Gary Cohen

Professional Profile

Eager to bring leadership and a upbeat results driven growth philosophy to organizations using a unique combination of leadership development coupled with twenty years’ business background in growing businesses. Maintaining a historic reputation for integrity, resilience, adaptability, and continual personal development.

• Expert in the call center industry
• Has a national reputation in leadership development
• Understands rapid growth and how to manage organizations and people experiencing that growth.
• Ability to develop and promote talent while holding team members to accountabilities.
• Capable of effective decision making in complex situations while allowing in multiple perspectives.
• Balances Strategic thinking with hands on execution
• Effectively uses questioning as a way to engage and involve others to accomplish shared vision and objectives.
• Effectively uses technology, information gathering and sharing.
• Has strong commerce instincts and a reputation to sell large scale opportunities and effective negotiations
• Ability to support organizational advocacy via written or public speaking efforts.

Education

• Owner President Manager Harvard Business School, Boston MA 1999-2001
• Bachelor of Science University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN 1982 to 1985
• British Parliamentary Internship Northeastern University, London England 1980
• Bachelor of Science Tulane, New Orleans 1981
• American Field Service Otumoetai College, Tauranga, New Zealand 1980

Honors, and Certifications

• Joint Civilian Orientation Committee 69 – Department of Defense
• Henry Crown Fellow – Aspen Institute
• City Business 40 Under 40 Award
• Minneapolis Fastest Growing Company Award Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist – Inc.

Magazine Recognition given to ACI over the years:

• ACCE Excellence Award
• MVP Quality Award
• GTE World Champion of Vendors Award
• Venture Magazine Top 10 Best Performing Businesses Award
• Quebec’s Coup de Coeur Award
• Top 50 Award & Rising Star award many times by Industry Publications
• Business Journal 25 Fastest Growing Small Public Companies
• Selling Power 500 largest Sales Forces – Ranked 125

Boards

• All Kinds of Minds Board of Trustees
• McBride College Bound – Board of Trustees
• Shalom Community Alliance – Board of Trustees
• Harvard Alumni Club of Minnesota Board
• IC Systems, Inc. Servicing 1st Term, Board of Advisors
• Richfield Bank – served on Board until sold
• Board Member
• ACI, Telecentrics, - 18 years, Board Member
• Voyager Outward Bound – Served two terms, Past Board Member
• Outward Bound National Advisory Board – Serving 3nd term Board Member
• Alzheimer Board of Governors – Served 4 years Board Member
• American Teleservices Association – Served one term, Legislative Chair, Board Member
• TEC – The Executive Committee – CEO round table – Past Member
• HBS Alumni Club of Minnesota – Past President & Member of Board
• Minnesota Zoo Foundation Board – Served two terms, Past Board Member

Key Qualifications

Demonstrated ability to grow business at accelerated rates. Has worked with twenty plus business over the past three years in a wide variety of industries and stages of growth and has helped them maintain steady if not fast growth rates. Contributed to a wide variety of strategic plans as well as developed the leadership in these company’s to perform their roles at a remarkable level while improving their organizational culture.

Quick with numbers and has a remarkable ability to transfer numbers into operational road maps for a business.

Experienced Business Leader

Grew ACI Telecentrics, Inc. by 50% compounded annually to over 2,200 employees and taking in public on the NASDQ. Became the 21st largest call center business in the US. Building one of the fastest growing experience based leadership development, and Strategic Planning business in the region.

Employment

CEO, Managing Partner, President & Co-Founder

• Board of School Superintendents, LLC (BOSS) 2011 to Present
• CO2 Partners, LLC, 2004 to Present Minneapolis, Minnesota
• ACI Telecentrics, Inc, 1987 to 2003

Books:

• Just Ask Leadership – What Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions (McGraw Hill 2009)
• Faces of Learning (Jossey Bass 2011) Contributor

Publications Featured in:

• Leader to Leader Journal
• Ivey Journal
• Strategy+Business
• Business Week BusinessWeek.com
• Forbes.com
• Wall Street Journal Europe & Asia
• Financial Business Times
• Washington Post
• Business Week
• USA Today
• T+D Magazine
• HR.Com
• Employee Communication Guide Book (PR News)
• CitiBusiness
• Minnesota Ventures
• Teleprofessional
• Wall Street Reporter
• St. Paul Pioneer Press
• International Voice Technology Review
• JATA
• Wall Street Transcript
• CEOcast
• Venture Magazine
• Profits Journal
• Upsize Magazine
• Simon & Shuster
• Bureau of Business Practices
• Inc. Magazine

Speeches and Lecture

• Unilever
• MetLife
• Securian
• Bay State Financial (Kennedy Library)
• Lutheran Social Services
• Minnesota Association of School Administrators
• American Management Consulting
• SHRM
• Midwest Energy Association
• Minnesota Superintendents
• McGraw Hills WINN Conference
• Turning Point Technology Keynote Speaker
• Intel
• Federal Reserve of Minnesota
• University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Business,
• University of St. Thomas-Morrison Center for Entrepreneurship
• University of St. Thomas MBA Program
• National Direct Marketing Association
• TBT
• National Conference on Database Marketing
• Direct Marketing to Business and Industry

Interests

Sailing, Skiing, Reading,