Business Advisory Board

Michael Hecomovich has over thirty years of progressive business experience that ranges from Fortune 100 companies to small start-up ventures.  He has been involved in the start-up and growth of eleven companies, and has experience in turnaround and growth ventures in positions of general management, sales, marketing, and operations at all levels. As a result, he has an in-depth understanding of the issues regarding new companies, business development and leadership.

Mr. Hecomovich was the founder and Chairman/CEO of Global Marketing Services, the exclusive sales and marketing organization that represented IBM Printing Supplies in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for ten years. Global Marketing Services [GMS] has a separate division that serves as the Oracle Tape Media Sales and Support Team in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Since leaving GMS, he has been involved in several startup companies. He is currently involved as a founder of a Big Data software solutions company and his family’s commercial real estate holdings.

He lived in Europe for three years and has traveled extensively.  He possesses excellent cross-cultural communication skills and works well in a diverse and challenging environment.  He has received language training in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish and has an excellent understanding of the global marketplace.

Mike holds a BS in engineering from the United States Naval Academy. During his senior year, he was Brigade Commander, the highest-ranking midshipman at the Naval Academy. He was a starting tackle on the Navy football team for two years. Upon graduation, Mike served as a Surface Warfare Officer on the USS Green Bay and USS Joseph Strauss. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1976.

Mr. Hecomovich received his MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and is a member of Honor Societies for International Studies, Modern Languages and World Business. Mr. Hecomovich serves as a Trustee on the US Naval Academy Foundation [A&SP] Board. He is a life member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Naval Academy Class of ’71 Board of Trustees.  Mike served as Vice Chairman of The Board of Trustees for the Thunderbird School of Global Management.  He is currently the Chairman of the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors.  He also serves on the Barrow Neurological Institute Foundation Board of Directors. He resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife Sandy.  They love to ski, golf, and travel.

Kelly O’Dea is described in a Harvard Business School case as a “global marketing pioneer, business builder and change leader”, Kelly is a broadly experienced executive with a consistent record of growth and innovation across disciplines, major market categories, multiple countries and C-level positions in public and private companies from established to early stage.

Experience:  Senior adviser to clients such as IBM, Microsoft, Ford, Samsung, Boeing, Compaq, Fujitsu, AT&T, PepsiCo and Unilever. Resume includes: President – FCB (Foote, Cone and Belding Worldwide) (NYSE: IPG); Vice Chairman/Global Operations – Bozell Worldwide; President – Worldwide Client Services, Ogilvy & Mather (NASDAQ: WPPGY). At each company, led and restructured the global client management organization around the 7S and transnational network models, leading to significant growth in revenue, reputation and operating profit.

Growth Record:  Led teams that won over $2.5 billion in new business from clients such as IBM, Ford, Jaguar, AT&T, Samsung, Compaq, Boeing, Fujitsu and others. Co-created well-known global brand campaigns for AT&T, Ford and Boeing.

Entrepreneurship:  Co-founder of Alliance for High Performance Leadership (AllianceHPL), a private next economy strategic services firm focused on applied innovation. The subject of a Harvard Business School case, the firm has specialized in business / market strategies, brand development, marketing technology, turnarounds, change leadership and design for large clients like Ford, Samsung and Lenovo and many early stage firms focused on new technology applications.

Technology:  Broad applied tech experience across platforms and markets- hardware, software, mobile, and predictive analytics.

Public service:  Chairman of The Thunderbird School of Global Management, six-term Chairman of Outward Bound International.

Education:  Global MBA with Distinction, Thunderbird School of Global Management.