Biography

I’ve spent my career helping owners and boards navigate moments where the stakes are real.

I’m a former CEO and current board advisor with over 20 years of experience working with private and family-owned businesses across manufacturing, distribution, and industrial markets. My work sits at the intersection of strategy, governance, and leadership—particularly during periods of growth, transition, or uncertainty.

EXECUTIVE & OPERATING EXPERIENCE

Before advising boards, I lived the realities boards are asked to oversee.

As CEO of a multi-generation manufacturing business, I led the company through a historic industry downturn, guided it out of bankruptcy, and repositioned the business to achieve the highest profitability in its 78-year history. I later led the sale of the company, negotiating a transaction that exceeded industry-average EBITDA multiples.

That operating experience shapes how I show up in the boardroom—grounded in real consequences, tradeoffs, and execution.

BOARD & ADVISORY PERSPECTIVE

Today, I serve as a board member and advisor to a range of privately held companies, from long-standing family enterprises to founder-led growth businesses.

My focus as a board member is not to manage—but to help boards and CEOs:

• Clarify strategic priorities

• Strengthen governance and decision-making

• Navigate ownership, succession, and leadership dynamics

• Prepare for capital events, acquisitions, or exits

I’m particularly effective in situations where companies are scaling beyond founder control, professionalizing leadership, or facing inflection points that require experienced outside perspective.

FAMILY BUSINESS & GOVERNANCE

Family businesses face a unique mix of opportunity and complexity. I’ve worked closely with owners and leadership teams navigating generational transitions, ownership alignment, and the emotional realities that often accompany strategic decisions.

My approach balances respect for legacy with the discipline required to build durable, future-ready enterprises.

ACADEMIC & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

I currently serve as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Co-Chair of the Family Business Program at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. In this role, I work with emerging leaders, teach applied strategy and leadership, and remain closely connected to how the next generation of owners and executives are being prepared.

This work informs my board perspective, but my primary professional focus remains board and advisory engagements.

PERSONAL

I earned an MBA from University of California, Irvine, and a BBA in business administration, from The University of San Diego. I have traveled to 68 countries on 6 continents and currently make my home in Reno, Nevada, with my wife of 24 years and our 2 children. In my spare time, I am an avid woodworker. Some examples of my craftsmanship are shown on the gallery page.

I bring to boards the perspective of someone who has led, rebuilt, governed, and exited—and who understands what it feels like to make decisions when the consequences are real.