With nearly 40 years of working on the inside of major corporations as well as at the heart of our military, space and political communities, Mike has evolved a keen insight as to the real essence of effective organizations. Educated at the University of Parana in Curitiba, Brazil, Miami University in Oxford Ohio, The American Institute for Foreign Trade in Arizona, Central Michigan University and The University of Southern California, Mike’s educational diversity has been as broad and rich as his professional career.
Mike’s professional career has spanned from Asia to South and Central America, Wall Street and Washington DC, Following his undergraduate degree in International Studies, he served on the Eastern Test Range supporting the Kennedy Space Center and the Apollo moon launch program. His success in this assignment led to his selection by the Department of Defense to write the Operations Plan for the repatriation of POWs from North and South Vietnam, Laos and China. As the DOD Project Manager for Operation Homecoming, Mike led the operation from his headquarters in the Philippines, directing a mobilized team of 2860 military and civilian personnel. His military career culminated on the Third Floor E Ring as the Executive Officer for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, helping to manage the $50 B annual budget for the over five million DOD employees and coordinating HR related legislation with Congress, the Senate and the White House. From this vantage point Mike was able to participate in and influence many important issues.
Mike’s business career included key assignments with several prestigious firms including Hoechst do Brasil, Air Products and Chemicals, Exxon Corporation, America’s first bank The Bank of New York, BankAmerica Corporation, and from 1987 to his retirement in 2005, Granite Construction Company. Each of these positions contributed to his deepening understanding of the power of collaboration, the role of compelling purpose in driving employee engagement, and the critical nature of Stakeholder management in the success and evolution of corporations. Mike is particularly proud of Granite’s development and selection as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America his last four years at Granite, and its frequent selection as one of America’s Most Admired Companies..
Today, as Founder and Senior Partner with the Monterey Institute For Social Architecture, Mike spends much of his time presenting to groups including The Best Place To Work Institute annual conference, The Construction Industry Roundtable, the Josephson Institute for Ethics Business Roundtable, the Association For General Contractors Executive Development Program, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, the InterClass Companies Conferences, and Corporation 20-20. With the other four Principals at the Institute, Mike is also consulting with a variety of clients, helping them to redesign themselves from good companies into great companies by helping them focus on both What Matters and What Works.
Mike’s extracurricular activities include Past Chair, Construction Personnel Executive Group (CPEG), Past Chair Construction Industry Image Steering Group, Board of Trustees National Center For Construction Education and Research, President Pajaro Valley Performing Arts Association, Past President NTI Literacy, Chair, All Saints Day School Board, the Executive Committee of the Industry Education Council of California, and the Advisory Group for the Big Sur Land Trust. Married with 5 children ages 14-46, Mike lives and works in Carmel California where he pursues his passion of serving life and the long term viability of the planet.
