A Powerful New Vision
The Institute is the result of years of analysis, design, development and field testing best practices in building collaborative interactions — inside or outside your organization.
Our frameworks and practices are acclaimed for their qualities:
- Produce Great Results
- Easy to Understand & Learn
- Logical & Rational
- Holistic/Systematic
- Universal based on Human Nature
- Win-Win Mentality to the Next Level
Dedicated Team
About The Founders
The International Collaborative Leadership Institute is founded by a group of leaders, many of whom have worked together in a variety of projects and businesses over the last 25 years. Collectively we realized we had a large expanse of wisdom and capability to offer, along with many others we had engaged with over the years.
All of us are deeply committed to finding ways to use trust, collaboration, teamwork, and alliances to create a bold new future for our communities, our businesses, our government, and our civic organizations.
Our cause is noble, dynamic, and ever evolving and revealing.
Here are the members of the initial team that is launching the Institute:
Great Collaborative Leaders first seek to:
- Unite, Not Smite
- Guide, Not Divide
- Inspire, Not Open Fire
- Elevate, Not Denigrate
- Embrace, Not Disgrace
- Enlighten, Not Frighten
- Enthuse, Not Confuse
- Engage, Not Enrage
- Align, Not Malign
- Integrate, Not Segregate
- Lift, Not Rift
- Trust, Not Disgust
- Learn, Not Spurn
- Innovate, Not Desecrate
- Empower, Not Overpower
- Create, Not Hate
- Explore, Not Deplore
- Resolve, Not Devolve
- Demonstrate, Not Castigate
- Understand, Not Reprimand
- Reclaim, Not Blame
- Use Differences as Engines of Innovation, Not Destruction
Robert Porter Lynch, Chairman
Robert has been recognized for his groundbreaking work in creating “the architecture of cooperation” which underpins thousands of strategic alliances in this country and around the world. He has written several books and the profession’s first benchmarking studies. He pioneered the initial research in Alliance Architectures with Best Practices research beginning in 1988, followed by a series of bench-marking studies in Alliance Formation and Management in 1993, Strategic Sourcing in 1997, and e-Commerce in 1999. Mr. Lynch continues his quest to discover and innovate in the Strategic Alliance Profession. Robert is deeply engaged in the next edge of cooperation, specifically using Alliances as Engines of Innovation, the Leadership Role of Alliance Champions, the Architecture of Trust, Synergistic Negotiations, and the New Economics of Synergistic Systems.
Mr. Lynch holds a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Universities of Alberta, British Columbia, and San Diego; and has served as a faculty member of the American Management Association, American College of Physician Executives, the Canadian Management Centre and the Institute for International Learning.
Focus on Collaboration & Leadership
For over 40 years Robert has been on a quest to find the inner-architecture to successful cooperation between humans and organizations.
It began after Vietnam when Robert was assigned to the U.S. Navy’s special unit that sought to develop stronger teamwork between officers and enlisted personnel. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Organization Behavior at Harvard, Robert spent a decade as an entrepreneur, launching several successful companies.
In 1985 his focus returned to the quest, developing the ground-breaking system designs for strategic alliances.
This deep inquiry then progressed over the next two decades to:
- understanding the source-code of collaborative innovation,
- Robert’s depth of field in history, linked with his visionary insights bring the wisdom of the ages and the dynamism of possibility into the present.
- collaboration’s impact on competitive advantage,
- transforming conflict into creativity,
- neuro-chemistry of cooperation,
- lowering risk in highly complex projects,
- economics of trust,
- essence of human behavior,
- inner dynamics of high performance teams,
- spiritual vitality of synergy,
- maximizing value creation, and more…
- These elements have come together into a very simple system: the Four Alignments, the “E=mc2 of Organization & Leadership”
Download Robert Porter Lynch full bio (Resume, Writings, Programs, Cases)
Steven Rogers
Steve spent over 40 years in supply chain and supply management as a practitioner (30 years at Procter and Gamble as Coffee Supply Chain Director, Purchases Director for the Fabric and Home Care business and a Corporate Director responsible for sourcing training, skill development, internal controls and material price hedging); consultant (The Warren Co. and the Cincinnati Consulting Consortium), academic (Executive Adjunct Professor at Xavier University for 12 years, teaching MBA Business Strategy, Supply Chain and Business Management courses), and authored two books (The Supply Based Advantage and On Demand Supply Management) and several magazine/journal articles.
At P&G Steve was named the “Father of Strategic Sourcing” and won a career sourcing award for saving over $1 Billion, redesigning the coffee supply chain using key alliances with source country coffee, transportation, and silo blending suppliers; leading strategic supplier alliances in packaging materials, developmental and ongoing chemicals; and developing counter-party relationships in the financial hedging area. He was viewed as one of a handful of P&G experts in Sourcing Strategy, Supplier Relationship Management and hedging strategy skills.
Today, Steve brings to the Leadership Institute a powerful vision of “Collaborative Systems Architecture” that will guide the future of business.
Curtis Volkmann
Chief Operations & Innovation OfficerRead Bio
Curtis Volkmann
Curt is highly skilled in Cross-functional Team Leadership, Marketing, and New Product Development.
He is widely recognized for his thought leadership and advocacy in Strategic Partnerships, Business Alliances, Collaborative Leadership, and Innovation Systems.
His broad expertise in Business Strategy, Competitive Analysis, Product Development & Commercialization, Marketing Strategy, and Change Management will be extremely valuable as the Institute grows its intellectual acumen and expands globally.
Curt’s greatest contributions to the Institute are his abilities to see problems and opportunities holistically as interrelated systems, to ask the difficult questions that open new levels of thinking, and his vision to embrace collaborative innovation as a great competitive advantage in a fast moving, rapidly changing business world.
Curt has degrees from several universities, including MBA and MS (chemical engineering) from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Marquette.
Louis Traina
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATION
Dr. Traina has served in public and private higher education in Southwest Florida since 1993 holding positions of advancement vice president, foundation executive director, and campus president. He is an experienced fundraiser, community leader, and foundation executive director. He is expert in foundation finance and investment policy; audit, compliance and risk management; and board leadership and development. He led several major campaigns for Florida SouthWestern State College, Hodges University, Ave Maria University and the Diocese of Venice. He was the primary solicitor that brought the naming of the Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Hodges University, Johnson School of Business, Nichols School of Professional Studies, Fisher School of Technology, Francis Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning, Lavern Norris Gaynor President’s Chair, and Norris Hall. He received the Association of Fundraising Executives (Naples Chapter) Outstanding Fundraising Executive of the Year Award in 2013.
EDUCATION
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – TEACHERS COLLEGE, New York, New York
Doctor of Education, Adult and Higher Education, January 1989.
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, South Orange, New Jersey
Masters of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling May 1974
Bachelors of Arts of Psychology, January 1972
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN STATE COLLEGE, Fort Myers, FL, 2012 – Present
Vice President, Institutional Advancement,
Executive Director FSW Foundation
- Led college-wide advancement operations and the following fundraising vehicles: capital campaign, major gifts, planned giving, estate planning, and corporate sponsorships
- Restructured the Institutional Advancement and Foundation organization
- Redesigned and instituted the Foundation new charter, bylaws, and investment policy
- Launched the Investment Committee, the proposed Audit Committee & proposed Endowment Development Committee
- Established the chief development officer foundation position and strengthened board directors fundraising roles and responsibilities
- Led two campaigns: Suncoast Credit Union Arena and Hendry Glades Education Hall
- In 2016, received $6.7M in cash receipts and $245K in gift pledges, the largest in the College’s 55 year history
- Established the institutional effectiveness model for advancement and the Foundation
- Serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet
- Serve as a member of the President’s legislative team
AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY, Ave Maria, FL, 2011 – 2012
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- Raised approximately $9.1 million and exceeded the fundraising goal for FY 2011/2012.
- Simultaneously reduced the department’s operating budget by approximately $500,000, a 23% reduction in operating cost.
- Increased Annual Giving in support of academic and scholarship programs by expanding multi-channel acquisition, communication and solicitation.
- Established the Moves Management Cabinet and influenced participation by Trustees.
- Managed the planning of local and national events, including the February 2012 Annual Dinner which raised over $1.4 million for academic and athletic scholarships.
- Expanded Razors Edge and Net Community functionality for major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, and event planning.
- Defined fundraising roles of the President’s Council and expanded the national network of fundraising support by 18 new members.
- Led the department’s planning process and established 8 annual administrative goals.
- Implemented new development services policies and procedures.
- Revamped the Department’s Web presence, performance dashboard, and benchmarks.
- Reemphasized social media communications with Alumni and Alumni Relations.
- Placed in motion a department culture which is on message, positive, safe for thinking, visionary, and adaptable to change.
HODGES UNIVERSITY, Southwest Florida, 1998 – 2011
Vice President for University Advancement
Executive Director, Hodges University Foundation
- Exceeded the annual fundraising for each year of service.
- Led the university-wide advancement operations: major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, event planning, board development, and community relations.
- Directed all point of entry and major fundraising events
- Personally led the fundraising effort in the naming of Hodges University, Nichols School of Professional Studies, Fisher School of Technology, Johnson School of Business, and the Frances Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning.
- Directed community relations for the University and the Foundation.
- In conjunction with the Student Life established the Alumni Relations program.
- Personally recruited and provided leadership for the Foundation Board of Directors.
- Established and directed the Finance and Investment Policy.
- Established the American Military Veterans Fund Cabinet and led the development of a 1.2 million dollar fund which provides scholarships to veteran students and their families.
- Participated on the Commission of Colleges, SACS self-study planning process that resulted in receiving only 6 recommendations.
EDISON STATE COLLEGE, Collier County Campus, Naples, FL 1993-1997
Provost
- Directed all campus-based operations: academic affairs, finance, student life, alumni relations, community relations and marketing, admissions, registrar, financial aid, information resources, institutional effectiveness, institutional advancement, public safety, and the physical plant.
- Instituted the founding of the Friends of Edison Community College development board and launched a community and business relations campaign.
- Directed all point of entry and major fundraising events.
- Collaborated with Florida Gulf Coast University and the District School Board of Collier County in assuring a seamless student path from high school to upper division programs.
BROWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1990-1993
Executive Director and Satellite Campus Administrator
- Led the formation of a new satellite campus and served as the top executive for the following district operations: Distance Education, Workforce Education, Manufacturing Technology Transfer, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Corporate Training and development, and Continuing Professional Education.
- Developed the Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) partnership with IBM and raised in-kind 1.3 million dollars for the establishment and operation of the CIM Center.
- Established the Continuous Quality Improvement Center using Edwards Deming model.
- Established the Institute for Economic Development by eliminating an ineffective Technology Transfer Center.
- Efforts resulted in both saving $300,000 in state funds while generating present revenue of more than $500,000 annually.
- Provided more than 100,000 hours of training in the workplace per year.
- Integrated three continuing education operations into one district operation resulting in increased revenue after one year of operation.
NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Old Westbury, New York 1980-1990
Campus Dean, Suffolk County Campus.
- Began as the Evening Weekend Director and advanced through promotions to the Suffolk County Campus top administrator.
- Led all campus-based operations: Business Development, Admissions, Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid, Student Services, Public Relations, Safety, and Physical Plant.
- Developed and directed the university’s workforce education programs.
- Negotiated contract training programs with business and industry.
- Led the development and directed the School of Culinary Arts.
SUFFOLK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, New York 1977 – 1980
Labor Specialist IV
- In the position of the Assistant Director of the Education and Training Department, directed the manpower service division which included public service employment training, on-the-job training and workforce education.
- As the Assistant Director of Planning, assisted the Commissioner of Labor in the fiscal management of the 64 million dollar annual operating budget.
ACADEMIC TEACHING AND CHAIR EXPERIENCE
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, North Miami Beach, FL, 2001 – PRESENT
Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Chair, Fischler School of Education and Human Resources
Adjunct Professor – Taught the following courses in ground based, online & blended formats:
- Governance, EDD 8007
- Institutional Advancement EDD 8034
- Leading a Learning Organization LDR 8550
- Leadership to Shape the Future: Theory, Research, and Practice LDR 8510
- Trends and Issues: Society, the Individual, and the Professions EDD 9200
- Leadership Development through Theory and Practice EDD 8125
- Leading Learning for Organizational Sustainability OL 7006
Dissertation Chair – Higher Education Concentration
- Provided guidance to doctoral candidates in the preparation, writing, research, and approval of the Concept Paper, Proposal and Final Report.
- Advised candidates in the selection, design and implementation of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
- Assured the protection of human subjects and compliance with Institutional Review Board policy and procedures.
- Attended annual summer conferences training and certification sessions.
- Competent in Blackboard technology and curriculum design.
PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE PAST & PRESENT
LOUIS J. TRAINA, INC., Naples, FL
President
- Led the leadership gift stage of a 5 million dollar capital campaign for St. Ann Catholic School and raised the first 2 million dollars.
- Established the St. Ann Catholic School partnership with Rockhurst University’s Center for the Advancement and Reform in Education.
- Conducted the capital campaign feasibility study for the District School Board of Collier County.
PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES
- Led the planning process for the establishment of the North Naples United Methodist Church, Village School vision, mission, and guiding principles.
- Conducted the feasibility study for the proposed middle school at North Naples United Methodist Church.
- Consulted with the Village School in the development of a planning model which resulted in recent accreditation with Florida Independent Schools.
- Championed the advancement and design of multiple-intelligence and brain-compatible learning methodologies for the Village School.
- Volunteer Teacher, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida
- Volunteer, Literacy Volunteers of Collier County
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Board Director & Finance Committee, Healthcare Network of SWFL
- Board Director, Forum Club of Southwest Florida (current)
- Board Director & Finance Committee, Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board
- Board Director, Leadership Collier Foundation, Naples Chamber of Commerce
- Board Director, The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools
- Board Director, The Village School, North Naples United Methodist Church
- Board Director, American Red Cross, Collier County Chapter
- Board Director, Mental Health Association of Southwest Florida
- Board Director, United Arts Council of Collier County
- Board Director, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education
- Association of Fundraising Professionals
- Association of Fundraising Professionals, Everglades Chapter
- Greater Naples Area Planned Giving Council
- Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida
- The Alliance of Educational Leaders
- North Naples Rotary Club
Joe Scali, Director of Finance
Mr. Scali is a financial professional with over 30 years of industry experience. During his career, he has managed personal investment portfolios, authored investment research reports for Wall Street Firms. Complimenting this investment world experience, Mr. Scali also served as the comptroller for early stage technology firms in the greater Boston market. In his capacity as a finance executive, he has raised both private equity and venture capital for these early stage companies. He has worked with Christine Adamow and was a founding member of the executive management team of 3 starts ups in the software and renewable energy industries.
Joe currently assists startups with financial issues. He, also, conducts and refines several securities industry licensing and insurance exam preparation programs. The programs include both on-line web based programming and in-person lecturing. Class length ranges from half-day seminars to three full day sessions.
Mr. Scali received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and his MBA from Boston University.
Pedro Wasmer
Pedro E. Wasmer was born in Santiago, Cuba on August 10, 1940. In 1951, his widowed mother remarried and emigrated with her son to Baltimore, Maryland. In 1958, Wasmer graduated from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He continued his education at the University of Maryland, where he served as President of his class for two years, and then as President of the Student Government Association. Wasmer was a member of Sigma Chi, and was inducted into the Kalegethos Society and into Omicron Delta Kappa. In 1962 Wasmer earned a B. S. in Civil Engineering and, at graduation, was recognized with the Citizenship Award. In 1964 he completed the curriculum for a Master’s program in Latin American Area Studies at American University.
A resident of Naples, FL, and formerly of Fairfield, CT, Wasmer has been active in several civic, philanthropic, and educational activities. He served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents of the Fairfield College Preparatory School, and as Chair of its Development Committee. He was inducted into the Fairfield Prep Hall of Fame in 1989.
Wasmer has served as a Director and as member of the Executive Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. He currently serves as a Director in the Bridgeport Regional business Council; Director, Junior Chamber of Commerce; Director, Advisory Board, Discovery Museum; Nominating Committee, Fairfield Museum; Chair, Executive Committee, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport; Director, Santa Energy Corporation; Director, Community’s Bank. Wasmer also serves as Trustee of the University of Maryland Foundation as well as Trustee of the University Systems of Maryland Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Visitors of the Clark School of Engineering. In 2008, Wasmer received the Tyser Gotwals Award as an outstanding alumnus of the University, and the Centennial Medal from the Civil Engineering Department of the Clark School.
Wasmer began his career as a civil engineer. In 1964 he became involved in information technology when he joined IBM, later Honeywell, and in 1974 DPF, Inc., a lessor of high-technology equipment. In 1980, Wasmer formed Somerset Investment Services, a partnership leasing computers and other high-technology equipment to the major American and international companies. His firm merged with another leasing company and was subsequently acquired by Goldome Bank, of Buffalo, NY. In 1984 Wasmer founded Somerset Investment Services, Ltd, and in 1989, St. James Leasing Ltd. In 1996, Wasmer incorporated Somerset Capital Group, Ltd to operate as the parent of the other two companies. During December, 2007 Somerset Capital’s shareholders, which included most of its employees as well as Wasmer, sold the company to management and other investors.
Since 1995 “Hispanic Business Magazine” has recognized Somerset as one of the top Hispanic–owned firms in the country. In 2005 Somerset was listed as number 40 of the top 500. In 1998, the magazine selected Wasmer as finalist for its “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award. In 2004, Wasmer was inducted into the Free Enterprise Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Western Connecticut. In 2004, and again in 2005, Somerset was selected as one of “Inc.” magazine’s “Inner City 100” companies. In 2004, Somerset was selected as “Supplier of the Year” by the Connecticut Minority Suppliers Development Council.
Wasmer and his wife, Ann, reside in Naples, FL and have three children: Peter, married to Kathleen, lives in Naples, FL with their children, Lydia, Sophie, and Pierce; Jennifer, who lives in London, England; and M. Conrad, married to Kristi, lives in Minneapolis, MN with their daughter, Sadie Jane.
Mike Nevin
Mike Nevin is a highly experienced international strategic alliance consultant, coach and author. Mike was the founding Chairman of ASAP in Europe (ASAP is the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals) which he launched in March 2002.
Mike has consistently espoused the virtues of best practices in alliance instigation and management and it was this approach that inspired a twenty-year research programme into the common success factors of alliance relationships.
To date over 600 of the world’s leading partnering organisations in: Europe, the USA, Australia and India have benchmarked themselves against Mike’s best practice database which has resulted in the development of a highly detailed knowledge base of over 200,000 entries. It is this rigorous research and deep knowledge that allows Mike to present with authority and keen insights into the critical success factors of business to business partnerships thus ensuring that they are performing to their optimum.
Allison Byrne -- Social Innovation
Allison’s career has focused on creating innovative, collaborative solutions to systemic issues in the U.S. and Canada.
Her efforts have focused on improving industry productivity and leading a national anti-poverty non-profit in the United States through immense organizational transition.
Each were accomplished by analyzing the landscape and data, aligning stakeholders around the challenge, and facilitating a shared vision for the path forward.
She is an expert Business Strategist with trustworthy personal skills helping private and not-for profit organizations as they determine next steps in their life cycle.
Her Responsibilities and Accomplishments have been:
• Facilitating the development of company value propositions and business model designs.
• Working with leadership to identify and validate new market and growth opportunities.
• Researching and development of viability and pricing strategies for new products/services.
• Determining optimal Internal operations to support growth (organization structure, performance management, customer service and sales)
• Identifying key funding streams, including foundations, government grants and fee for service models. This has included development of funding proposals for clients.
• Monitoring overall program effectiveness and progress against contract goals. This has included customer satisfaction surveys, user support tickets (response time and frequency) and rigorous program evaluations reviewing student persistence and graduation.
• Initiating diversity, equity, and inclusion. Teams were brought together to identify key areas of improvement (strategy, program, policy) to ensure organizational integrity.
• Providing oversight to all revenue and expenditures throughout the organization and guiding the organization through revenue diversification. Through my tenure as head of operations, the organization grew 64% in core revenue, a 50% increase in fee for service customers and a 200% increase in government contracts.
Allison holds and MBA degree from the University of Alberta, and degrees in Applied Policy Studies & Political Science.
Paul Armington
Education: Hawken School (Cleveland, Ohio), 1946-54; Thacher School (Ojai, California), 1954-58; Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania), B.A. in 1962; University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. (economics) in 1966, following a year at The Brookings Institution (Washington D.C.) with a Brookings Dissertation Fellowship (focus on theory and policy in international trade).
Present Business (1999-2014): president and co-founder of the World Institute for Leadership and Management in Africa (“WILMA”), a non-profit private foundation in Washington D.C. whose focus is building capacity for leadership and management of development in Africa through an innovative business model called Community Supported Agroforestry-based Learning (CSAL). For information about CSAL and WILMA’s history, see www.wilma.us .
Earlier Employment (in chronological order):
- International Monetary Fund (1966-75), economist in the Research Department
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1970-72, Paris, France), economist in the Department of Economics and Statistics
- London Business School (1975-77, London, England), research fellow in the LBS Econometric Forecasting Unit
- Forex Research Limited (1975-77, London, England), consultant for development of models to forecast exchange rates for business purposes
- Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates, Inc. (“WEFA”) (1977-81), international finance expert of the WEFA Global Model Service
- University of Pennsylvania (1977-79), Department of Economics, lecturer for courses in international trade (undergraduate) and international finance (graduate)
- Research on management of the floating dollar (1977-80), financed by the Ford Foundation and published by The Brookings Institution (Discussion Papers Series)
- Armington, Wolford, and Associates (1981-85, Washington D.C.), founder and manager of a econometric-model-based foreign exchange advisory service
- World Bank (1981-99), consultant, manager, and advisor in the International Economics Department, with a focus on econometric forecasting, and for three years as Principal Economist in the Africa Region with a focus on capacity building
Publications: Several articles in IMF Staff Papers, starting with “A Theory of Demand for Products Distinguished by Place of Production,” IMF Staff Papers, Vol. XVI, March 1969, which introduced “Armington elasticities.” Various articles in professional journals.
Mitchelle Rivera
Mitchelle is an energetic, creative, adaptable and resourceful foreign languages educator.
She thrives in dynamic and challenging environments where she can make learning come alive.
Mitchelle works best with those who truly have a motivation to learn, despite the obstacles.
She is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian as a translator.
Mitchelle works with the Institute’s clients to ensure not just accurate translations, but a gracious and warm environment for learning and interaction. She has the ability to relate well to people from very diverse backgrounds.
She has excellent interpersonal skills, is a strong listener, and has the talent to identify and tailor programs for students, parents and institutional needs.
Mitchelle holds a degree in French and Italian from the University of Puerto Rico.
George Jergeas, Professor
Dr. Jergeas is a recently retired professor of project management at the University of Calgary. George is a Civil Engineer with an MSc and PhD in Construction Management from Loughborough University of Technology in the UK with over 45 years of construction, consulting, and academic experience.
As a Professor, George was involved in both the teaching of and research into project management and has demonstrated a strong interest in improving the efficiency of major capital projects. He has worked with project teams in oil and gas, hospitals, roads, bridges, tunneling, LRT expansions, ports, pipelines, and mining projects. George has investigated reasons for cost overruns and delays and ways to improve performance and enhance project predictability. He also developed a method for building and sustaining collaborative relationships on projects. His method has been applied on more than 180 major capital projects for organizations in Canada and the USA.
His expertise also includes project assurance, due diligence, project front-end planning, organizational and project readiness, claims and disputes resolution, risk management, construction productivity improvement, legal & ethical aspects, contract administration and contractual strategies and models.
George has provided consulting services and delivered project management training to many organizations and professional associations across North America, Asia, and Europe.
Books co-authored:
• Risk Navigation Strategies for Major Capital Projects: Beyond the Myth of Predictability, Springer, 2011.
• Benevolent Dictatorship for Major Capital Projects, Learn Academy, 2017, Amazon.ca
• Project Risk and Opportunity Management, The Owner’s Perspective, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, April 2019.
• Evolving Toolbox for Complex Project Management, Taylor & Francis Group, November 2019 – The Legal Issues chapter.
Christine Adamow, President
Christine is a highly skilled catalyst who transforms early stage companies and new ideas through technology transfer into companies that can grow and generate wealth for their stakeholders. She integrates her experience of founding, managing, operating, and advising start-up and early-stage companies with a disciplined approach to business and an inspirational perspective on leadership. Christine believes that developing people is as important as developing technology and she has built international teams with successful track records for the past 20 years. Her career highlights include using real time, intelligent engines to solve complex integrated system problems. Christine led the development of 2 enterprise software systems, now in use for medical risk assessment and same day close for stock transactions. She has lead international teams of highly skilled technology experts in the design, coding, and final versions of these tech solutions. Christine uses collaborative networking, alliance structuring, and a consensus management style to achieve high value results for her team and all shareholders.
Ms. Adamow earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simmons College in Boston in Nutrition and Child Development and Master’s Degrees from Boston University, Columbia University, and Framingham State College in Corporate Finance, Strategic Planning, and Biochemistry, respectively. Christine’s academic study includes coursework leading to the PhD in Human Nutrition at Columbia University in the City of New York. She left the program before completion of her thesis focused on the effect of Total Parenteral Nutrition on the neuroendocrine development of neonates, to start her first technology company.
Sesh Sukhdeo, International Advisor
Sesh is a highly respected global growth leader who has held a number of senior leadership roles, he has worked with numerous governments and businesses globally on capacity building and cross border trade and development. Sesh has a deep experience in the use of Collaboration, and Co Creation to support and solve complex problems. He has worked with Boards and Leaders on rapid growth interventions. His breadth of industry knowledge is tremendous from everything to collaborating with leading experts in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Youth leadership and development. Sesh is a passionate relationship architect, who drives additional value and makes a difference. Some of his past roles include International Development Director for the British Computer Society, and Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa for a world renowned skills development and assessment company. He has completed his Executive MBA on Entrepreneurship in the UK.
To Be Completed
Champion of Collaborative Leadership
Visionary, International Speaker, Advocate Author, Business Consultant, Ordained Minister and an expert in new paradigm leadership training.
Audrey is Founder and President of One World Rising, a growing global grassroots movement creating sustainable wealth on the community level.
She has a prophetic voice and a brilliant business mind and uses both to engage Government leaders, CEOs, faith leaders, entrepreneurs and global youth in a co creative process bringing innovative, cutting edge, creative solutions to the most urgent challenges of our time.
A Charismatic Speaker, Audrey wakes up audiences, empowering them to act as agents of change. Speaking to audiences of over 1000, she combines the fervor of her Pentecostal upbringing with humor and practical tools. She is a fearless communicator and a gifted teacher of consciousness, sharing new information from diverse fields such as science and quantum physics.
A Visionary Leader, Audrey is able to see problems from many points of view, building coalitions around shared interests and objectives. Her major strengths are her ability to marshal and motivate people to identify and manage resources to leverage creative energy, along with an entrepreneurial mindset to solve problems.
Audrey has a Collaborative Leadership Style. She is solution-oriented and purpose-driven, resilient, and undaunted by tough challenges.
Her conscious activism is grounded in principles of the Collaborative Economics and mutual value creation. She works with communities to create wealth that is sustainable. Audrey produces events using, art, music and dance to create safe spaces for authentic conversation.
In her talk Healing the Soul of America, she says, “When America heals, the world will heal. America is called to lead the world in a spiritual renaissance. Radical truth telling and forgiveness are required for us to heal and co-create a bold new future.
She was recognized by the G.W. Bush White House in 2006 as an expert in the field of re-entry for her accomplishments transitioning men out of prison into housing and employment, and gang members out of rivalry and bloodshed into mutual support and empowerment.
In her role as Ambassador for the Parliament of World Religions 2015 -2018 she facilitated a delegation from Kenya, Pakistan and India to attend the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto Canada in November 2018. She presented papers at the Parliament of World Religion Salt Lake City 2015 and Toronto in 2018.
Audrey’s theological foundation is from studies in religion at Rutgers State University, of New Jersey and later on the Graduate Level at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California. She is licensed and ordained and as a Non-Denominational Minister.
Earlier in her career, she excelled as a banker, being named the first woman manager in the State of New Jersey for Beneficial Management Company in 1977. She completed 3 Certificate Courses at the American Institute of Banking, and she held diverse positions in Banking and Finance including consumer and commercial debt collections having achieved recognition as an expert in skip tracing long before the internet and in achieving record breaking lucrative settlements on behalf of clients from small and medium enterprises nationwide.
As a business woman, Audrey owned a construction company in the ‘80s and secured a contract with HUD, shortly after launching her company. The contract to paint senior housing, was worth an estimated $650,000 to $1,000,000, over term of contract
Audrey has lived in Uganda and Kenya and has a vast network of emerging leaders across sectors and entrepreneurs who offer credible, lucrative investment opportunities to foreign investors.
Audrey is the mother of 2 adult children grandmother of 7 and great grandmother of 3. She is single and lives in Naples Florida. .
She is committed to changing the mindset of Westerners about “Africa needing charity” to “Africa with creative new leaders, lucrative emerging markets, and fertile soil for development and investments.”
She believes that “in every adversity there is a seed of an equivalent benefit”