Gary Schmidt
Executive Communication & Presentation Effectiveness
Executive Suite Conflict Resolution
Executive Coaching
Gary A. Schmidt is an accomplished business strategist with a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to marketing and strategic positioning. Schmidt has developed and honed his skills during a 30 year career as both an international marketing/strategy consultant and a business manager driven by the bottom-line. He possesses a clear bias for action.
After graduating Harvard College with a BA degree in Economics, Schmidt began his career as a consultant for the management consulting firm of A.T. Kearney, in New York, where he managed a series of assignments for banks, technology firms and health care organizations. In addition to his client work, Schmidt also led the firm's corporate training program that taught senior consultants how to develop and deliver presentations to an executive audience.
He later earned a Master's degree in Strategy and Marketing Research from The Wharton School and then joined the international consulting firm of Booz Allen & Hamilton in their New York office. In that role, Schmidt focused his efforts on marketing strategy studies across a diverse client base that included health insurance organizations, financial services companies, high technology assignments, new sector development for the chemical industry, and consumer products.
After successfully engineering the turnaround of a major contact lens manufacturer, Schmidt left consulting to address the challenges of the client side of business. In 1986 he joined the Los Angeles-based First Interstate Bancorp, a $55 billion bank holding company, where, over a seven year period, he held positions as the Vice President for Market Planning & Research, Vice President of Product Management/New Product Development, and then as the Senior Vice President and Director of Worldwide Advertising for the company's 13 regional banks and 48 overseas operations.
In 1994, he entered the health care industry where he served as the Chief Marketing Officer for PacifiCare Health Systems where he had direct management responsibility for strategy development, as well as all of the firm's brands, products, and new product development across 14 states and Guam and in support of 3.5 million members. Schmidt focused on developing lower-cost, highly effective solutions to marketing challenges, and ensuring that all such solutions always began with the customer perspective. He also served as a member of the Ethics Committee.
Today, Schmidt is the Chief Catalyst of the West End Consulting Group, LLC, a consultancy focused on organizations seeking solutions to strategy, executive effectiveness, and strategic communications challenges. His "Top Gun" Advanced Presentation Development Program has become a staple in the training department of some of the most prestigious firms in America.
Recent assignments have also included facilitation of particularly sensitive strategy development meetings, preparation for a number of crucial Board-level presentations, and resolving "radioactive" political issues following a change in leadership. A significant portion of West End's on-going work focuses on serving as a coach to high IQ consultants and executives.
In addition to his on-going consulting responsibilities, Schmidt has been a featured speaker and guest lecturer at:
- UCLA American Association of Advertising Agencies Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies – Presentation Skills Program
- University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce (Business Ethics course)
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Council for Entrepreneurial Development, "Fundamentals of the Venture Presentation" Workshop
- University of California Irvine, Executive MBA in Healthcare Program
- The Health Care & Insurance Institute Symposium on Managed Care Communications & Advertising
- AMA/ASQC Annual Customer Satisfaction and Quality Measurement Conference
- Los Angeles Times Research Symposium
- Global Business Research Purchasing Coalitions Conference
Gary Schmidt
Gschmidt@GlobalConsultAlliance.com
San Marino, California, USA