dealers. He took the Houston franchise from $3 million to $20 million in less than 8 years. Al sold the company and embarked on a professional consulting, speaking and training career traveling the continental United States.
Past affiliations, in addition to professional associations, include 9 years with an international CEO peer advisory board company. For 5 of those years Al was a Group Chair and led CEO peer advisory groups as well as mentoring, coaching and consulting with the members. In addition to being a certified TAB (The Alternative Board) facilitator, he is also a certified Birkman behavioral assessment consultant and a coach/consultant for Gazelles International. He is a past president of the local chapter of the National Speakers Association and was honored as a John Wolfe Speaker of the Year.
Alan Wallach holds both TAB Facilitator and Strategic Business Leadership Certifications. He is the founder and president of Wallach Business Solutions LLC. WBS helps CEO's of small and medium-sized businesses identify, define and realize business opportunities and overcome challenges using a variety of methodologies. WBS, through its educational division, produces and distributes, live and interactive, educational programs, in the form of webcasts direct to the desktop on a variety of business subjects.
Wallach holds degrees in both law and accounting. He has an eclectic professional and business background ranging from owning his own law firm, teaching at university graduate and undergraduate levels, sales, and marketing experience ranging from door to door marketing of consumer products to selling non qualified deferred compensation plans to bank boards of directors, managing a real estate company, and operating a family-owned publishing and specialty catalog company. He was a pioneer in the seminar selling of estate planning services, has been a bank vice president selling trust services, and currently serves on the boards of Wallach Associates, Inc. and First Bank & Trust of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Executive Chairman
- Founder
TAB Founder and Chairman, Allen Fishman, launched TAB close to 30 years ago. He found that his board of directors was invaluable to him throughout his career. But what about the smaller business owner? Where do they go for advice? These questions led Fishman to launching TAB's first business advisory board in 1990.
Allen E. Fishman, a Wall Street Journal and Amazon.com bestselling author, is Founder and Executive Chairman of The Alternative Board (TAB®), the world's largest franchise system offering peer advisory groups and coaching services for business owners. The TAB system has benefited over 20,000 businesses and business owners in countries around the world.
Allen Fishman has a fiery passion for entrepreneurship and a desire to provide needed unique processes and tools every privately-owned business could use to achieve greater success. Strategic Business Leadership®, is one of the business systems Mr. Fishman has developed. It is an easy-to-use business coaching system used by TAB franchisees with their TAB members to move business owners from a leadership style based upon the "idea of the week" to one based upon strategic thinking. The unique Strategic Business Leadership® coaching process includes a series of simple exercises designed to help entrepreneurs merge their personal and business goals to set a course toward success - on their own terms.
Prior to creating TAB, Mr. Fishman was President and co-owner of a consumer electronics chain, which, after attaining great success, became a publicly traded company listed in the USA on the NASDAQ exchange.
Mr. Fishman holds a finance degree, Magna Cum Laude, and a Juris Doctorate law degree.
His advice and perspectives have assisted business owners around the world to lead their businesses to greater success and to achieve greater personal balance in their life. Mr. Fishman is a noted expert on what is needed for businesses to move to greater levels of success. He has been featured in numerous media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Fortune Small Business, Business Week, the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post and Nation's Business, and Profit Magazine. He has also been a frequent guest on television networks, such as CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, and First Business and on radio shows such as Public Radio International's Marketplace. Fishman's ease with the media stems back to the time he hosted his own business talk radio show, Formula for Success, on a CBS affiliate.
Mr. Fishman has been honored to address organizations such as the Institute of Management Science, the Mobil Oil Distributor Group, the Consumer Electronics Industries Association, the National Association of Retail Dealers of America ("NARDA"), and the National Association of Corporate Growth.
For over a decade, Mr. Fishman wrote the newspaper business advice column, Business Insights, which was nationally syndicated throughout the USA by Tribune Media Services.
His business books include:
• 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Masters: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success
• 9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business
• Strategic Business Leadership: A system for moving from a leadership style based upon the "Idea of the Week" to one based upon Strategic Thinking
• The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance, and Increase Profits
• Allen Fishman's Business Financing Kit: Financing advice for business owners and managers
• StratPro: The Strategic Business Transformation Process
• The Five Habits of High Impact Managers: Take Your Management and Leadership Skills to the Next Level
• The Aligned Workplace: More Productivity! Less Stress!
Anthony Sutter joined TAB in June 2021 as General Counsel. In his role as General Counsel he is responsible for overseeing all legal and compliance matters. Prior to joining TAB, he was General Counsel & Secretary for Tony Roma's Restaurants. Prior to that, he was General Counsel for Wolf Retail Solutions, a leader in retail merchandising. Mr. Sutter received his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of South Florida and his Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law.
In his free time, when he isn't fishing, he likes to spend time with his family and dog.
Barry has nearly 30 years of experience in a variety of Sales, Marketing, Operations and Management positions for fortune 500 companies (Emerson Electric and ESCO Technologies) as well as privately held small businesses. He formed MSI in mid 2004 and is enjoying a growing and profitable business. He brings an enthusiastic view of how to position your business and invest smartly in today's marketplace. His goal with any client is to be an extension of their management team bringing affordable resources that increase the organizations sales productivity and ROI from marketing investments.
Barry graduated from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in Marketing / Management. He is married to his wife, Ann, and they live in Chesterfield, MO. Other interests include golf, water sports, traveling, music and the general outdoors.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Owner
- President / Owner of TAB Hampton Roads
Bernd is the President / Owner of TAB Hampton Roads which services the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Chesapeake area in South Eastern Virginia. LeaderConnect Consulting LLC specializes in supporting owners of small- to medium-size businesses to achieve their personal and company vision for a successful and secure future.
Bernd is a graduate of Fachhochschule Dortmund/Germany where he completed the degrees of B.Sc. - Mechanical Engineering and MBA. Bernd's career facilitated several global overseas assignments and he's called Virginia home since 2001. In over 25 years in the global equipment industry he held Sales, Marketing and Service Support positions with closely held U.S., Canadian and German companies, while working in Management and Executive positions directly with the owners.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Business Consultant and Executive Coach
Bill Edmonds is a business consultant and executive coach. He is the Owner of TAB Columbia and Northstar Leadership Solutions, both located in Columbia. SC. Previously he was a Market Director and Executive for Merrill Lynch, with leadership responsibility for most of South Carolina and parts of Georgia. Bill is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He started his own financial services agency in the mid-1980s, prior to being recruited by Merrill Lynch to be an advisor, and then later for senior leadership roles with the firm.
Blair, a successful and experienced executive and entrepreneur, leads facilitated peer group forums of presidents, CEOs and business owners at TAB Denver West. Her background includes strategic planning, operations, business development, product management, sales and marketing for companies ranging from early start-ups to the global Fortune 500. Her years of experience as a business owner and shareholder provide her with broad exposure to the vast array of challenges, opportunities, issues and problems that top executives and entrepreneurs face.
Blair has exceptional skills in building high-performing teams from a broad array of industries. She has also worked with worldwide channels to manage customer requirements and to assist sales in market acceptance and strategic presentations. The results? Increased sales, higher profits and stronger bottom lines.
Blair is on the Board of Trustees for the Children's Outreach Project and is on the Board of Advisors for the Colorado Thought Leaders Forum. Blair is a published author and has been quoted in Investor's Business Daily and other leading publications. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and communication studies from California State University in Sacramento and a PhD from the School of Hard Knocks.
Job Titles:
- President and Certified TAB Facilitator / Coach
Cindy Neky is a TAB Certified Coach and Facilitator with The Alternative Board Pittsburgh.
Dana Besbris joined TAB in 2006 and is our Chief of Staff. Dana works in direct support of the CEO, helping manage and triage the workflow of the CEO and the executive team. Dana's held multiple positions at TAB, and was instrumental in creating the TAB Academy Learning Management System. Dana has a degree in English Literature and still loves reading all types of books.
On weekends, you will find Dana mountain biking with her husband, going to see live music or watching football (American). Go Broncos! Dana shares Ferris Bueller's philosophy that, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Dana's personal vision is to swim with sea turtles as often as life will allow.
Job Titles:
- CFO, COO, CEO and Director
Dave Costello's experience as CFO, COO, CEO and Director brings a unique perspective to a company's financial operations. Dave is the retired President & CEO of Arundel Federal Savings Bank. He has held executive level positions at 6 banks and spent 10 years as an audit executive at Ernest Young. Dave formed Costello Consulting LLC in January 2020 to provide professional technical resources to companies and their boards/executive teams to expand the impact of the CFO.
Dave Scarola joined TAB in 2008 and serves as TAB's Chief Experience Officer (CXO). As CXO, Dave is responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of TAB's global organization. He also looks over the tools, processes and protocols for TAB's Coaching and Board Facilitation Programs. Dave's previous roles include CIO of ResortQuest, Director at KPMG and VP at Carnegie Group, Inc, an early pioneer in the Artificial Intelligence space. Dave is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and has a Master's degree from the University of Denver. Dave is a PMP in good standing from the Project Management Institute and was the lead editor of TAB's Timeless Principles book.
On weekends, you will find Dave volunteering at the Samaritan House and Defy Colorado with the goal of helping the homeless and the incarcerated make their way back into the workforce. He is also on the Board of the Longmont Humane Society.
Dave's credo is "steady, modest successes are preferable to one spectacular failure". Dave is an avid runner, has completed two marathons, and hopes he has at least one more very long race in his future.
Job Titles:
- Owner / President TAB Jacksonville
My experience coaching and leading teams of varying experience and disciplines as well as my work with small and medium sized businesses allows me to use my strengths to help business owners identify and develop talent, solve problems and reach goals.
My unique combination of strategic planning, business development experience and training gives me a distinct perspective of business goals and functions. I have spent more than 30 years developing my own investigative style to help business owners assess the Big Picture while uncovering Root Issues. I specialize in guiding management teams to conceive and define their vision, and work with them through all steps necessary to make it a successful reality. We align that vision with the goals, business plan, marketing, and assignment of responsibilities which make growth and work/life balance achievable.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Owner and CEO of TAB Baltimore Washington
Denise O'Neill is the owner and CEO of TAB Baltimore Washington. She is a certified Strategic Business Leadership Coach and Facilitator for The Alternative Board. As a coach, Denise specializes in working with leaders to understand their strengths, define gaps and build solutions that enable organizations to achieve success. Denise has expertise and experience in Sales and Marketing and in developing strong business cultures that focus on accountability and goal achievement.
Denise works with businesses to unlock the power of developing and executing long and short-term strategic plans, supported with critical success factors aligned with 90-day plans. Denise also leads workshops on developing an engaged culture, constructing customer service journey maps and building effective sales processes. Denise has a passion for building strong companies by focusing on building the leadership skills of middle and new managers. TAB Baltimore Washington holds monthly courses through an online leadership development program; Next Generation Leaders
She is a seasoned business executive with 16 years' experience leading top 50 consumer packaged goods companies, Like Nabisco, Reckitt Benckiser, and PepsiCo, in Sales, Marketing, General Management and Logistics. Denise is a former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Nabisco where she received numerous awards including recognition with the Nabisco Food Presidential award given to the top performer in the company annually. She has also worked in the eProcurement industry and is the founder of the Survivors Offering Support organization providing innovative peer support services to breast centers in Maryland/Washington, DC.
Denise graduated cum laude with a business administration and marketing degree from the University of Maryland. She has taken masters courses in business and has attended executive leadership and negotiation skills classes for executives at Harvard University. The Survivors Offering Support organization she founded has received numerous local and national awards including the Yoplait/Komen National Champion Award, Commendation from the Governor of Maryland, and the Daily Record Health Care Hero Award.
Doug Johnston is the owner of The Alternative Board in Delaware. He has had more than 30 years experience in successfully leading businesses in a large corporation, with revenue responsibility in excess of $700 million. Doug's teams achieved exceptional results by working closely with the business owners of their customers, gaining an understanding of their challenges and opportunities, and then jointly creating a culture that helped them achieve their specific goals, both business and personal.
Doug is also President of Customer1st, providing expertise in sales, marketing, strategic planning and coaching, helping businesses create a vision for winning, and establishing a priority on customer satisfaction.
Doug has an Engineering Degree from Lafayette College and an MBA in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Doug places a high priority on giving back to the community and has been very active on the board of directors of a non-profit organization, The ARC of Delaware, that supports people with cognitive disabilities.
Doug is excited about the opportunity to work closely with business owners to help them achieve their own vision of success.
Job Titles:
- Business Owner
- Owner of TAB GTA North
Doug Tames is owner of TAB GTA North located in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. He has over 30 years of business experience with significant focus on guiding organizations through growth, transformation, acquisitions, divestitures and restructuring. Doug is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and earned his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta.
In addition, Doug is Managing Director, Ontario for The Pacific Institute®. For over 40 years, The Pacific Institute has been successfully helping individuals unlock their potential and improve their performance, and enabling organizations to transform their culture and improve business results. We are dedicated to creating a significant impact on the well-being and efficacy of individuals, teams, organizations, communities and countries.
Job Titles:
- CEO / Owner of TAB Jacksonville
- Owner / CEO TAB Jacksonville
Emory Ware is CEO/Owner of TAB Jacksonville and Business Partners Alliance. With over 30 years of executive level business experience in banking and business ownership, Emory and his organization offers business consulting, peer advisory boards and coaching, specializing in business management, corporate finance, organizational development, operational processes and strategic planning.
Emory has served in many executive positions in the banking industry as well as a partner in an oil distribution /convenient store company, where his primary focus was on Corporate finance, Operations and sales.
Emory attended Western Carolina University where he earned a BSBA degree in Finance and Management.
Job Titles:
- Business Executive
- Certified Coach
Frank Skowron is a results-oriented business executive who utilizes his extensive hands-on experience in strategic planning, project/program management, performance excellence & improvements, business process reengineering, lean six sigma, technology, and organizational change to provide a unique perspective for business owners, presidents, partners and CEOs. Constantly striving to create value-added business change through performance excellence, Frank is a TAB-Certified Facilitator & Coach with The Alternative Board of Pittsburgh South.
Also an adjunct Professor certified for graduate-level business courses teaching Strategic Planning, Leadership, Marketing, Process Improvements, Business Systems, Lean Six Sigma, Project/Program Management and eCommerce, Frank and his clients are able to stay ahead of new, innovative approaches to business issues while still implementing proven methods-resulting in a high return on investments.
Eleven years ago, Frank founded and led a research and advisory management consultancy firm. Prior to this, Frank worked at two Fortune-500 companies, holding many executive management positions at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte and Computer Sciences Corporation. Among his duties, Frank provided acting CEO, CIO, CFO and COO services for fast-growth companies.
Frank holds BS and MBA degrees and is a Certified Public Accountant. He was selected to the prestigious Board of Examiners for the Baldrige National Quality Awards Program. Sponsored by the Department of Commerce, it is the only business program where the President of the United States presents the award. He is a National Senior Examiner and Team Leader for the Baldrige National Quality Awards Program, a Performance Excellence State Examiner and Team Leader for the Keystone Alliance for Performance Excellence (KAPE), as well as a Performance Excellence Senior State Examiner for the California Council of Excellence.
Frank has two wonderful daughters-one who recently graduated from college with a degree in Marine Science and another in college majoring in Exercise Science. He resides in McCandless Township.
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive
- Certified Coach
- Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Latin American Studies
- Founder and President of Flickinger & Consultants
Glenn Flickinger, TAB Certified Coach and Facilitator, provides business coaching and peer advisory board facilitation to private companies in Allegheny and Washington Counties.
Glenn is also founder and President of Flickinger & Consultants, LLC, an independent consulting firm specializing in advisory assignments for private companies selling themselves or making acquisitions, private placements of debt, mezzanine and equity, management buy-outs, and early-stage companies developing their capital structure strategies.
Glenn is a senior executive with over thirty years of business development, business leadership and consulting experience in a wide range of settings. Glenn is uniquely suited as a business coach with experience as a commercial banker, investment banker, consultant, business owner and investor in private companies. He has helped many company owners to develop plans then execute strategies to achieve their objectives.
Prior to his consulting career, Glenn was the co-founder of his own private business, EPIC Capital Corp, an investment bank focused on private companies. He closed on over twenty assignments, including the sale of private companies to strategic or financial buyers, acquisitions by private companies, the private placement of debt, mezzanine and equity. EPIC also founded and managed, through the SBA, a Small Business Investment Corp. that financed growth companies, management buy-outs and invested in early-stage companies.
Glenn is the Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, a Trustee of The Watson Institute, and a member of the Allegheny County Finance and Development Commission. He served for five years on the board of advisors of Readco Manufacturing Company in York, PA.
Greg Walker was a Senior Vice President of TAB until 1996, and is the President of PCS Systems Inc. He served in management for a major midwestern public utility for ten years, leaving in 1980 to pursue his entrepreneurial goals, becoming president of three affiliated companies - SSC Technologies, Inc., Paraphase Corporation and Pioneer Technologies, Inc., where he developed multi-media training programs to educate company representatives to analyze potential client's needs.
Mr. Walker has been a speaker for various sales and training organizations, lecturing before large and small groups on selling, closing skills, motivational techniques and personal development.
Mr. Walker has also served as a consultant in the areas of CEO leadership, computer equipment selection and specification, database management applications and training of MIS staff.
Hunter Atkins became a certified TAB board facilitator in 2017 having been a TAB member for 12 years. He has always maintained an interest in business strategy, communication and execution and the inherent challenges of each, regardless of the size of the entity. He has found that "moving to the head of the table" has been a most natural and rewarding step in his TAB journey.
Hunter serves currently as Chairman of the Board of The Bank of Nashville where he was CEO for ten years. He orchestrated the sale of the bank (a publicly -held OTC institution) to Synovus (NYSE:SNV), its owner today. Prior to this, Hunter served as City President of AmSouth Bank and as an EVP with Commerce Union Bank (now Bank of America) in Nashville. His responsibilities at Commence Union included the International, Commercial, Special Assets, Private Banking and Investment Divisions.
Hunter's personal business ownership experiences include oil and gas, film, health care start -ups, restaurants, spirits, patents and construction. He has been a guest lecturer at Belmont University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Cumberland University and the Owen School at Vanderbilt. He has served on many not -for-profit boards and most notably Chaired the national board of Family Service America (now The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, the largest family and child serving group in the U.S.). Hunter holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt with continuing education degrees from The University of Texas Petroleum Institute (Energy) and The University of Virginia (International Finance).
Job Titles:
- Bryant Boyd Architect & Design - Build
As the President and CEO, Jason drives the strategic vision and continued expansion of The Alternative Board's (TAB) international business advisory network. Jason's ability to counsel and reshape businesses to positions of market leadership has driven TAB's landmark success; becoming one of the world's largest for-profit peer board and coaching services.
Jason is dedicated to education and advocacy in the international franchise community. He has earned the designation of Certified Franchise Executive and he is a member of the ICFE Board of Governors for the International Franchise Association. Jason's involvement in the International Franchise Association is significant. He is a member of the International Committee, including acting as the Vice Chair and is a frequent speaker and moderator at the IFA's international conferences.
On weekends, you will find Jason enjoying live music, spending time outdoors hiking, climbing, running and smoking food.
Jason lives by the question "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"
Jason's personal vision is to spend 4 months a year traveling with my bride, Lynette.
Jeffrey Polino, Chief Innovation Officer, was recruited to TAB in 2005 as TAB's first and only Global Business Developer. His experience as a former business owner and a C-Suite Executive, gave him the momentum to stand out as the clear choice for TAB's Global Developer. The mission was to attain "proof of concept" in other countries by creating the value proposition that would resonate with each country's culture, traditions and value systems. Working with a very talented team, he was successful in igniting the growth from 2 countries in 2005 to 20 countries and counting in 2018.
Jeffrey's approach to business comes from decades of accomplishments as an active team leader, global business developer, skilled coach, and professionally trained presenter. Jeffrey specializes in working with business owners, consultants and transitioning executives worldwide to maximize their talents. Jeffrey works with individuals to personally tailor the methods that bring out their unique talents to increase their profitability and help them gain a greater balance in their life. He subscribes to the philosophy of not wasting time trying to put talents into people that were left out but to invest time in pulling talents out of people that were left in.
Jeffrey's credo is "Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most." That's why on weekends, you will find Jeffrey knocking out his "Honey Do" list from his bride of 40 years (married up), hiking, skiing and enjoying life in Colorado. Jeffrey's personal vision is to always remember to express gratitude for blessings received each day.
John F. Dini is a consultant and coach to hundreds of business owners, CEOs and Presidents of companies. His latest book, "Hunting in a Farmer's World," celebrates the differences that drive entrepreneurs with real stories and insights taken from thousands of hours advising business owners.
He is also the author of "11 Things You Absolutely Need to Know About Selling Your Business," and the Beating the Boomer Bust eBook. He is a serial entrepreneur (read: "chronically unemployable"), and has done business in all 50 states, Canada, Europe and Asia.
John owns and operates TAB-San Antonio, overseeing 9 Boards of business owners through his firm MPN Incorporated. He has a BS in Accounting, is a Certified MBA, and holds six additional certifications in business-related disciplines.
John writes a weekly column for business owners Awake at 2 O'clock in the Morning? and speaks to business groups and national associations, as an expert in business ownership.
Job Titles:
- Partner TAB TAB St. Louis
John M. Keener, of The Kelsey Group, St. Louis, MO, has spent 30 years in senior and executive level management with Fortune 500 and small startup organizations. A vast majority of his experience has focused on sales and marketing including sales force organization, compensation realignment, strategic planning, profit enhancement and Initial Public Offering experience. As president of two organizations, his experience extended into operations and product development. Mr. Keener earned a BS degree in psychology from Ohio State University.
Job Titles:
- Owner and Facilitator
- Owner of the Alternative Board ( TAB ) Jersey Shore North
John Mousseau is the owner of The Alternative Board (TAB) Jersey Shore North.
John brings over 25 years of experience to TAB specializing in marketing and operations. His diverse experience includes working for Fortune 500 companies Kraft and CBS, to start-ups. Since 2014, he's also been the owner of The Moose Consulting, a marketing and operations consultancy focusing on helping small and mid-size business grow.
Before The Moose Consulting, John spent 10 years at global marketing agency MKTG, where he was the EVP/GM of the Midwest Division. His responsibilities included general management, operations, P&L, business development and client relations.
John received a B.A. in Business Administration from Hartwick College and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University.
Job Titles:
- East Atlanta Business Coach
- President of the Morehouse College Alumni Association
Kevin McGee was a serial entrepreneur long before the term became trendy. With a wide range of experience ranging from light manufacturing to multi-unit franchising, he started his first major venture at 23 years old. He has more than 25 years of entrepreneurial and business development experience, giving him unique insight and wisdom into this area of entrepreneurship, which he is dedicated to passing on through business coaching and consultancy.
He believes that entrepreneurship is the only way for a person to truly be in control of his or her destiny. Kevin's passion is to help startup and early-stage companies become self-sustaining enterprises.
Kevin is an East Atlanta business coach who has founded businesses in the hospitality, retail, and non-profit sectors. Over the past 20 years Kevin has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs start, grow, and, when necessary, exit their businesses.
Kevin McGee is a 1993 graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in banking and finance with a minor in Spanish. Upon his graduation, Kevin's finance background led him to partner with a regional not-for-profit that facilitated community economic development throughout the southeast. Kevin began working with small entrepreneurial communities to create community development credit unions with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.
Kevin was Vice President for Business Development and Business Advisory Services for Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE). ACE is a nonprofit organization that facilitates to the growth of entrepreneurship by providing access to financing and education. ACE provides loans to small businesses that lack access to traditional forms of credit. Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs works in partnership with banks to meet credit gaps. The personalized underwriting, flexible terms and ongoing assistance give businesses the support and capital they need to grow and thrive. Beyond the financial assistance, Kevin specializes in providing outcome-oriented strategic planning services to entrepreneurs through his business consultancy in Atlanta. This consulting and business advisory services in Atlanta allows small businesses to receive the level of consulting that some leading medium-sized corporations can access.
Kris Kelso is an executive coach and leadership development consultant with a background in information technology. He has founded or co-founded multiple companies, and worked with hundreds of other organizations and leaders, ranging from startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Advising investors, he helps to strengthen their portfolios and evaluate new investment opportunities. Through interim leadership roles - including leading turnaround efforts - he collaborates directly with the owners and/or board of directors to drive change in culture and strategy, and to oversee the selection and on-boarding of new leaders to fill these positions on a long-term basis. As an executive coach, he guides the personal and professional development of leaders in order to maximize the impact on the people and organizations they serve.
As a mentor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and with incubator / accelerator programs such as Jumpstart Foundry and Healthbox, Kris has worked with dozens of startups in coaching and advisory roles. In addition to bringing technology expertise, he often helps guide the business model and strategy, financial model, and product-market-fit for these companies. He has also served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations, and is actively involved in his church, where he serves as an elder, teaches classes, and coaches other leaders.
Kris has been a speaker at technology and leadership conferences, universities, corporate events, and on television and radio programs. He has led educational webinars and written articles for The Nashville Business Journal and other publications. A natural teacher and a continual learner, having read hundreds of books and listened to thousands of podcasts, talks, and interviews with leading thinkers, Kris enjoys collecting and then disseminating wisdom to help individuals and organizations succeed.
Larry Rowland brings 45 years of business knowledge and know how to assists privately held businesses in accessing their potential. Larry's specialties include executive coaching, group facilitation, strategic planning, change management, and team building. He has served hundreds of businesses in Colorado during the last 18 years. As an executive, he was responsible for guiding organizations through significant change in diverse circumstances, ranging from mergers to rapid growth or drastic downsizing. Larry is co-owner of Transition Technologies Team LLC.
Job Titles:
- CEO / Owner of TAB Focused Directions
- CEO / Owner, Facilitator / Business Executive Coach Denver DTC
Laura Drury is CEO/Owner of TAB Focused Directions and brings 26 years of business experience and 12 years in top-level leadership. Laura has specialized in building teams both internally and externally, and creating sustainable profitability. In addition to TAB boards and business coaching, Laura facilitates team building workshops, helps clients hire the right employees, and supports clients with vendor management resulting in the creation of better vendor relations and reducing client expenses. Laura has served in many roles in the telecom software industry, most recently as Vice President, Products and Marketing. Laura attended the University of Colorado and holds a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Laura Murphy brings 17 years of business development, management and business ownership experience to the table. Finding truly unique and effective marketing positions, inspiring exceptional employee engagement and company culture, and uncovering rock-solid personal and company visions for business owners, key management and individual team members are all right in Laura's wheelhouse. In addition to facilitating TAB Boards and providing business coaching, Laura also offers consulting and workshops as the owner of The Creative Culture Coach.
Job Titles:
- Owner and Facilitator
- Owner of TAB Florence - Myrtle Beach
Lee Freeman is the owner of TAB Florence-Myrtle Beach and Freeman Consulting located in Northeastern South Carolina. Over the last 30 years, he has worked with thousands of small businesses, non -profits and national corporations to help improve their brands and expand their markets. He has owned and profitably sold several businesses in the printing and promotional advertising arenas. He has been recognized nationally for management and sales achievement.
His primary focus is working with private business owners helping them to properly identify and achieve their personal and business visions. Whether that is to attain more Personal Freedom, Grow Profits or Business Transition, his experiences as a successful entrepreneur gives him personal insight into the universal yet unique struggles business owners face.
As a professionally trained facilitator and coach, he is skilled in strategic planning, leadership development, training, and professional guidance. As a specialty he works with clients on Strategic Marketing and Creative Conceptual Solutions.
He is a graduate of Chowan University with a degree in Graphic Communication and Print Management.
Job Titles:
- Retired Executive Vice President for Hughes Corporation
Mike is a certified TAB Coach Facilitator who leverages his strong listening skills and past experience in working with business leaders in areas like strategic planning, modeling and forecasting, sales and marketing. He believes in the power of peer advisory boards and creates an environment where ideas can be shared and business owners strive to achieve their goals.
Mike is a retired Executive Vice President for Hughes Corporation with a demonstrated record of leadership and achievement in the telecommunications industry. Mike has international expertise building a start up and running, as managing Director, a pan European joint venture service company. He has been involved in M&A corporate funding, is technologically savvy and a respected innovator.
Job Titles:
- Business Executive Coach
- CEO, ArthurBiz Advisors, Is Certified As a Contract Facilitator for the Alternative Board Focused Directions
- Representative of the Value Builder System
Neil brings over 45 years of business growth and development expertise turning around distressed and underperforming organizations to The Alternative Board (TAB) peer-board participation.
His experience ranges from multiple entrepreneurial startups to nation-leading sales with Fortune 500 companies over more than 45-years in C-suite management, sales, and sales management.
He came to the Rockies and Front Range in the middle of the pandemic after years visiting for business and pleasure.
His most recent turn-around gig as President and Publisher of the Dayton Business Journal followed stints as diverse as president of a healthcare technology company, founder of a telephony service and the leader in successful small business turnarounds.
In less than eight months, Arthur guided one organization in the transition from money losing to the number one business unit in an international chain. "The challenges are always unique," he says, "but in this case, success was driven by getting the ‘right people on the bus and the wrong people off', while keeping the focus on doing the right things well."
Arthur is a certified representative of the Value Builder System, an evaluation and practical improvement process that increases business owner ROI up to 71% in 8 key performance measures. He is also a certified Achieve Global trainer who has developed and delivered multiple sales, internet and management training programs.
He has been an active member of the communities, serving on various business advisory boards, as a founder and treasurer of Ohio Robotics, Inc. the producer of multiple STEM education programs, former board member of Dayton Chamber of Commerce and as past president of the Miami Valley Council Boy Scouts of America. He now serves as the chair of the Colorado Springs Chamber program taskforce. He is also an active member of the South Metro Denver chamber serving on two committees there.
He can be reached at 937-260-0046 or narthur@TABFocusedDirections.com
Pat Dolen helps companies and its leaders discover their core values, beliefs and strategies to position themselves for growth and achievement.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Owner of the Alternative Board - Lowcountry
Peter Brougham-Cook, owner of The Alternative Board-Lowcountry and an Allen Training Centers franchise as well as an affiliate of My ExitMap. He is Lead Facilitator and Certified Master Coach of TAB-Low Country, Lead Certified Master Trainer for ATC, operating in the Coastal Empire of Georgia, Savannah and surrounds through the Lowcountry of South Carolina to and including the Greater Charleston Area. Peter is 23+ year residents in the region. He holds a Master of Business Leadership from UNISA's School of Business Leadership and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Pretoria.
With over 36 years of Business experience, Peter has held P&L positions with two global organizations, PriceWaterhouseCoopers & IBM Global Business Services; including helping small businesses excel. Specializing in Enterprise Resource Planning, Business & Productivity Improvement, Operations, Global Leadership, and Strategy Consulting. Peter has well-honed skills in surpassing market competitors, providing business improvement processes, strategic and tactical practical solutions, increasing market share, and profit margins.
He has a multi-faceted background of international and domestic technology Implementations, company management, in both corporate and the consulting field, a proven track record of management consulting, client engagements, and C-level relationships. Peter has demonstrated exceptional adaptability in Consumer Products, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Information Technology, Mining, Manufacturing, Utilities, and Defense; always demonstrating a concrete understanding of the leadership differences required in each circumstance. He has led many distributed, diversified, and multicultural teams with members in virtual environments, remotely located in the US, and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- in 2009 As the Director of Finance
Ray Goshorn joined TAB in 2009 as the Director of Finance and is currently the Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for the company's financial and KPI reporting, management of financial risks, development of company financial visions and oversight of accounting functions. Ray has over 25 years of executive level experience in the franchise environment, working with all sizes of franchise systems from start-ups to systems with over 5,000 units. Franchisee profitability is his specialty and that passion has led to the development and implementation of many financial performance tools to assist franchise owners in achieving higher levels of profitability in their business.
On weekends you will find Ray hanging out with family, driving his 72 Chevelle, or working on a home project.
Ray's personal credo is helping create clear visions and drive focus.
Ray's personal vision is to get better in developing meaningful relationships.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Partner of RG & B Consulting Services
Richard George is the founding partner of RG&B Consulting Services in Atlanta. Established in 2010, RG&B empowers entrepreneurs to realize their full potential and develop their business to the next level of growth and profitability. RG&B provides advisory services in the form of strategic planning, business development, product marketing and succession planning. Additionally, Richard serves as a Coach and Board Facilitator for The Alternative Board (TAB), a national, membership based, peer advisory organization that helps owners strategically manage and develop their businesses.
Prior to founding RG&B, Richard had a progressive career with PFE International, a manufacturer of hardware and software mailing solutions. He started as a sales consultant in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States to develop the US market. He led the recruitment, development and expansion of the dealer network, and then served for 15 years as the CEO for North American operations. He was instrumental in growing the US market, both organically through the development of direct and indirect distribution channels and through acquisitions, while also serving as Executive Director of the parent company. Richard managed and directed the sale of PFE's Global Operations to Neopost, and then became the VP, Distribution Strategy and Acquisitions for the Neopost organization in North America. In addition he developed the Neopost sales and distribution network in Central America and the Caribbean.
Richard has over 25 years of international and domestic business and leadership experience, working for private companies with direct ownership interest and publicly traded companies. He has managed P&L's, developed strategies to grow revenues and maximize profits, managed numerous acquisitions, developed business plans, strategic partnerships and built sales/marketing organizations. He has a unique talent for understanding the opportunities, challenges and needs of small to mid-size businesses.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Owner and CEO of the Alternative Board of Nashville
Rick Lundgren is the owner and CEO of The Alternative Board of Nashville, where he supports business owners and CEO's in achieving their company and personal visions. He has more than 30 years of business leadership experience with several Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller privately owned businesses, and has proven success in business strategy planning and deployment. Executing strategy with organic revenue growth, acquisitions and new product/service introductions, Rick has led several businesses through periods of double digit sales and cash flow growth. He has extensive experience developing business leaders and leadership succession plans, and aligning management teams with the business owner/CEO vision to more quickly and effectively create business value. He has leadership success within public companies, family owned entities as well as private equity sponsored companies. Rick has career experiences in engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, business development, and global business management, including as CEO and business owner. He has a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Nebraska, and a Masters in Management from the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University. He is married with 3 children
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor
- Owner of TAB Houston South and Central
- Strategic Business Leadership Coach
Rusty Smith is a local TAB-certified facilitator and Strategic Business Leadership coach. He grew up in a family-run business in Alabama and moved to Houston in 1981. He has over 25 years of executive business experience leading, managing, building, and growing businesses. At Compaq and Hewlett-Packard he was a division manager responsible for revenues of over $1B and over 300 employees. His major areas of expertise include business development, marketing and general management for businesses ranging from startups to very mature operations. Rusty speaks German and has extensive international experience including foreign assignments, managing multinational teams, and managing global businesses. He also has significant merger and acquisition experience.
Rusty is an adjunct professor in the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, is the current president of the Houston Chapter of The Institute of Management Consulting, and is a regular contributor to The Houston Business Journal's Small Business series. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Alabama and a master's of business administration in marketing from the University of Houston.
Sigi Loya is the owner of The Alternative Board in Pittsburgh. TAB helps forward-thinking business owners increase profitability and improve their lives by leveraging local business advisory boards, private business coaching and proprietary strategic services.
Sigi graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Business Administration - Marketing. After college he entered the employee benefits field in Chicago, helping companies structure their benefit programs. As such, he worked for large insurance companies and eventually became a consultant focusing on businesses with over one thousand employees. Upon leaving corporate America, he became a key employee in a benefits startup firm. Eventually he transitioned to real estate finance.
Upon moving to Pittsburgh, PA, he worked as a loan officer for a large Pittsburgh bank before eventually founding his own commercial and residential mortgage firm. In 2007 he and his wife opened The Hormone Center, a holistic and integrative medical practice, which continues today.
Sigi is in the unique position of having served as a TAB Member for four years and as a coach/facilitator for three years before eventually becoming the owner. His interests include baseball coaching, performing live music, and running. He is originally from Brownsville, Texas.
Steve Bradley brings almost thirty years of experience as an executive sales and operations manager to his role as a TAB Executive Coach and Facilitator of TAB Peer Boards. Steve has founded and managed three companies and has coached hundreds of executive leaders.
He is a former CPA and consultant with PWC. Steve is a frequent speaker and commentator for the Workforce and Human Capital Management industry, including ASUG and other SAP and HR venues. An acknowledged leader and innovative thinker, Steve has written "Data Driven Talent Management and Workforce Management - Why You Should Do This". Steve is also the author of the online series "HR Digital Transformation - A Business State of Mind" and other postings related to the effective deployment of HCM digital technology.
Job Titles:
- President / Owner of TAB Focused Directions
- President / Owner, Facilitator / Business Executive Coach Denver DTC
Steve Drury is President/Owner of TAB Focused Directions. Steve brings 38 years of business ownership, leadership and working with fortune 100 companies around the world, customizing his approach to meet the needs of each business. In addition to TAB boards and business coaching, Steve offers consulting to prepare your business for sale, leadership and culture development and workshops focused on team alignment and individual team member fulfillment. Steve also helps businesses hire the right people at the right time to support business growth. Steve was an owner/dentist for over 20 years. He has been a business coach, small business consultant, and facilitator for over 15 years. Steve holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Northwestern University and is a certified professional coach trained by iPEC.
Susan Katz is known for helping businesses drive extraordinary growth. As a Certified TAB Facilitator and business growth advisor, Susan helps individuals and organizations align, focus on revenue generating opportunities, and create the strategic changes necessary to achieve unlimited and lasting growth.
Susan has worked with a wide range of individuals and organizations including the Better Business Bureau of Maryland, the Baltimore Ravens, Under Armour, Citi Group, Towson University School of Business, and a wide range of service based businesses.
Prior to becoming a TAB Certified Facilitator, Susan was in executive management with two major publishing firms, and responsible for revenue and profit growth throughout most of her career.
Susan is very active in the community. She is a board member for Live Baltimore, a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Susan has chaired the advisory board for the University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and was on the Dean's advisory board for the Merrick School of Business.
Susan received the 2010 Rising Star Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners Baltimore Regional Chapter and was recognized as one of the 2011 and 2013 Maryland's Top 100 Women and the 2012 Maryland Top 100 MBEs.
Susan's key to success is in believing that everyone has unique strengths and talents, and that anything is possible as long as you align with your strengths and believe in yourself.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- President of Stoll Enterprises Inc
Tim Stoll is president of Stoll Enterprises Inc., a management consulting company located in Baton Rouge, LA focused on empowering business owners to formulate strategic plans, growing sales and profits and improving organizational effectiveness.
Tim is a TAB-certified facilitator as well as a Strategic Business Leadership coach. Tim brings 22 years of experience in the specialty chemicals industry to his current role, mainly in global business management and business development roles.
Tim has BS and PhD degrees in chemistry from Davidson College and Purdue University, respectively, and an MSIA (MBA-equivalent) degree from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University.
Professional memberships include the American Chemical Society and the Chemical Development and Marketing Association. For more information about Tim, please see his LinkedIn page at http://www.linkedin.com/in/timstoll3.
Job Titles:
- COO, Certified Facilitator TAB Central New Jersey
I have spent over 25 years in various aspects of business management, including: strategic planning, buy-outs and acquisitions (M&A), and financial and cash flow management. I am passionate about helping entrepreneurs maximize the value of their companies, assess their long term growth and exit alternatives, and fund their cash flow peaks and valleys.
I started my career in banking where I gained valuable experience in raising various forms of funding. And I got an up-close view of how businesses succeed and stumble under a variety of economic and operational circumstances.
My career took an exciting turn when I became Treasurer of one of my rapidly growing clients; a family-owned, global holding company which owns about 15 middle market companies operating in a wide array of industries. As Treasurer, I raised over $800mm in financing, ran an international treasury operation and a $100mm pension plan. But my most meaningful and challenging experience was that I became a trusted advisor to the family, the Board and to our capital sources. During my time as Treasurer the executive team successfully tackled issues such as generational transfer, leadership turnover, and a significant cash crunch.
From there I took over Corporate Development for the company. In that role I worked with the CEO, the family and the Board to develop long-term strategic plans for each of our existing companies and I lead the effort to buy and sell companies across the globe; completing $2B in transactions.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- President
- President of Peer Biz Advisors, Inc
Will Shain is the President of Peer Biz Advisors, Inc., which specializes in executive coaching, management consulting and the exclusive and effective peer advisory board model, TAB (The Alternative Board). With over 30 years of business experience, Will brings a unique empathy to his work with small business owners and CEOs, highlighted by a patient and persistent attitude that is based on individual accountability and organizational effectiveness. He has been involved in a broad range of business challenges with accomplishments that include planning and executing on organizational growth and development, sales force excellence, creative marketing strategies, new product development, pricing and profitability, and other sustainable business strategies. He currently works with companies that range in size from $400,000 to $22,000,000 in annual sales with equal effectiveness. He has actively participated on corporate Boards of Directors for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Will leverages a unique educational background in the sciences with experience in research & development, manufacturing, operations and executive management, to provide insight that Owners, Presidents and CEOs value.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- President
- Owner and President of TAB Atlanta Central
William Fadul, Owner and President of TAB Atlanta Central, has been a business owner in Atlanta for over 30 years, founding The Building Firm Inc. and a founding partner of MOSAIC Design-Build Inc., a prominent and award-winning construction and remodeling firm known for its blend of innovative design and business process.
William's business experience in the small/medium company space is extensive and includes particular emphases on finance and P&L, HR/people management, sales and sales management, mentoring and coaching, and succession planning. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with a degree in English and holds certifications in the sustainable construction field as well as being a TAB-certified Facilitator and Coach.
The passion William brings to his work through TAB Atlanta Central is to leverage his knowledge and experience and the power of TAB to make every leader more effective and fulfilled, every company more productive and a better place to work, and every journey more meaningful.