Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
Sun Tzu
Entrepreneurism can transform Fortune 100 companies
My path hasn’t been typical. I started by founding two tech companies and raising venture capital. That taught me how to build from scratch, move fast, and make things happen with limited resources.
At Deloitte Consulting, I helped Fortune 50 companies reimagine their strategies and founded StartUp Deloitte, which has now enabled thousands of practitioners to explore ideas. At Citizens Bank, I built the enterprise innovation program from zero to 1,200+ engaged colleagues and delivered strategic projects directly to the Executive Committee.
Now, at Northwestern Mutual, I partner with senior leadership to architect multi-year strategies that drive measurable growth. I’ve launched GenAI tools, to evolve how our 22,000 advisors work with clients.
I’m constantly learning, usually building something, and always exploring what’s next
I’m convinced that the best strategic thinkers are the ones who never stop being curious. That’s why you’ll find me diving into new challenges outside the boardroom—not as a distraction from work, but as fuel for it.
I’ve earned my commercial pilot’s license and fly whenever I can. I’ve raced motorcycles at regional and national levels. I’m a SCUBA divemaster who’s logged dives across the Caribbean and Hawaii. My workshop is filled with woodworking projects in various stages of completion. And then there’s Sherman Acres—my property where I’m constantly tinkering with new projects, including Sherman’s Rockin Illuminations, an over-the-top holiday light display that’s become a neighborhood tradition.
Each of these pursuits teaches me something different. Flying demands precision and planning. Racing requires split-second decisions under pressure. Woodworking is about seeing possibilities in raw materials. Diving teaches you to stay calm when things don’t go as planned.
I attended Syracuse University for undergrad and graduate school
I hold a Master’s in Information Management and a Bachelor of Science with a triple major in Finance, Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises, and Information Management & Technology—all from Syracuse University.
My time there shaped how I think about building things. I won the Creative Core Business Plan Competition ($200K grand prize) with BrandYourself, became an Engagement Fellow working on regional economic development, and spent years mentoring fellow students on turning their ideas into actual businesses. Syracuse gave me the foundation to think like both an entrepreneur and a strategist—a combination that’s defined my entire career.
Today I serve on the iSchool’s Advisory Board, helping shape the next generation of information leaders.