Find the real problem.
Get beneath symptoms, assumptions, and competing narratives to the decision that actually matters.
Advisor · Leader · Speaker
Clear judgment when the stakes are real.
I help leaders find the real problem, make the critical next decision, and turn direction into measurable results.
20+
Years of leadership experience
$1B
Transportation spend led at Target
$40M
Savings delivered with service goals exceeded
45%
Operating-margin improvement as CEO
Point of view
The answer is rarely more activity.
It is clarity about what matters, who owns it, and what the evidence says to do next.
My work has moved between boardrooms, operating teams, founder-led companies, and high-consequence military environments. The settings change. The leadership requirement does not: listen carefully, distinguish signal from noise, bring the right people together, and stay accountable for the result.
Bring the right people in.
Build trust, clarify ownership, and create a shared view of what success requires.
Turn judgment into action.
Translate strategy into an operating rhythm with visible measures and honest learning.
Ways I contribute
Useful at the moments that matter.
For leaders and organizations navigating growth, transition, complexity, or an important decision with no obvious answer.
For clients
Executive advisory
A clear-eyed thought partner for growth, transformation, operating priorities, and the difficult tradeoffs behind them.
For boards
Operator’s perspective
Experience connecting strategy, economics, people, and execution across public, private, and family-owned businesses.
For audiences
Speaking & conversation
Practical perspective on leadership, decision-making, resilience, service, and the lessons that endure after high-stakes moments.
Selected experience
Strategy shaped by operating reality.
Current
Advisor & leadership partner
Principal Advisor at PHIX, owner of Own Accord, GORUCK event cadre, and advisor to Threshold Talent—working across business growth, leadership development, and veteran opportunity.
2010–2016
Chief Executive Officer
Led a $30 million, 100-person logistics company. Increased operating margins 45%, opened new growth paths, and strengthened its competitive position.
2003–2010
Target Corporation
Advanced through finance, strategic sourcing, and director roles. Led negotiations and carrier management across more than $1 billion in transportation spend and delivered over $40 million in savings.
Military service
75th Ranger Regiment
Served in the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment and participated in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu as part of the combat search-and-rescue team.
In conversation
Experience worth examining.
Conversations about leadership in business, service, and moments when plans meet reality.
Podcast
Hazard Ground: A Ranger’s view of Mogadishu
A firsthand conversation about the combat search-and-rescue mission at the first crash site.
Interview
The Shrimp Tank: Leading and advising CEOs
A conversation on business leadership, executive coaching, and building Own Accord.
Published contributor
The Battle of Mogadishu
Contributor of “What Was Left Behind,” a firsthand account from the men of Task Force Ranger.
Current work
Principal Advisor at PHIX.
At PHIX, I help companies navigate key points of inflection—growth, leadership changes, new markets, new products, and the operating decisions that determine whether opportunity becomes value.
Explore PHIXBackground
A broad base for better questions.
MBA, FinanceUniversity of Michigan, Ross School of Business · Dean’s Fellow
Graduate Fellow, HistoryColumbia University · Hofstadter Fellowship
BA, Honors, HistoryWashington University in St. Louis
Based near NashvilleWorking with leaders and organizations across markets
Start a conversation
What decision is in front of you?
If the work calls for clear thinking, practical experience, and honest dialogue, I would be glad to compare notes.