Areas of Expertise

• Strategic Changes
• Strategic and Operational Planning
• Mergers/Acquisition Integration
• Manufacturing
• Family-Owned Businesses
• International Business
  

More About Phil

Phil’s experience with strategic changes began at Harvard College, while majoring in biochemistry as a pre-med student.  He also began an Air Force ROTC program focusing on the combined control of air power by air and ground troops.  This resulted in Phil becoming fascinated with strategy and collaboration and in changing his career strategy and going to Harvard Business School (HBS) for his MBA. 

As an Air Force officer and contract negotiator of change orders on the General Dynamics and North American Rockwell swing-wing F-111 fighter-bomber, he realized that pushing new space age computer technology too quickly from the Pentagon resulted in significant operational issues in the cock-pit. He learned that, “You need to take time to listen to the people who are actually flying the plane.”  

His civilian career began at NCR, in industrial engineering at a San Diego computer company NCR had acquired, where he was responsible for make/buy analyses and production outsourcing.  This was a major strategic change for NCR where it had manufactured even all the plastic keys and metal parts of its famous cash registers. He then returned home to Chicago with a consulting firm in marketing, strategy and acquisitions.  He joined Motorola, marketing two-way radios and unique system applications and eventually joined their Corporate Strategy Office where he directed joint ventures and strategy integration of acquired companies in their cellular and data communications businesses. 

That led him to Silicon Valley and Verbatim Corporation as Senior VP of Strategy and Marketing.  Within a year, he helped downsize the Company and sold it to Eastman Kodak, who asked Phil to help move it to Charlotte, North Carolina.  In the next four years, after a successful turn-around, Kodak sold the business to Mitsubishi, a JV partner that Phil had directed, for significant gains.

Phil and his wife then headed to Wisconsin to run her family’s business, Pick Heaters, Inc., a leader in steam injection heaters.  They have transformed the Company into a global competitor in liquid heat transfer systems.   They also started a very competitive polo team.

As an Air Force reserve officer with over 20 years of experience leading projects on aircraft acquisition systems and cost improvements, Phil worked closely with defense manufacturers to improve relationships with the federal government.

Recently, Phil is applying his strategy change experience to several social enterprise initiatives for non-profits, including Teen Challenge of Milwaukee, the Boy Scouts of America, and Rawhide Ranch.  He has taught MBA students at UW-Milwaukee in their final required course of Strategic Management.  He is currently developing education and consulting programs in the “strategic and sustainable change process” for corporate, nonprofit and individual clients and using his passions for classic jazz piano and horsemanship for fund raising and continuing education programs.

Phil helps select the annual Harvard Business School, Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year, including Tim Sullivan, Bucyrus in 2008 and Rich Meeusen, Badger Meter, Inc. for 2010. He has conducted strategy change seminars at Harley-Davidson, Bucyrus and Miller/Coors.