Advisor, Coach, Consultant, Mentor

It is hard for you to know all the questions
let alone all the answers.

Find value in your Advisor relationship.

  • Wisdom from 30+ years of business experience.
  • Real-world experience as top corporate executive or successful small business owner.
  • Empathy for challenging issues in difficult situations.
  • Devoted to supporting you and your business dream.
  • Connected to business community to help solve specific needs.

Find the best path forward. Select from our network of highly experienced, thoughtful advisors who fit your business needs.

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Describing the Advisors

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CEO Roundtable Advisor

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Becoming a Better Leader

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Member Testimony

Advisor Specialties

Our Advisors work independently. Business engagements are available and must be arranged separately with each individual.

Engage an Advisor

Our Advisors provide support for a broad range of business areas.

  • Gordon Arnold

    MP, Arnold & Saunders, LLP

  • Don Baird

    Operations and sales Executive

  • George Connelly

    Attorney, Chamberlain Hrdlicka

  • John Curtiss

    Technology Sales and Marketing

  • Ralph D’Onofrio

    Fmr Exec Pennzoil Products

  • Henry Florsheim

    Henry Florsheim

    Former Managing Dir KHOU

  • Noel Graubart

    Formed Graubart & Co.

  • Geoff Griffith

    Former President Gulfmark Energy

  • Jim Griffing

    Founder Griffing & Co, P.C.

  • Rich Hall

    Rich Hall

    Small Business Advisor

  • dick hendee

    Richard Hendee

    Fmr Banking Executive

  • Gary Henderson

    Gary Henderson

    SBA Banker

  • Jim Iden

    Building Scalable Companies

  • Anthony Ierubino

    Sales & Marketing Management

  • Herbert Kalman

    Accounting and Finance

  • Mary L Kole

    Mary L. Kole

    Former Energy Executive

  • Clint Kripki

    Clint Kripki

    Energy Risk Management Leader

  • Melvin Maltz

    Multi-faceted Executive

  • Gerald Merfish

    Chairman, Merfish Supply

  • Hank Moore

    Hank Moore

    Author, Speaker, Advisor

  • Phil Morabito

    Philip (Phil)Morabito

    Founder & CEO, Pierpont

  • Ned Mueller

    Ned Mueller

    Lockheed Martin & NASA Exec

  • David Neuberger

    Former CFO/Controller

  • Monte Pendleton

    Monte Pendleton

    Serial Entrepreneur

  • Howard Rambin

    J. Howard Rambin

    CEO, Moody Rambin

  • Donnie Roberts

    Donnie Roberts

    Wealth Advisor

  • ibrahim saleh

    Ibrahim Saleh

    CFO

  • Rick Schissler

    Rick Schissler

    Serial Entrepreneuur

  • Lane E. Sloan

    Former Shell CFO

  • John Sweney

    John Sweney

    CEO of Brookwoods Group

  • Austin Tenette

    KPMG and EY

  • Joseph Tung

    Member, Grable Martin Fulton PLLC

  • Ken Wells

    MD, MBA

  • Rand Wall

    Rand Wall

  • Nooshin Yazhari

    Nooshin Yazhari

    President, Optimum

Gordon Arnold

Gordon Arnold is Managing Partner at Arnold & Knobloch, LLP, assisting clients to develop intellectual property and commercialization strategies. For over 20 years, he has represented a variety of enterprises in many industries. He has counseled clients in litigation, both in the United States and internationally, on valuation and enhancement of IP portfolios, as well as on avoiding infringement. Mr. Arnold has been the lead attorney in many cases, both for plaintiffs and defendants.

Mr. Arnold is a Fellow of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Texas Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.  He is past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, said to be the largest organization of intellectual property attorneys in the world. Previously, he served as the Secretary and as a three-year member of the Council of that organization. Mr. Arnold has been the Chair of the Patent Policy Committee of the Section and represented the Section in congressional meetings on the funding of the Patent and Trademark Office and patent reform legislation. He is also a Past-President of the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association and is a past Chair of the Patent Law Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He served on the Board of Directors of that organization until 2009 when he was elected as a Fellow.  He currently serves on the amicus committee of the Association.

Don Baird

A seasoned operations and sales executive with a history of increasing top-line revenue through effective sales and organizational skills.

Ideal Client

  • Small businesses from $1M – $50M
  • Business owners seeking directional guidance, general business advice, and solutions to business challenges
  • Businesses looking for creative sales and marketing strategies
  • Organizations seeking to break out of stagnant growth
  • Businesses struggling with organizational and/or operational issues
  • Young leaders looking for a business mentor

Areas of Focus

  • Sales, marketing planning and development
  • Streamlining sales organizations
  • Building effective compensation programs
  • Analytical skills
  • Mentoring small business CEO’s
  • Business advisory boards

Business Background

Don brings 40 years of sales and operational experience in the technology sector.  That includes the ability to train and mentor in business development and marketing of a variety of goods and services.  He started his career with IBM Corporation in the Data Processing Division, where he moved through the sales and management ranks before moving to BMC Software.  There he helped their growth increase from $50 million to over $2 billion in revenue.  While at BMC he was responsible of various operations in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Canada.  This included expat assignment in Germany and extensive time in Brazil and Argentina.  He ended his career as VP Worldwide Product sales.

Post retirement from BMC software, he began consulting for small organizations such Sirius Solutions.  He sits on several advisory boards dealing with operations and business development.  He has been involved in numerous non-profit boards and organizations.  After losing his wife to Alzheimer’s disease (at age 62) he has become a passionate supporter of The Alzheimer’s Association of Houston and SE Texas where he has served on the board as Chairman.  He has been one of the top fund raisers for the organization for the past 10 years.  Additionally, Don is a sought-after speaker on “Caregiving Techniques and Challenges,”

Education

Don has his BA from Drake University and attended Graduate School of Business there as well.  Professionally he has completed, (and taught) numerous sales and development classes at both IBM Corporation and BMC Software.

George Connelly

George Connelly grew up in Chicago, and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northwestern University. He then attended Northwestern Law School, and upon graduation accepted a position with the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. He was assigned to the IRS Office in Buffalo, New York, where he rose to the level of Special Trial Attorney.

In 1986, George came to the Chamberlain Hrdlicka law firm in Houston, Texas. He became a shareholder in 1987, and is now the head of the firm’s Tax Controversy and Litigation Section.

George has handled virtually every type of federal tax matter in both civil and criminal settings, and has appeared in the United States Tax Court, the United States District Courts in Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been published in the Journal of Taxation, and interviewed by the Texas Lawyer. In addition, George has made presentations on topics of interest to accountants, lawyers, and even IRS personnel. He recently headed up a task force for the Standards of Practice committee of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association that responded to proposals by the IRS for changes in Circulat 230, which defines the standards of practice before the IRS.

John Curtiss

Extensive background in management of technology sales, marketing, support, and business development functions with major computer systems & software suppliers. Broad industry experience in energy, manufacturing, technology and government sectors. Partnered frequently with global customers to enhance their competitiveness through aggressive and innovative applications of technology. Demonstrated track record in the building and development of high-performance teams for the attainment of stretch goals and sustained long term achievement.

Silver Fox Advisors 1998 – Present

Advisor and mentor to senior executives in small and mid-sized growth companies on issues affecting their success: organization & business development, growth planning, positioning, technology assessment, competitive strategies, cultural development, incentive compensation, strategic partnerships & mergers, decision making. Fee paid.

Silicon Graphics Computer Systems 1988 – 1997

South Central Region Manager 1991 – 1997 Led sales and support organization covering a five-state region to $130 million in revenue (FY 97) with $12 million expense budget and 55 people in 6 facilities. Additionally: – Aggressively expanded business averaging 40% compound annual growth for 6 years. – Built and managed an indirect channel organization to complement direct sales force. – Integrated second-largest Cray Research field organization within 30 days of merger.

Branch Manager – Houston, TX 1988 – 1991 Established a new sales branch for the company, expanded business in government and aerospace markets while leading entry into new energy and high technology sectors. – Grew business from $2 to $11 million in three years – Top sales branch in Central Area – 1991

McDonnell Douglas Information Systems Group 1980 – 1988
Valisys National Sales & Product Marketing Manager 1987-1988
Sales Manager, Manufacturing Industries – Houston TX 1985-1987
Sales Representative, CAD/CAM Systems – Denver CO 1980-1985

United States Navy – Surface Line Officer 1974 – 1980

EDUCATION: US Naval Academy – Annapolis, Maryland Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1974

Ralph D’Onofrio

Ralph D’Onofrio brings to his consulting practice more than thirty years of successful marketing and management experience.

Ralph’s practice is devoted to providing marketing strategy decision support in the areas of, Brand Management, Product Development and Pricing and Marketing Management. Using his highly focused marketing expertise and wealth of experiences, Ralph then creates Business Designs that will help capture value from these strategies.

Currently, Ralph devotes much of his energy to helping owners of privately-held businesses succeed by making sure their business is “On Purpose” to support the dreams and plans they have for themselves and their families. This process aligns the mission of the business with the personal goals of the owner to develop a successful well-run organization, create exit strategies and manage family issues in a positive manner.

Since starting his practice, D’Onofrio has had engagements with large, small, and medium capitalized privately held companies, along with divisions of Fortune 500 companies. Experience includes Dana Corporation, First Brands Corporation, Hughes & Luce LLP, Intermagnetics General Corp, New Century Financial, Penske Auto Centers, SPACEHAB Inc., Sun Company, and Welsh Enterprises.

Prior to the founding of his independent practice, Ralph was Executive Vice President of the Pennzoil Products Company. Ralph’s responsibilities included Brand Management of the number one selling motor oil and the number two selling brand of automotive chemicals in the United States. In addition, he oversaw Pennzoil’s National Account Department. His prior responsibilities included Vice President of Consumer Products for Pennzoil.

Ralph is a member of the Silver Fox Advisors, a group dedicated to assisting owners of privately held businesses to improve their enterprises through mentoring & consulting; and was an Executive Professor at the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston.

Ralph currently serves on the Boards of two privately held companies.

Henry Florsheim

Henry Florsheim

Ideal Client:

  • Not for Profit Experiencing Change
  • Organizational Evolution
  • Communication Strategies
  • Marketing Plans
  • Project Prioritization
  • Managerial Coaching

Background and Experience:

Henry has more than three decades of managerial experience and accountability. He thrived in a 24/7 universe overseeing the delivery offer comp accurate real-time news and information in
a changing business environment that involved reordering priorities, workflows, and strategies in a continually more competitive universe. Through the transition, he was continually involved in supporting the Houston community.

Henry Florsheim was President and General Manager at KTRK-TV, the ABC-TV owned station in Houston, for over two decades. His tenure bridged a technological revolution that fundamentally affected every aspect of the broadcast operation. Throughout the transition, Henry led a 200 plus person team that expanded its primary product—local news—changed the technical hardware and workflows in the building, and coached a team to adopt new sales and production skill sets.

Believing that localism was key to the success, Henry embraced community events. He helped forge partnerships with the Houston Marathon, and the City of Houston Freedom Over Texas July 4th celebration. He maintained the Station’s tradition of broadcast the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Parade and helped bring the Houston Symphony and Houston Art Car Parade to viewers. He helped oversee a 24/7 operation that responded to a string of natural disasters that included Tropical Storm Allison and Hurricanes Ike, Rita, and Harvey. He served as the point person in the very public retransmission battle with Time Warner Cable in 2000.

During his tenure, the Station was awarded Lone Star Emmy Awards for both Station and News Excellence. He currently serves on the Boards of Interfaith Ministries of Houston, and the DePelchin Children’s Center. He is a former board member of the Houston Food Bank and Theatre Under the Stars. He served as a Board member of the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

Education and Background:
Henry is a graduate of Brown University with a BA in American Civilization. He started his career in news and spend time at stations in Providence, Rhode Island, Chicago, and three different broadcasters in New York. His 33 years with ABC-TV included a decade in news management in New York, six years as News Director of WABC-TV

Noel Graubart

While Real Estate Development has been his main area of activity, Noel Graubart has been an entrepreneur/owner of a variety of business ventures for more than 50 years. He has extensive experience in finance, marketing, leasing, construction, management, manufacturing, and long term planning.

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

1966 – Present – Formed Graubart & Co., I.M.E. Company, Central Park Associates, J.M. Noel Homes Inc. N.R. Martin Homes Inc.

Most of these firms have been involved in construction, marketing and management of approximately 3,000,000 square feet of commercial property and 1,000 single and multi-family units. Activities have been mostly in Houston, Texas, with a branch office in Austin. Activities included site selection, construction financing, permanent financing, design layout, marketing, interaction with subcontractors, leasing, management etc.

1967 – Mr. Gleem Car Wash Systems Inc. – Built, owned and operated a full-service car wash selling Texaco gasoline and related products.

1990 – Southwest Retirement Ltd. – Formed to operate a retirement home with 183 rooms catering to individuals who lived independently, required Supportive Living help or needed care involving Alzheimer’s disease.

* Participated as an Expert Witness in a variety of matters involving Real Estate issues

1960 -1966 – Divco Wayne Corp. Manufacturers of trucks, school buses, hearses, ambulances, and mobile homes. Vice President of financing division, which handled customer financing and leasing arrangements as well as dealer inventory financing. Experience in turning around a losing manufacturing facility after 22 months of consecutive losses.

1954-1960 – Vice President – Conditional Sales Credit Corp. – Time sales financing and leasing of a variety of income-producing machinery and executive aircraft. Responsible for sales, marketing, credit criteria, internal bank lines of credit. Located in New York but operated nationally.

EDUCATION

1957 – New York University – Graduate School of Business Administration – M.B.A. in Banking and Finance

1953 – Syracuse University – B.S. in Finance and Real Estate.

1967 – Licensed Real Estate Broker State of Texas

PAST & PRESENT AFFILIATIONS

* Instructor of Real Estate at Society of Advanced Real Estate Subjects at Texas A&M University * Vice President Greater Houston Builders Association * International Council of Shopping Centers * Houston Apartment Association * Society of Industrial & Office Realtors * Texas Association of Retirement Communities * Board of Neighborhood Centers Inc./Baker Ripley * Board of Healthcare & Nursing Education Foundation * National Board of Governors American Jewish Committee * President Jewish Federation of Greater Houston * Board Republic Bank Post Oak * Prostate Cancer Committee of American Cancer Society

Geoff Griffith

Ideal Clients

  • Public and/or private midsize to large companies looking for growth through acquisition, generic development or restructuring.
  • Executive leaders, including Presidents/CEOs interested in developing interpersonal managerial skills and relationships to build a winning culture.

Proven Track Record in the Following Areas

  • Organizational Development
  • Leadership Development
  • Risk Analysis
  • Crude Oil Marketing and Transportation
  • Strategic Planning
  • Metric Accountability Development
  • Process Improvement

A senior executive with time-tested ability to build customer confidence, inspire people, promote growth, give direction and enhance profitability by managing nuances in an enterprise.

Having run a publicly traded midstream crude oil marketing and transportation company for 15 years, growing it from 125 to over 365 employees and producing record profits with adjusted EBITDA of over $350M, Geoff developed numerous skills in finance, personnel, tanker truck operations, board presentations, acquisitions, and investor relations. Is particularly gifted at dissecting problem areas and presenting solutions to move forward.

 Business and Career Background

In Geoff’s last position of 15 years as President of GulfMark Energy, the company grew from 125 to 365 employees, 75 to 265 trucks, and added four barge terminals containing approximately 745K bbls. of storage. By taking advantage of market conditions at the time, the company earned record profits and in 2013 was named one of Houston’s fastest growing companies by the Houston Chronicle.

 Education

Geoff earned B.A. in Business Administration from Colorado College and served as president and house manager of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi as well as serving on the scholastic disciplinary council.

Jim Griffing

Jim Griffing, Accounting, Finance & Taxes

Business Owner, C.P.A., Tax Consulting, Financial Reporting, Business Management, Strategic Financial Planning, Estate Amassment

High tech, engineering, construction, non-profit and retail. Jim’s clients run the gamut from complex, multi-layered corporations to aging widows simply searching for security.  Jim is a 30+ year member of Silver Fox Advisors, serving both as past President and Chairman of the Board.  Thousands of business owners and managers, as well as private individuals, have relied upon his leadership and mentoring skills to reach their own goals. During non-Covid times, the high-energy advisor is frequently sought as a speaker, engaging the community on a wide variety of tax, accounting, and consulting issues.

Although not born in Texas, Jim is a Texan by choice, having built a four-decade-long career in the Houston area. Today, he leads a personable and highly skilled team of 15 at Griffing & Company, P.C.  He simultaneously continues to work with others in many firms to mold the next generation of accountants and secure the best financial services possible for those in the region.

During his long-standing career, Jim has served clients in the following professional areas:

  • Tax compliance, planning and reporting
  • Reviews and compilations for private companies
  • Business Consulting and Benchmarking
  • Internal Revenue Service Representation
  • Financial reporting
  • Merger and acquisition
  • Retirement planning & estate management

Member of:

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners/Houston Chapter (Past President)

Houston Business & Estate Planning Council

Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants

Texas Society of CPA’s/Houston Chapter
Houston Business and Estate Planning Council

 

Graduate of:

West Chester University (Bachelor of Science in Accounting)

Drexel University (Master of Science in Taxation)

Rich Hall

Rich Hall

Small Business Advisor, Family-Business Expert

Ideal Clients

  • Owners that want to achieve their vision of success for themselves and their business
  • Leaders desiring to become world-class and need someone to help them get there
  • Businesses going through transition that want to obtain long-term growth in a fiscally responsible way
  • Privately held and family-owned businesses with revenues between $2M and $150M

Small Business Advisory Expertise

Rich focuses on rapidly identify the factors impeding growth and collaborating with business owners to develop a successful path forward. He helps develop high-performing teams and elevates each member along the way.
Rich understands the nuances of private and family-owned small businesses and the challenges they present. He provides expertise as needed in the following roles:

  • Growth strategies
  • Eliminating employee turnover
  • Leadership development
  • Business evaluation and path forward
  • Strategic planning
  • Values, Culture, and Employee satisfaction

Business and Career Background

Rich is the Founder for Rich Hall Group, a small business advisory and services firm. He has extensive experience in the corporate world that he leverages for his clients. Representative successes are:

  • President of a global 68-year family-owned business that he led the transformation from stagnation and financial distress to record profits and revenue in the same year.
  • Executive leading Client Services at a 25-year family-owned software company in a very mature market. He transitioned the company to a world-class service organization (as measured by Net Promoter Score) that participated in a very successful exit.
  • Key leader of a small, outsourced service company to participate in an event within first year of hire. Result was a triangular merger that achieved a strong exit for investors.
  • Leader of team that developed the world’s highest capacity legal discovery processing solution for the largest and most complex bankruptcy in the world (Enron). Savings for the creditors were identified as over $150M in two years.

Rich’s specialty is to leverage his experience to help clients rapidly identify the challenges holding them and their company back from achieving outstanding success. He then helps them develop a plan and guides them along the way. He ensures the leadership team is prepared to continue without him through leadership training, development, and mentorship.

Education, Certifications, and Key Associations

Rich earned his Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He earned his MBA at the University of Houston in the evenings and weekends while working full-time leading Enron’s legal data processing team during the bankruptcy. In addition, Rich is a Birkman Certified Professional (premier personality assessment tool).

Rich is a mentor for military veterans and spouses through Veterati. He is a volunteer with Prison Entrepreneurial Program (PEP) to help prepare felons to achieve lifelong success after parole.

Visit his blog at richhallgroup.com to learn more.

dick hendee

Richard Hendee

Ideal Clients – (New clients are being accepted)

  • Businesses seeking conventional financing (including SBA Loans) for working capital, lines of credit, business expansion, fixed asset (equipment and real estate) acquisition and/or refinancing, purchasing a business, or a complete debt restructure.
  • Small to mid-sized business in any type of business segment with revenues from $1.0 million to $50.0 million which are located in the greater Houston, Texas marketplace.
  • Business owners seeking financial assistance, directional guidance, general business advice and solutions to business questions, problems, and challenges.

Financial Services Industry Executive with years of experience working with and listening to small business owners’ desires, ideas, plans and concerns and developing well thought-out and researched solutions that meet their individual needs or accomplish their respective goals in a mutually agreed upon manner that can actually become reality.

Proven track record in the following areas:

Business Plan Development Effective Negotiating Working with Financial Institutions
Financial Management Relationship Building Strong Analytical Skills
Organization Improvement Strategic Thinking and Planning Dealing with Difficult Situations
Budget and Forecast Modeling Setting up Advisory Boards

Business and Career Background

Richard has worked for large national financial institutions as well as regional and local community banks. He has held positions as Regional President, Senior Vice-President, Department and Group Manager, and National Marketing and Sales Director, and Branch Manager. Financial services groups reporting to Richard have included small business banking, international and domestic private banking, executive and professional banking, consumer banking, indirect auto, student lending, central credit, mortgage lending, workout solutions, and community development.

As Director, President, or Officer with over 30 different organizations, Richard has a long history of serving in leadership capacities in the non-profit and community service sectors.  Currently, he is the Chairman of the Silver Fox Advisors and President of the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund. He was the first non-attorney to Chair a State Bar of Texas Committee and a local Houston State Bar Grievance Committee. He is also a life member of two public service entities. He has received numerous awards including the Independent Bankers Association of Texas’ President’s Award.

Horizon Associates, Inc.
P.O. Box 55
Katy, TX 77492

Gary Henderson

Gary Henderson

Jim Iden

Jim has over 30 years in the personnel consulting profession working with intra and entre-preneurs, maximizing career and life successes.

Driving success outcomes to maximize individual, team, and organization performance through:

  • Vision development and communications
  • Results-focused goals, strategies, and tactics
  • Recruitment and retention solutions
  • Career coaching and advisement
  • Design and implementation of exit strategies

Beginning his career as a search consultant, Jim acquired the firm and began implementing his vision strategies; diversifying into new vertical and niche markets.

Jim designed and implemented development programs with associated key performance standards for team member career growth from Associate to Team Leader, Division Manager, Partner and Shareholder Principal.

Anthony Ierubino

A seasoned executive with demonstrated results in increasing sales revenue profitably while keeping accounts receivable in control. Able to excel in both large and small company environments.

 Ideal Clients

  • Companies seeking sustained revenue growth or experiencing lagging sales revenue
  • Clients that can benefit from strategic account planning
  • Start-ups that struggle with how to convert an idea into a profitable enterprise
  • Clients having difficulty increasing prices while managing active inflation

Proven track record in the following areas:

  • International Business
  • Sales and Marketing Management
  • Mentoring
  • Chemical and Refining Industry Support
  • Profit & Loss Management
  • Residential Real Estate Management

Experience

Tony has served as a process engineer, Product Manager, General Manager, Director/VP/SVP of Sales and Corporate Account Management over the past 43 years. In addition, he served as the President for both an American and Canadian-based subsidiary of a multi-national corporation while holding a seat on the board of directors for these and subsequently two additional entities.

Many of these roles required developing customer relationships around the world, requiring knowledge of local customs and market conditions in the pursuit and maintenance of new business. Industry best practices were implemented regarding sales metrics, rationalization of payment terms and accounts receivable, managing letters of credit, and contract development/execution, ultimately resulting in enhanced top and bottom lines.

Revenue responsibility levels ranged from $5 million to $1.5 billion per year, primarily with petrochemical, refineries/oilsands, utility, and midstream oil and gas companies. The market position of the products and services managed in these roles ranged from concept introduction to industry leader.

Increasing prices while balancing the desire to maintain and grow the business was a key learning point for the sales organizations under his tutelage. In today’s high inflation environment, this is a particularly important skill set for all organizations.

In 2008, Tony and his wife started a company that acquires, refurbishes, and rents residential real estate property. The company remains in operation today.

 Education

Tony earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree from LeMoyne College as well as a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College.

Herbert Kalman

CPA/Business Owner

During his over 50-year career, Herb has had various roles including Partner with three National Accounting Firms. Twice started a local accounting firm to be the springboard for mergers, acquisitions, and the eventual sale of the accounting business. Experience also includes role of CFO with a start-up publicly traded company and a start-up private company. Currently on the Board of Directors of a distribution company.

Skills and Abilities

  • Accounting and Auditing – Audited private and public companies. Herb can be valuable as member/chair of the audit committee as well as a resource to the CFO in connection with the impact of changes in accounting principles.
  • Growth through acquisition– Herb has participated in numerous company acquisitions and business sales both as a principal and as an advisor.
  • Organic growth – Herb has grown accounting firms through the addition of services and key people.

Professional Organizations

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • Houston Chapter of Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts
  • The ESOP Association (served on finance committee)
  • Founder – Houston Chapter, Private Director’s Association
  • Silver Fox Advisors

Volunteer Organizations

Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Board of Trustees and Budget Chair, 2004-2014, Treasurer, Vice-President and member of Executive Committee 2014-2017. Formed and served on audit committee. Currently Chairman of audit committee and member of the Board of Trustees.

Speeches/Seminars

Speeches at ESOP Association conferences:

  • A Journey in Re-leveraging.
  • Corporate Governance – Views from an Appraiser, a Trustee, and a Banker.
  • Advanced Accounting Issues for ESOP Owned Companies.
  • How to Get More Value From Your Appraiser.

Speeches to Merger and Acquisition Forum, Houston

  • Seller Due Diligence.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan as an Exit Strategy.

Seminars to Houston Chapter of Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants

  • Principals of Business Valuation.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan as an Exit Strategy.
  • Exit Strategies for Privately Owned Business.
  • Managing an Accounting Practice.

Speech to National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)

  • Valuing ESOP Owned Companies.

Speeches to University of Houston Bauer School of Business Alumni

  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan as an Exit Strategy.
  • Exit Strategies for Privately Owned Business.
  • The Annual Business Check-Up. How Good Corporate Governance Adds Value.
Mary L Kole

Mary L. Kole

Specialties

  • Advisory Boards
  • Leadership Development
  • Operations Management
  • Strategic Planning

Background and Experience

After 30 years of working in line and staff positions in multi-national corporations, Mary Kole started a consulting practice focused on assisting leaders of public and private companies with the development and implementation of strategies to achieve company or organization objectives.  Her recent clients have included integrated energy, engineering services, power generation, business consulting, software development and service companies as well as non-profit organizations. Mary is a professional Business Leadership Mentor and former Chairman, President and Vice President of the Silver Fox Advisors.

With multi-national energy companies, she held various positions of increasing responsibility including General Manager, Global Operations where she led a global organization responsible for transportation of refined products via ships, barges, pipelines, and railcars, for inventory levels throughout the supply chain, for a recycled-oil processing plant and for ship bunkering operations in the Panama Canal. As Manager of Retail Marketing, she managed an organization with profit & loss responsibility for supplying a network of 2000 retail service stations including service station acquisitions and divestitures, real estate sales, credit exposure, brand presentation, advertising, and retail imaging.

As President of Industry Model Enterprise LLC, an organization she created, she led 140 employees from 14 oil companies to develop a breakthrough vision for streamlining the industry’s mid- and back-office processes through a standardized, web-enabled solution.

Mary also managed a commercial trading business, directing a team of refined products and feedstocks traders engaged in short-term and long-term trading, purchase and sale agreements. She held the position of Accounting and Finance Manager where she supervised a team that provided financial analysis, accounting, and back-office support for crude and refined products physical, futures, and options trading.

Earlier in her career, Mary served as a Market Research Analyst with a major Japanese motor company, designing and conducting market research studies for current and future car models.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, both from the University of Southern California.  Having lived in Mexico City as a child, she is fluent in Spanish.

Clint Kripki

Clint Kripki

Ideal Clients

  • Mid to Large businesses with premise square feet of 20,000 or greater that pay their own Energy costs
  • Large real estate portfolios, manufacturing, multi premise facilities, Schools, Cities and Towns
  • Companies in deregulated Energy Markets (TX, NJ, NY, OH, IL, PA – Main ones)
  • Leaders who face disruption in their organization and want to develop a goal setting and accountability model
  • Leaders who are committed to learning and growing professionally and personally

 Management Leader charged with the responsibility to direct the work of multiple sales teams who are responsible for providing solutions and services through both channel partners and directly to clients.

Proven track record in the following areas:

Channel Partner Strategy                   Sales Accountability/Performance                   Disruption Management

Energy Risk Management                   Coach/Leadership Development                      Collaborative Relationships

 

Clint is currently utilizing his 25 years of experience as a Senior Director of Sales to make contributions to establishing and exceeding sales goals, developing strategic initiatives with increasing sales and management responsibility in collaboration with executive management.  Clint consistently and persistently demonstrates leadership insights to develop and increase market innovations and maximize profitability.

Business and Career Background

  • Nesbitt Burns/Bank of Montreal where he was responsible for developing a risk management plan for small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
  • OM Technology as the Project Lead to develop an Electricity Exchange with a variety of stakeholders including the Toronto Stock Exchange.
  • Roles in business development and risk management advisory at GFI, Spectron and Choice Environmental
  • Developed, from the ground up, a large-scale commercial aquaponic farming venture.
  • Mantis Innovation which enables him to make a significant positive impact for his company, his clients, and his team through his core competencies of teamwork, decision-making, and leadership skills.

Education and Certifications

Clint earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with Double Honours in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Saskatchewan and went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.  He is also a Certified Ziglar Coach and trained Yoga Teacher.

Melvin Maltz

Ideal Client

  • Owner or CEO of a business with revenue less than $10MM
  • Owner or CEO desiring to retain Key employees by providing “Special Benefits to him/her”
  • Owner or CEO wishing to provide retirement benefits to all employees
  • Owner or CEO desiring programs for key employee retention, retirement planning, and minimizing exposure to federal estate tax
  • Owners wishing to plan succession benefits for active and inactive children
  • Families desiring to have insurance benefits for themselves or parents for Specialize nursing care

Seasoned Executive

Melvin has experience in merging, acquisition or selling both manufacturing and distribution businesses and desiring to use his experience to assist the owner or CEO in retaining and benefiting all employees.

Business ability demonstrated through leadership positions as Board Chair of South Texas Division of American Cancer Society, Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University, Visiting Nurse Assn,Vice-President of Texas Division of National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Business Career

Maltz left Century Papers Inc as V. P Manufacturing to form National Inpak Corp. NIC owned low temperature manufacturer of cellulose insulation with superior acoustical and thermal properties; and a second sub that manufactured folding paper cartons and distributed equipment and plastic film for skin, blister, and overwrapping of products. After leading these two businesses, Maltz sold them and became an independent life insurance agent focusing on benefits for the owner and his key employees. Maltz earned life time membership in the life insurance Million Dollar RoundTable.

Education

After military service in the Army Air Corps during WW II, Maltz earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Commission as 2nd Lt, Air Force from Texas A&M University. During his business career, courses were successfully completed in cost accounting, finance, and business management at Babson College, University of Houston, and American Management Association. October 2013 Maltz was designated as Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M.

Gerald Merfish

Gerald has a 40+ year career as an entrepreneur and executive in a family business.
During this time period he has dealt with the following business challenges:

  • Managing a family business with multiple generations
  • Making acquisitions including, purchasing competitors
  • Vertical integration to source and manufacturing
  • Geographic expansion
  • Import and Export Transactions, including Letters of Credit
  • Financing growth
  • Developing and motivating a management team
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Supply Chain Distribution & Metrics
  • Developing and executing an Exit Strategy
  • Working as the CEO/minority partner with a Private Equity majority owner
  • Strategic Planning to develop Mission, Core Values and Growth-Profits Strategy
  • Oversight and reorganization of By-Laws and Board Governance
  • Mentoring young adults as they find their way, including members of the US Military as they transition into their post-military careers.
  • Member of a community bank Board of Directors for a bank that was sold to a competitor—served a Chairperson of the Director’s Credit Committee.

In addition to his business career, Gerald has extensive non-profit experience including Board and leadership experience with:

  • United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast
  • Jewish Community Center of Houston
  • National MS Society—Lone Star Chapter
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Houston & the Jewish Federation Endowment Fund
  • Houston Independent School District Foundation
  • Congregation Beth Israel & the Beth Israel Endowment Fund
  • National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors (NASPD)
  • American Leadership Forum (also designated as a Senior Fellow of ALF)
  • Co-managed a number of capital campaigns for numerous non-profits

Gerald is proud to have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas-Austin.

Hank Moore

Hank Moore

Ideal clients:

  • Company at a crossroads, needing to grow, merge or roll up.
  • Company and industry groups needing the wisdom of a credible second opinion from the Big Picture of Business perspective.
  • Company planning retreats, with Hank Moore as featured speaker-presentor.

Hank Moore is the highest level of business overview expert and is in that rarified circle of experts such as Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, Steven Covey, Peter Senge and W. Edwards Deming.  Drucker termed Hank Moore’s Business Tree™ as the most original business model of the past 50 years. The Business Tree™  is his trademarked approach to growing, strengthening and evolving business, while mastering change.

Hank Moore has advised many of the top CEOs on strategy, leadership and growth, including Disney, Marriott, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, United Way, Texaco and hundreds more.  He advises companies about the Big Picture issues which profoundly affect the business climate.  He has presented Think Tanks for five U.S. Presidents and has spoken at six Economic Summits.

Mr. Moore has provided senior level advising services for more than 5,000 client organizations (including 100 of the Fortune 500), companies in transition (startup, re-engineering, mergers, going public), public sector entities, professional associations and non-profit organizations.  He has worked with all major industries over a 40-year career.  He advises at the Executive Committee and board levels, providing Big Picture ideas. 

Hank’s book series “The Big Picture of Business” has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize.  “The Big Picture of Business” is a trilogy, with Book 4 in production. Two others in the series are “Non-Profit Legends” and “Pop Icons and Business Legends,” both also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.  All 12 of Hank’s books have just been named to the Great Books Section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where Hank was inducted in 1992).

Proven track record in the following areas:

Visioning & Strategic Planning Company Reorganizations Crisis Management Preparedness
Growth Strategies Programs Reorganizing Board of Directors Creative Idea Generation
Re-Engineering Mergers& Acquisitions Executive Think Tanks
Non-Profit Consultation Performance Reviews Board & CEO advising

Categories of Speaking Engagements:

  • Executive Think Tanks for corporate leadership
  • Association and corporate leadership development institutes
  • Economic development symposia and conference Futurism keynoter
  • Instructing business leaders how to conduct Strategic Planning

What sets this series apart from other business consulting:

  • Discerning sources of business advice.  Collaborations, partnering and joint-venturing.  How to create and change corporate cultures. Vision that transcends hype and pretense.
  • Understanding and dealing with distractions.  Avoiding the rabbit holes to stay focused.  Getting the success that you deserve.  Properly mentoring the next generation of leaders.  Results based planning.
  • Taking the offensive to be strategic.  Creating a career body of work.  Customer focused management.  The business leader as community leader.  Keeping it real and sustaining success in the long-term.
  • Getting, keeping and inspiring stakeholders.  Performance based budgeting.  Learning from the past to master the future.  Branding and marketing under the umbrella of Big Picture strategy.
  • Mastering the Big Picture.  Escaping the partial-niche mentality.  Meeting marketplace demands with innovations.  Learning from failures in order to succeed.  Fine-tuning people’s behaviors into collective strength.
  • Why businesses go bad and how to avoid the traps.  How to succeed beyond previously-held beliefs.  Evolving the workforce into professionals who go the distance.  Cause related marketing as a definitive success strategy.
  • How to innovate.  Creative business after-markets.  Benefiting from change.  Discerning true business consultants from vendors.  Creating business partnerships that previously did not exist.
  • How and why to move the future.  Understanding trite expressions in order to create real strategies.  Why good organizations click.  Professional development they are not getting.  Communications strategies.
  • Crisis management and preparedness.  Quality control.  The path from innovation to success.  Businesses in transition.  Public company obligations.  Charity involvement.  How good companies do great things.
Phil Morabito

Philip (Phil)Morabito

Ideal Clients

  • Public and private companies in energy, healthcare, technology, professional and financial services
  • Mid-sized to large businesses with revenues of $5 million or more
  • Industry and executive leaders who are seeking to build their corporate reputation and partner on strategic integrated communications campaigns

Seasoned Executive with a history of demonstrated entrepreneurial leadership and proven results for clients across numerous industries through strategic integrated communications, media relations, community engagement, and thought leadership.

Proven track record in the following areas:

Public Relations Entrepreneurship Leadership Development
Investor Relations Media Relations Crisis Communications
Strategic Communications Corporate Communications Reputation Management

Phil has more than 37 years of experience in public relations and marketing, beginning with a Madison Avenue PR firm in New York City before founding Pierpont Communications in Houston. He has led Pierpont to represent the country’s most influential brands across a diverse range of industries. Phil has grown a company that provides proven results by leveraging Pierpont’s insights, expertise and relationships. 

Business and Career Background

Philip Morabito, CEO of Pierpont Communications, founded his company in 1987. A born entrepreneur, Phil hired his first employee in 1992 and now oversees the largest independent integrated marketing and PR firm in the southwest – with offices in Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and New Jersey – and was named a 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Houston.

Prior to starting Pierpont, Phil was a Senior Account Supervisor at Robert Marston & Associates in New York City. He managed major accounts with large budgets including Spalding Sports Worldwide, Pillsbury, Levi Strauss, Dean Witter, Control Data Corporation, and The Marriott Corporation.

Passionate about education, Phil has been an adjunct professor at the University of Houston since 1988, and today teaches a course in integrated marketing communications in the Graduate School of Business. He recently established the Advisory Board for the Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston and serves on the Board of Directors.

Education and Certifications

Phil earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Charleston, where he is actively involved with the Board of Trustees, and an MBA from the University of South Florida. Phil was recognized as the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO in 2018, and under his leadership, Pierpont has been named a Best Place to Work a total of 12 times. The firm is a five-time Houston 100 company, among other prestigious recognitions. Phil was also selected as the 1999 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Greater Houston Partnership CEO Roundtables for small businesses. Locally, he serves as an advocate for charitable organizations through his involvement with the San Jose Clinic, Theater Under the Stars (TUTS), Houston Technology Center and John Paul II Catholic School. Phil also contributes as a member of several professional organizations including the International Association of Business Communicators, American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America, Silver Fox Advisors, and Vistage International.

Ned Mueller

Ned Mueller

Ned Mueller is a highly effective leadership professional, who rapidly and astutely identifies critical organizational issues, system drivers, and essential dependencies to build and implement effective programs.

Mr. Mueller is Founder and CEO of Mueller Consultants LLC, a Veteran-owned business providing sound and effective Operational Risk Management and Senior Leadership insight and guidance to Business Owners and C-level Management. Mueller Consultants brings in-depth and highly effective operational backgrounds in Aviation, Aerospace, Maritime, Nautical, and Oil & Gas Surface and Subsurface environments. We bring “Technology to Business and Sound Business Fundamentals to Technology.” Ned is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt Professional and Change Management Specialist.

Upon graduating from the U. S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Marine Engineering, Ned received his commission as a Marine Corps Second Lieutenant in 1976.  Subsequent to completion of The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia and flight training, he was designated a Naval Aviator in 1978.  During his career as a Marine fighter pilot, he held a number of leadership positions in operational squadrons.  A graduate of the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School (Topgun) and Test Pilot School and member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he also completed course requirements toward a Master’s in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee.  His active service included flight instructor duties during the introduction of the F/A-18 in the early 1980’s and heading F/A-18 flight test at Patuxent River, Maryland from 1990 to 1993.  During this tour, Ned served as lead government representative establishing the F/A-18E/F Integrated Test Team.  Mr. Mueller served in combat as an augment pilot to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232 in Desert Storm and as Commanding Officer of VMFA 312, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), during Operation Deliberate Force.

After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1997, Mr. Mueller joined Lockheed Martin and led contractor tasks on NASA’s X-38 International Space Station Crew Return Vehicle Prototype at Johnson Space Center (JSC).  Until February 2005, Ned served as Advanced Vehicle Manager for Lockheed Martin Space Operations in Houston, Texas.  In addition to the X-38 project, his responsibilities have included tasks associated with: Orbital Space Plane; Crew Escape System; STS-107 Columbia Mishap Investigation and Recovery Efforts; and Space Shuttle Program Return to Flight Activities.  Subsequent to the STS-107 tragedy, he performed additional duties as Columbia Task Force (CTF) Johnson Space Center (JSC) Representative, responsible for coordinating JSC’s technical, institutional, and programmatic interfaces with the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB).  After completion of his duties with the CTF, Mr. Mueller assumed added responsibility as Management Panel Representative for NASA’s Return to Flight Task Group, which was charged with independently assessing NASA’s compliance with CAIB report recommendations.  He subsequently worked for ARINC, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, to develop opportunities and establish company capabilities in aerospace, transportation, energy, security, and public safety sectors for Houston and the Western Gulf Coast region.  During late 2006 Ned joined GB Tech, Incorporated, a high technology, and aerospace firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, region with additional activities in the contiguous United States and overseas.  He subsequently assumed responsibility for all operations and business development as Vice President and General Manager, Operations.

 

David Neuberger

Ideal Client  … A company needing to improve

  • Working capital efficiency
  • Financial reporting systems
  • Cash management mechanisms
  • Cash forecasting capabilities

Seasoned Financial Executive with history of assisting company and organizations in solving financial, accounting and audit issues.

Proven Track Record in the Following Areas

Cash management Reducing working capital Financial reporting
System implementation Efficient internal controls Audit issue resolution
Acquisitions and divestitures Cost accounting systems

David utilizes this knowledge, gained over 40 years of successful financial management, in assisting small and medium-sized companies and non-profit organizations in supporting their financial, accounting, and internal audit needs.  He uses his expertise to improve financial reporting, developing cash forecasts and budgets, reducing working capital, implementing internal control procedures, and enhancing general and cost accounting systems.  One of the hallmarks of his career has been the implementation of systems and procedures that have dramatically improved working capital utilization.

Business and Career Background

David has held positions as the CFO, Controller, Treasurer, and Director of Internal Audit for multi-national corporations. These companies have been industry leaders in a wide variety of industries including oil service, chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.  He has successfully increased the efficiencies of the various financial teams he has managed and led implementations of numerous financial software systems. Recently he played an important role in the creation of a global shared services operation, which handles payables, receivables, and accounting, allowing a domestic company to reduce its financial staff in half with savings of $1.5 million.

David is actively involved in non-profit organizations including participation and leadership on the boards of private schools, civic organization, his congregation and country club.

Education and Certifications

David earned a BS in Industrial Management at Purdue University and an MBA at the Harvard Business School.

 

Monte Pendleton

Monte Pendleton

Ideal Clients

Specializing in established companies with up to 50 employees.

“Helping Business owners to make more money and have more fun.”

Specialty
Mentoring Houston Entrepreneurs on their Missions, Strategy, Plans, Profit and Sales Growth.

Silver Fox Advisors, Inc.
• Charter Member, Past President and Chairman of the Board
• Over the past 15 years I have successfully mentored over 100 Houston entrepreneurs, increasing both sales and profits and solving major internal problems.

Experience 

SunX International, Inc.
• Founder and CEO for 15 years
• Franchised over 500 dealers and distributors of DuPont’s SunX Glass Tinting in 69 countries

Brickstone International, Inc.
• Founder and CEO for 4 years
• Established over 100 franchised dealers nationwide who sell and install US Gypsum’s Brickstone Sculptured Masonry

Lusterock International, Inc.
• Founder and CEO for 3 years
• Franchised 100 domestic manufacturers and installers of Lusterock Decorative vanity tops

Education
University of Missouri B.S. Civil Engineering with courses at Harvard, U.C.L.A., U.of Chicago, and U. of Houston

Organizations
Silver Fox Advisors, Past President, Board Chairman
International Franchise Assn., Past President and Director
Young Presidents Organization, Vice Chairman, Director
World Presidents Organization, Forum Facilitator
Dover Club, Vice President, Director
Breakfast Association, 50 years, Director
Greater Houston Partnership, Roundtable Facilitator, Steering Committee.
Stakeholder and Mentor of U.H. Wolfe Center of Entrepreneurship
Advisory Board of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program

Boards
Served on 5 Corporate, 1 Bank and 11 Organization Boards

Honors
• Houston Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award
• President Kennedy’s “:E” Award for Export Achievement
• President Johnson’s Small Business Development Commission
• 1995 Delegate to President Clinton’s White House Conference on Small Business
• Featured in Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Professional Review, Money Magazine, Houston Business Journal, Chronicle and Post

Howard Rambin

J. Howard Rambin

Ideal Clients

  • People within the Moody Rambin organization
  • Other business people at all stages of company or career development
  • Recent college graduates
  • Addicts
  • Convicts, both in and out of prison

Background

Howard is a Co-Founder and current CEO of Moody Rambin, one of Houston’s premier, full service commercial real estate firms, serving owners, tenants and investors in the office, industrial, retail and investment sectors, primarily in the Houston SMSA since 1969.

Howard’s experience with the firm has been as a developer and owner of office building, motels, apartments, and condominiums, with the primary focus on the office sector.

Currently, the firm operates as a service provider for third parties. Howard’s specialty in this arena is in leasing representation for owners and tenants. He also offers consulting services, providing his clients with the unique perspective of a developer, owner, and broker/agent.

Throughout his career, Howard has been active in the venture capital space, starting or helping start several firms. In addition, he is active in the venture capital sector in Houston through his membership and participation in organizations such as the Houston Angel Network and entrepreneurial programs at the University of Houston and Rice University.

Currently, Howard devotes considerable time to coaching and mentoring and this stems from his recognition of the statements:

  • If I only knew then…..
  • Life is like a bank account, you can’t take out what you don’t put in

Howard’s focus is on helping others in reaching their goals, achieving financial independence, and overall improvement of their quality of life.

His areas of coaching include:

  • People within Moody Rambin
  • Other business people at all stages of company or career development
  • Recent college graduates
  • Addicts
  • Convicts, both in and out of prison

His business coaching/mentoring areas of strength are:

  • Visioning, strategy, tactics
  • Planning
  • Marketing
  • Sales
  • Accounting
  • Finance

Howard’s life has taken him back and forth from New Canaan, CT and Houston. He is a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Kinkaid Academy, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and SMU.

Howard is a member of Houston Country Club, The Houston Angel Network and several non profit organizations.

He founded Keep Houston Beautiful in the early 70s’s as an organization to fight litter and beautify the city. For this, he was recognized by the mayor in proclaiming November 3, 2003, as J. Howard Rambin, III Day.

Howard’s family includes his wife, four children and a multitude of dogs.

Donnie Roberts

Donnie Roberts

Donnie Roberts is the Vice President of Logic Capital Management, a Registered Investment Advisory firm that offers personalized advisory services to business owners, corporate executives, business professionals, and their families, in the areas of financial planning, investment management, tax mitigation, estate and trust services, and charitable giving.   Additionally, he has extensive knowledge in small business retirement benefits, behavioral economics, retirement accumulation and distribution analysis, and more recently the personal purpose process.   Every relationship is built around the needs of the individual with success measured by client satisfaction and the attainment of their goals.

He has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Sam Houston State University, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) licensee and has served on numerous non-profit boards and organizations in the Houston area.   He follows the fiduciary standard of care that states “client’s needs come first” and holds the duty of client loyalty and care in the highest regard.

ibrahim saleh

Ibrahim Saleh

Ideal Clients

Ibrahim is passionate about helping CEOs/Owners/Leaders of various sized businesses realize their potential and achieve growth. Clients achieve organizational effectiveness and continuously improve their management processes once equipped with the Operational and Financial key performance indicators (KPIs) needed to make informative decisions.

  • Start-up product and/or service companies
  • Small to mid-sized businesses with revenues from $1MM to $50MM positioned to grow their sales, profitability, and leadership capability
  • Leaders who are committed to learning and growing professionally and personally

Proven track record in the following key focus areas:

  • Risk Management
  • Financial & Capital Mgmt
  • Planning & Strategy
  • Start-ups
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Operational Excellence
  • Business Development
  • Organization Effectiveness


Operational CFO with a 25-year history of delivering results as a Principal Consultant, Entrepreneur, CFO, Directory of Planning and Strategy and Business Owner, who built a career on successfully leading finance and operational teams towards common goals. This diverse experience in a wide range of locations, roles and companies (from large international corporations to small privately held) enables him to deliver unique value to clients. Business and Career Background

In early 2019, Ibrahim founded TaQtics Consulting Group with the vision to be the #1 trusted advisor for CEOs, Leaders and Entrepreneurs, optimizing business models and achieving the highest possible growth.

TaQtics Group’s mission is to equip owners with practical tools, as well as the right operational and financial data to enable informative decisions, and pursue future growth in a deliberate, strategic way. With this approach, we intend to elevate a generation of leaders to be the most educated, well-informed, and successful group possible.

 

Education and Certifications

Earned Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration degree, with a major in accounting, from Helwan University in Cairo

Completed numerous Organizational, Leadership and Business Strategy courses

Certified Score Mentor and Board Member of several local and national not-for-profit organizations

Rick Schissler

Rick Schissler

Ideal Clients

  • Small businesses with annual revenues from $1MM – $25M
  • Owner is committed to growing revenues and building a strong organization top to bottom
  • Owner is willing to establish their personal purpose with the business including their future exit from the business

Experienced entrepreneurial/business owner with over 40 years of quantifiable achievement with start-up as well as established businesses. Business background in the purchase, development and final disposition of multiple businesses; as well as the turn around and leading of strategic business units. BBA with specialty in Real Estate/Finance from University of Texas at Austin and JD from Bates College of Law (UofH)

AREAS OF MENTORING

  • Company Formation / Start-up Consulting
  • Business / Enterprise Turnarounds
  • Strategic / Creative Marketing / Planning
  • Human Resources Management
  • Margin Improvement
  • Contract Review and Negotiation
  • Relationship and Team Building
  • Family-Owned Businesses

Business and Career Background

Rick grew up in a family-owned business whose core business became the largest of its kind in North America. The business expanded into other fields which allowed Rick the opportunity to grow into many different positions. He served as director of sales/marketing for over 200 stores, as well as general manager for various business units. When the family business expanded into real estate, he worked his way up from a leasing agent, property and construction manager to become Vice-President of Real Estate operations which oversaw over 100 properties in multiple cities.

The second half of Rick’s career, if you will, started when at the age of 30 he struck out on his own. Rick purchased, started, built and later sold several businesses. Founder and principal of electronics firm that specialized in development and marketing of proprietary chip-based products. First, he led a group of investors who purchased a 70-year-old regional sign business. His next business he started with a partner and a total capital contribution of $1,000.00. The company developed and manufactured automation products for conveyor controls, POS and time and attendance. Rick directed sales/marketing efforts including market planning, distribution network setup and ongoing sales fulfillment.

When he sold his interest in the electronics business to his partner, he started an administrative management company. The company offered outsourcing for insurance, accounting and purchasing management to a number of small business clients. Rick also financed and help a young entrepreneur start a technology service company that provides business technology to small-medium sized professional businesses in the Houston area. 

Rick has been a Silver Fox Advisor for 15+ years working as an advisor/mentor with start-ups and small businesses in different fields. He also currently mentors 3 business roundtables sponsored by the Silver Fox Advisors, two of which are made up of area non-profit businesses. His radio show, The Weekly Business Hour, is broadcast every week on Lone Star Community Radio and its video/podcast is distributed world-wide.

ORGANIZATIONS & ACTIVITIES

Active in community affairs – served as President and Vice-President of multiple community associations; Trustee of private foundation; past member of the Board of Trustees Houston Museum of Natural Science and Chairman of Technology Committee; past Chairman of the Board (2013) and Director of Greater Houston YMCA and past Chairman of Facilities and Human Resources Committees, as well as annual Partners of Youth Campaign and Capital Campaign; Deacon, elder and trustee at Windwood Presbyterian Church

Active in business groups – Past Director of State and National Trade Associations; Past President of college business fraternity Houston alumni group; member in good standing of Texas Bar Associations; past member of Business Development Committee and Emerging Business Council of Greater Houston Partnership; currently a director of Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce and head of their business roundtable group.

Skills

Sale of Business
Management
General Business Facilitator
Advisory Board/Board of Directors

Lane E. Sloan

Ideal Clients

  • Strong desire to grow business
  • Revenues greater than 2 million
  • Believe leadership is ultimately key to success

Profile

  • Strategic Planning
  • Leadership Development
  • Operational Execution

Lane has been a Silver Fox Advisor for twenty years coaching, consulting, and mentoring small business owners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs to grow their companies. After graduating from the University of Colorado, his career goals were to become a senior executive in a large corporation, a business professor, and a consultant to small businesses.  He accomplished his first goal with a distinguished career in Shell Oil with multiple executive positions including CFO, Vice President Corporate Planning, Vice President of Business Services (Finance, IT, Purchasing & Administrative Services)  Regional Coordinator Far East (Royal Dutch/Shell), Director East Zone Oil Products (Royal Dutch/Shell) and President of Shell Chemical.

On his second goal, Lane became an Executive Professor at the University of Houston teaching leadership, corporate strategy, and energy courses. He authored Develop a Leadership Plan Become a Great Leader, and coauthored Terra Incognita: A Navigation Aid for Energy Leaders.

On his third goal still in progress, Lane works selectively with small companies where he can add value with his strength in strategic visioning, leadership development, and operational execution. His passion to help small companies began with family businesses where his first role while in the third grade was a dishwasher. He has sat on Advisory and Board positions in small companies including the former Houston Technology Center (HTC) accelerator. He has invested in several small companies through the HTC and the Houston Angel Network.

Education and Certifications

Lane earned a BS in Business from the University of Colorado in 1969 with majors in Management and Marketing. He was the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship winner for the highest GPA in the Business School, a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, and the American Marketing Association. He continued at the University of Colorado to receive an MS in Quantitative Management Science with a minor in Management. In 1979, having attended night courses at the University of Houston he received an MS in Accounting. Later, he became a CPA but no longer maintains that certification.  Lane was pursuing a PhD in Finance at the University of Houston but left the program when promoted to Senior Management in Shell in 1985. He received an MBA in Finance upon leaving the PhD program.

John Sweney

John Sweney

Ideal Clients:

Best new clients are companies who need great full-time professionals to hire or engage under contract. Brookwoods Group will put the right people in the right roles. We have years of experience in placing the important professionals that can really drive your business forward. Here are just a few of the positions we can fill for you, starting with the professions we fill most often:

  • Marketing & Marketing Communications Professionals
  • Web, Social Media, and Interactive Professionals
  • Internal and External Communications Professionals
  • Change and Change Communications Professionals
  • Sales and Business Development Professionals

We Have People:

John Sweney is co-founder and CEO of Brookwoods Group. Since 1998 the company has provided staffing, recruiting, and program management services for marketing, marketing communications and change initiatives. Clients are served mostly through long-term on-site contracts, permanent recruiting, or contract-to-permanent assignments.

Brookwoods Group is known for carefully matching great professionals to interesting assignments, resulting in a better experience for everyone.

John has been active in the Houston community as a president or board member of various professional groups, non-profit organizations, and committees.

In prior lives, he was a public relations manager at Compaq, a public information officer for METRO, a speechwriter at IBM, an advertising and PR professional for General Electric, a press secretary to the Mayor of Providence RI, and an all-news anchor at a CBS radio station.

Meet The Team

The Brookwoods Group Team stands ready to support your need for talent.

Austin Tenette

Austin Tenette is a certified business coach with the FocalPoint Coaching organization and serves as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence to the HCC Northeast campus. In coaching middle-market businesses to success, Austin focuses on the three drivers of profitable, sustainable and exponential growth:

* Strategic Direction and Execution,

* Customer Experience, and

* Team Dynamics

Prior to Focal Point, Austin was a successful business development executive with two of world’s largest professional services firms, KPMG and Ernst and Young, working with global organizations on their business transformation initiatives.
SELECT CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Leadership and Change

Executed the financial, strategic, and operational success of a $40M business unit with over 300 client relationships, 1,700 employees and 15 managerial direct reports in four branch offices.

Earned global recognition for improving unit’s operating profit by 32% in less than 10 months by reducing indirect costs, implementing strict cost controls, and instituting price increases. Improved client retention by 20%, reduced unbilled labor costs by over 40%, while identifying and exploiting market segmentation opportunities.

Organizational Enablement

Created Corporate Strategy function for a $1 billion revenue services firm, collaborating with business-unit leaders and staff to provide an analytic perspective to strategy development sessions and strategic

initiatives. Led all corporate and business-unit strategy development and implementation activities.

Created the Company’s first-ever five-year strategic plan and led the annual update process; acquired eight security systems integrators, which became the core of the “differentiation” and “security solutions” strategy; company was sold via an industry roll-up at a 26% premium.

Created Board-level and C-suite networks to engage key decision-makers in peer-to-peer dialogue and identification of evolving business trends, while accelerating awareness and sales of service offerings.

Business Development

Execute global professional services firm’s account strategy framework in the energy vertical, focusing on clients’ business issues and strategies, to successfully pursue and win several multi-million dollar advisory and assurance engagements.

Top performer among thirteen peers, in developing/managing new business. Grew annual portfolio from $3M to over $7M in less than three years. Adept at growing new business within existing client group by building new buyer relationships and cross-selling of service lines.

Austin is a native of Southern California and holds a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA in Finance from UCLA.

Joseph Tung

Ideal Clients

  • Funded start-up and mature growth companies
  • High net-worth investors seeking development opportunities
  • Business owners seeking to strategically pivot

Experienced Client-Focused Entrepreneurial Attorney who brings over 20 years of business and legal experience to the table. Joseph’s career began with investment banking and venture capital then advanced through an appellate judicial clerkship, a regional and national law firm, a global oilfield services company, his own firm, and recently joined Grable Martin Fulton to establish a Houston office for innovative law firm specifically designed with the entrepreneurial business client in mind by leveraging technology to eliminate overhead such as expensive office space and support staff while allowing efficient and cost-effective service with top-tier quality.

Practice Areas & Skills Include:

Corporate Structure Transactions & Contracts Strategic Planning
Business Litigation Intellectual Property Real Estate
Human Resources Employment Law Mergers & Acquisition
Risk Management Leadership Development Construction
Technology Securities Franchises

Business and Career Background

Prior to Gable Martin Fulton and his own practice, Joseph was Senior Legal Counsel for Schlumberger, where he was responsible for the Gulf Coast, Northeast, and Integrated Project Management business units. He started as Legal Counsel for the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Sustaining segment and supported Schlumberger’s intellectual property legal department. Prior to Schlumberger, Joseph was an associate attorney with the Chicago-based law firm of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP and the Houston-based law firm of Porter Hedges, LLP. Upon graduating law school, he was a financial analyst for Founder’s Equity Group and served as a briefing attorney to Justice Tim Taft of the First Court of Appeals.

Education and Awards

Joseph earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University where he won numerous advocacy awards and was named Outstanding Advocate by the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas, where he was a member of the two-time national championship debate team. Joseph has also served on numerous non-profit boards and has coached and mentored hundreds of students over 20 years in speech and advocacy competitions with schools including Bellaire High School, The Kinkaid School, and Thurgood Marshall School of Law. In addition to the Silver Fox Advisors, Joseph is active in the business community as a member of the Houston Business Network™ and Network in Action.

Joseph is passionate about representing his clients. He believes entrepreneurs and businesses should have the best possible representation without having to bet the business on legal fees when faced with opportunities and challenges alike. His experience has molded his approach to the practice of law where solutions are preferable over conflict and listening is more important than arguing.

Skills

Small Business Law
Employment Law

Ken Wells

Ideal Clients

  • Global Enterprises in Healthcare, life sciences, aviation, and technology verticals
  • Seeking a unique perspective from a distinguished physician and business executive with medical, business, boardroom, social & community experiences

Seasoned Executive with extensive corporate health experience, spanning clinical medicine, health benefits, public health, and pharmacy. He is an experienced board member with global, strategic, and operational expertise applicable to multiple markets. He has served as chairman of multiple boards and board committees. He is a frequent speaker at global health conferences and universities on healthcare policy, population health, and corporate health/benefit strategies.

Business and Career Background  Ken’s business career of 30+ years delivering tailored healthcare services and corporate wellness programs around the world ensures a seasoned, even visionary, perspective on how companies build successful businesses. His advanced clinical skills, and extensive, up-to-date knowledge of contemporary medical practices and healthcare trends, bring subject matter expertise. His ability to integrate the objective with subjective, plus a strategic mindset, commercial orientation, technology interests, and disciplined fiscal approach, contributes to boardroom deliberations and decisions. His acumen gained from oversight roles within international, complex, and extremely dynamic organizations is being leveraged in boardroom guidance to senior leaders. He has earned a boardroom reputation as collaborative, thoughtful, focused, and knowledgeable. He is a diversity candidate embracing diversity.

Dr. Wells is currently on the Board of Directors of Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston; he serves on both the Audit and Quality Committees. He is also on the board of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and a member of the Academic Affairs Committee. Throughout the past two decades, he has served on nine other not-for-profit boards and six different advisory boards, gaining experience on many committees, including executive, governance, nominations, HR, and quality.

Ken founded Alken Health Resources as an administrative resource to provide medical direction and health consulting services to Fortune-size companies. He has developed and managed dozens of national and international health management programs for clients, delivering substantial savings and efficiencies. He has advised a global conglomerate, major energy, insurance companies, top U.S. municipality, hospitals, NASA, and the nation’s largest railroad, in their efforts to develop innovative health solutions to improve quality and control costs.

Rand Wall

Rand Wall

Areas of specialization

Strategy: Sales & Marketing effectiveness, Commercial Growth, M&A, Asset restructuring

Organization Development: Talent management, Culture, Leadership Behaviors, High-Performance Teams, Succession Planning

Executive Coaching: Developing your Leadership Agenda, Major Change Initiatives, Communication & Influence, Prioritization & Time Management, Cross-functional collaboration

Clients describe Rand and his team as creative, knowledgeable, prompt, friendly and honest. Rand R. Wall, CLU, ChFC, RHU and his agency, Wall 2 Wall Benefit Services, have more than 40 years of experience in providing valuable expertise and dependable service to their ever-increasing clientele.

The Wall 2 Wall team has extensive experience in all aspects of the insurance industry.  However, what is most important is that we take the time to understand the needs of our clients, striving to make their business more profitable.  Whether it is Medical, Dental, Life, Disability or Workers Compensation Insurance, Wall 2 Wall Benefit Service will always bring the best value for the dollar to their clients.

Rand graduated from Baylor University in 1975 with a B.A. in Business Administration.  Just 5 years later, he earned the prestigious Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College in 1980.  He added the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation in 1984, plus the Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) in 2007. Less than 5% of insurance agents ever earn even one of these prestigious designations from the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA, requiring the passing of rigorous exams covering all aspects of the insurance and financial realms.  Rand is also a licensed Life & Health Insurance Counselor.

Rand has served the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) for over 20 years, culminating as President of the Houston AHU in 2003, and awarded Trustee Emeritus in 2007.  Also, Rand has qualified for Soaring Eagle status from the Leading Producers Round Table for the past 10+ years. Wall 2 Wall Benefit Services is now a partner in Benefit Concepts Inc., one of the largest medical insurance brokers in the state of Texas.

Rand and his team promise to provide the best possible benefits program available within your budget, so you will be able to attract and retain quality employees, building the value of your business.

 

Nooshin Yazhari

Nooshin Yazhari

Background / Experience:

Nooshin is a technology entrepreneur, consultant, advisor, and strategic leader with well-rounded experience in delivering enterprise technology and business solutions and leading business operations. She has deep domain expertise and a successful track record in enterprise software solutions, business automation, and portfolio and program management.

Nooshin is the founder and president of Optimum, a premier software, and digital solutions consulting firm, transforming businesses through the power of People, Technology, and Automated Processes.

Optimum helps organizations gain competitive advantage, increase efficiency, and drive digital transformation by employing strategic planning, innovative technologies, and streamlined processes. Optimum offers a full suite of digital services and solutions, including Strategic IT Consulting, Software Solutions and Services, and Business Process Management & Automation.

Throughout her career, Nooshin has successfully held roles with responsibility for enterprise-level, multi-million-dollar software delivery and execution, digital transformation implementations, PMO and organizational change management, and business operational excellence.

Nooshin leverages her expertise in Technology, Business Operations, Consulting, and Brand Development- for government and large privately-owned corporations- to bring digital innovation, well-defined strategic plans, and successful delivery and execution of projects to her clients.

Nooshin holds a master’s degree in Software Engineering from the Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas and has earned the globally recognized and demanded Project Management Institute Project Management Professional PMP® credential.

Nooshin is awarded the International GRIT Award of 2018, honoring 30 energy leaders from around the world. She was recognized for her inspiring and devoted passion and commitment to bringing innovation, optimization, and automation to the Energy industry.

Non-profit/Volunteer/Community Service:

Nooshin currently serves as the Vice President of eBusiness and Technology for Project Management Institute (PMI) Houston. She is also a member of the Silver Fox Advisors organization and a panelist at the Women in STEM events for HCC. Nooshin also serves on the advisory board of the NSBA and IIB Council. She is also a public speaker at local and state-wide conferences and events.

As a business owner, advisor, and mentor, Nooshin continues to serve the national and Houston community by providing jobs, services, consultation, and mentorship to individual professionals and corporations.

Skills

Enterprise Technology
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