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Work experience

2008Present

Adjunct Professor

I have taught Strategic Thinking for Executive Leaders in the MBA and OEDC (Organizational Effectiveness, Development and Change) graduate programs at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware.

Jan 2002Jan 2007

Senior Vice President

Fort Hill Company
  • Served as a member of the senior management team helping refine the strategy, direction, and policies of the company.  
  • Led Fort Hill’s business development, growing revenue from less than $300,000 to over $3,600,000 while building a sales team of eight professionals.  
  • Developed strategic partnerships with companies, universities and others who provide corporate learning and development. Participated in product development to identify and develop new offerings and enhancements to the products.  
  • Co-authored The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training and Development into Business Results (Pfeiffer, 2006) 
  • Presented at numerous regional and national meetings and seminars including keynotes, workshops and training sessions. Consulted with corporate learning teams in the process and methodology of the Six-Disciplines and taught the use and integration of Fort Hills Follow-Through tools.  
  • Consulted with many major corporations including: Sony, The Home Depot, Sears, Agilent, Loblaw, AstraZeneca, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, General Mills, and Abbott Pharmaceuticals.   
  • Left in 2007 to pursue personal initiatives.
19972001

Founder and Chief Clinical Officer

Founded this privately owned behavioral health software and content company in late 1997. Epotec’s mission was to leverage Internet technologies to create a new generation of highly interactive behavioral health tools and services to reach a greatly underserved population. Between October 1997 and June 2000, built a team of over 100 technology and health professionals; raised $35 million of private capital; developed, pilot tested and commercialized a line of self-help products; closed more than 30 sales to managed care and employee assistance companies; and launched a second line of Web-based products for behavioral health providers.

In June 2000 Epotec began developing a universal Internet connectivity portal through which behavioral health payors and providers would conduct business. After signing a major agreement with the largest payor in the industry, Epotec was unable to obtain timely commitment from other payors. Facing a broad market downturn, closed the connectivity business, returned some of the private capital, and restructured the company in April 2001. Resigned as Chief Clinical Officer after completing a lay-off of 85 of 115 employees. Epotec remained profitable on a $4 million annual revenue base until 2003 when the assets were sold to three major customers.

From 1997-1999, led Epotec’s product development effort and was responsible for clinical design, integrity, and research. As the company moved from development to commercialization in 1999, focus shifted to strategic planning and corporate development with major responsibilities in sales, marketing and human resources. Continued as member of the Board of Directors and an investor until 2003.

Accomplishments:

·Started and built a financially successful private company which developed effective and widely distributed new-to-the-world Internet healthcare products.

·Raised $35 million of equity capital in four rounds from 35 individuals and four private equity firms including: Texas Pacific Group; Sprout Group; Svoboda, Collins LLC; and MTS Partners.

·Played a key role in initiating and closing long-term contracts with three of the top four, plus 30 other companies in the behavioral health industry.

·Recruited, hired and retained a diverse full-time work force of over 100, including seasoned sales, marketing, finance, technology, healthcare, writing, editing, and customer service professionals.

·Presented at numerous national, regional and local industry conferences and acted as company spokesperson.

·Developed and managed relationships with over 100 companies in healthcare and Internet related businesses.

19951999

Behavioral Health Consultant

  • Christiana Care, Delaware’s largest integrated healthcare system included two health insurance plans, Mid-Atlantic Health Plan and First State Health Plan.
  • As Behavioral Health Consultant, designed the managed behavioral care components for both plans and provided leadership and guidance regarding policies and procedures, clinical guidelines and protocols, quality assurance, and network development.
  • The behavioral health unit consistently met or exceeded all established financial and clinical goals. Left this position to focus exclusively on Epotec.
19841997

Co-Director and Founder

Delaware Family Center
  • Founded and directed this large multidisciplinary group mental health practice, which provides psychotherapy, evaluation, consultation and training for individuals, families, schools and other institutions.
  • In addition to clinical responsibilities, conducted public and professional training and education programs.
  • As Director, provided strategic planning, business development, and general management of the practice.
  • Served as Behavioral Sciences Coordinator for the Family Practice Residency Program of Riverside Hospital, developed and implemented the behavioral medicine training, and supervised family practice residents.Left this ongoing and successful practice to start Epotec.
19871997

Co-founder and Director

Pace, Inc.
  • In 1987, data indicated that intensive outpatient treatment for addictive disorders was at least as effective as traditional residential or inpatient treatment, and at significantly less cost.
  • Founded Pace, Inc., the first chemical dependency treatment center in Delaware to offer a full continuum of outpatient only services.
  • Provided strategic planning and program development, business planning and implementation, and business and clinical consultation for this ongoing and successful business until leaving to start Epotec.

Education

1969

BA

Professional Networking

Richard's Book

Training Programs

6 D Map

Selected Articles

Videos

White Papers

Fellowships

  • Post-Doctoral Fellow: 
    • Family Systems Theory and Psychotherapy - Georgetown University Family Center, Washington, DC, 1980 – 1982
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow:
    • Family Therapy - Texas Research Institute for Mental Sciences, Houston, Texas, 1978 – 1979
  • University Fellow, University of Delaware, 1971-1973

Professional License

Licensed Psychologist – State of Delaware, B1-0000117

Summary

My consulting and coaching practice focuses on helping people, companies, and organizations change and improve in ways that improve their lives, businesses, and relationships. I design and guide the development of transformational customer and employee experience strategies. I also offer intensive programs as well as ongoing consultation to business, HR, learning, and talent development professionals for achieving improved results from learning initiatives, meetings, and events.  I am a co-author of the original Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training and Development into Business Results (Pfeiffer, 2006) and an accomplished facilitator and presenter at regional and national meetings. I co-founded the Chicagoland Chief Learning Officer Group (CCG), a think tank of corporate learning and talent development leaders which meets quarterly in Chicago. I have taught Strategic Thinking for Executive Leaders at the Lerner Business School of the University of Delaware.

Before starting my own consulting and teaching practice, I served for five years as Senior Vice President of the Fort Hill Company, focusing on the transfer and application of learning in corporate training and development. Prior to Fort Hill, I founded Epotec, Inc., a privately-owned Internet software and content company, which developed and delivered a new genre of interactive health and wellness tools and services primarily through national healthcare and employee assistance programs.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founded and directed the Delaware Family Center, a private multidisciplinary mental health practice; Pace, Inc., a private outpatient substance abuse treatment center and EAP provider; and Aquila, Inc., a private substance abuse treatment center for adolescents. Additionally, I was the behavioral health consultant for Christiana Care Heath Systems, the largest integrated healthcare system in Delaware.

I am a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Delaware. I was a post-doctoral fellow in family systems theory and therapy at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas and at the Georgetown Family Center in Washington, D.C.

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