There are seminal moments in everyone’s life - the moments that change everything. For me it was waking up out of surgery for a clavicle injury sustained during an Olympic Mountain Bike trial. My arm and hand were paralyzed. Who would I be if I couldn’t be a chef or a professional Mountain Biker? As the nerve damage healed, I came to the realization that the themes running through all of my experience was marketing and leadership. As a chef I was always trying to develop menus and food concepts that would sell well and appeal to the customers and expand their palates, which is the heart of marketing. I liked the busy atmosphere of the kitchen and solving problems on the fly, and still do. I am still motivated by having a lot on my plate and driving to achieve and exceed results and goals, which was essential as a mountain biker. I acquired leadership skills from working in the kitchen with Wolfgang Puck, learning not to lead from above, but alongside my team. If anyone was buried on the line, he would work with them and lead them out, without making anyone feel bad for needing the help. So, with an undergrad degree in Marketing and my MBA from Dartmouth, I headed off to the corporate world, starting at Hewlett Packard. Along the way I have been acknowledged for my ability to think and act with both sides of my brain, both creatively and strategically, which benefits my employers by my ability to see both creative and analytical solutions to problems. I’ve thrived in marketing and some of the largest food companies in the world. I’m looking forward to making an impact for my next employer, creating marketing strategy and developing brands. I’ve been told more than once that I have an infectious enthusiasm and believe in the concept of carpe diem. That’s why when I’m not at work, I can be found hiking or climbing a steep hill, or anything that gets my adrenaline and heart rate going. After all, what else is a former pro mountain biker supposed to do?