Chief Executive Officer
Jager Di Paola Kemp Design
Burlington, Vermont Area
General management of the firm including financial management, business acquisition, and new ventures.• Key role in building firm from startup to 100+-employee global design and branding consultancy.• General management of account direction, project management, finance, production, legal, human resources, and facilities.• Business development including prospecting, pitches, proposals, and closing.• Negotiation of profitable, long-term contracts with major corporates.• Created Studio Manager proprietary internal project-management system.• Co-creator of Living Brand® brand strategy process.• Managed intellectual property including creation, registration, and defense.• Overall management of key client relationships.• Supervision of finance, accounting, and legal functions.• Real-estate acquisition and management, lease negotiation, and construction contracts and management in New York City, Portland, Oregon, and Vermont.• Management of media relations and publicity. Web-site content management.• New-venture creation and management including: > Establishment of Geodsx joint venture with Aliagroup of Mumbai, India; > Ownership interests in craft brewer and manufacturer of cycling equipment and apparel; > Establishment of joint venture to create branded product with a leading direct marketer of consumer products; > Negotiation of seed investment in kiosk concept aimed at new mothers from a global manufacturer and distributor.