Appreciate the problem. Understand the people.
I’ve spent most of my career working in places where the answers aren’t obvious and the interests don’t always align. Different industries, different organizations, different problems — but the work has been remarkably consistent: understand what is actually happening, understand the people involved, and find a practical way forward.
Areas of Work
Business & Operations
Building organizations, developing markets, managing teams, and solving the operational and financial problems that come with growth and change.
Industry & Public Affairs
Working where business, government, associations, and regulation intersect—often in situations where understanding the stakeholders matters as much as understanding the issue.
Distilled Spirits
More than a decade working across production, distribution, market development, hospitality, and industry advocacy in a highly regulated and rapidly changing industry.
Appreciating the Problem
I ask a lot of questions.
The problem as presented isn’t always the problem that needs solving. I want to understand why something isn’t working, what has already been tried, what a good outcome actually looks like, and who will be affected by the choices we make.
That usually means digging into the history, questioning assumptions and understanding the interests of the people involved. Different interests don’t necessarily require winners and losers, and sometimes the best solution becomes apparent only after the problem has been looked at from a different angle.
What happens next depends on the problem. The point is to understand the situation well enough to find a practical solution.
Experience
There was never a plan for my career.
Public policy, entrepreneurship, regulated industries, organizational leadership and distilled spirits may not look like a conventional career path. Each experience added something useful to the next.