Executive Director, business development, management, leadership

MICHAEL S. FERGUSON

** ****** ****** *****: 630-***-****

Hinsdale, IL 60521 Email: *************@*********.***

Focused management professional with 25 years of experience helping launch, grow and manage new companies, educating and advising startup businesses in a variety of industries, developing other professionals within the organizations and managing growth. Team player and expert communicator with the leadership skills necessary to work within all aspects of an organization to carry out its mission and accomplish its goals.

Areas of Expertise

Leadership

Operations and Sales Management

Team Building

Strategic Planning

Employee training and development

Client Acquisition and Development

Key Skills and Experience

Strategic Management and Client Development

Managed all aspects of a 501c3 organization with a full-time staff of 3 and 35 part-time contract employees.

Developed and executed sales and marketing effort targeting higher education institutions for tech start up.

Added $12M in assets to Genesis Asset Management in first six months of financial services start-up.

Built client book at Edward Jones Investments from $0 to over $10M in two years during the “Great Financial Crisis.”

Added brokerage and strategic consulting to the unique service offerings of Genesis Partners, LLC.

Built the Private Client Division of LFG resulting in annual commissions over $7,000,000 in just two years.

Professional Experience

Top Dog Management, Hinsdale, IL 2014 – Present

Founder of All Star Mentors

Conduct in-depth reviews of books focused on personal and professional growth under the "All Star Mentors" brand. Share insights and summaries through engaging online videos, reaching a broad audience interested in personal development.

Creator of My Project Journal

Developed a workbook aimed at boosting productivity and personal achievement. Guide users through creating effective project plans, from identifying initial steps to project completion.

Startup Business Consultant

Worked with solo entrepreneurs to clarify their ideas and plans and layout their best path to success using tools and processes derived from extensive industry research and time-tested business building methods.

Freedom Golf Association, Westmont, IL 2018 – 2020

Executive Director

Oversaw and managed all aspects of this 501c3 organization including: fundraising and development, staff, accounting, annual audit, annual golf outing and many smaller events, quarterly board meetings, Chicago Golf Show, quarterly newsletter, sponsorships, and other responsibilities as they arose.

Major accomplishments during new tenure include: new record highs in funds raised and number of free adaptive golf lessons delivered in 2019, record number of new clinic locations, added major new fundraising event in fall of 2019, development of new website, increased overall professionalism of the entire organization.

YouBthere, Hinsdale, IL 2015 – 2016

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Consulting assignment for company’s founder led to role as VP Sales and Marketing once this higher education software application was ready for product demonstration and successful integration into various online portals.

Brought this tech startup to market by establishing referral relationships with the leading Learning Management Systems (LMS) companies in the college and university space.

Designed, implemented and executed a sales and marketing strategy to include referrals from those LMS’s to their clients, targeted the marketing to high-value prospects, and cold calling to tech oriented faculty.

GENESIS ASSET MANAGEMENT, Chicago, IL 2012 – 2015

Financial Advisor/Partner

Established new Chicago office for New York City based money manager.

Raised capital for investment in the startup company and bagged ice industry disruptor Ice Boxx.

Designed and initiated client acquisition program targeting American Airlines pilots resulting in new assets under management of $12M in first six months of program.

EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS, Chicago, IL 2008 – 2011

Financial Advisor

One of only a few advisors to be awarded a new office build out during the “Great Financial Crisis”.

Identified by upper management early in career to mentor new advisors in client prospecting and acquisition.

Participated in Edward Jones’ best in class training program, consisting of several months of classroom and one-on-one training and mentoring.

Chicago Board of Trade (private firms) CHICAGO, IL 1985 – 2008

LFG, Private Client Division, Sales and Operations Manager

Built new division from concept to 50 employees including brokers, order desk and research team. Monthly commissions went from $0 to $600,000 in 3 years.

Designed and oversaw implementation of “FuturesOnline” as the industry’s first fully integrated internet-based futures order management system.

Negotiated contracts with industry leading trading mentors to provide guidance for clients and leads for brokers.

Automated the firm’s accounting system and monthly payouts for 85 offices and over 200 brokers.

Managed firm’s trading floor operations for CBOT Financial floor, CME S&P trading pit and Mid-America Commodity Exchange.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT CAREER EXPERIENCES:

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), Chicago, IL, Professional Commodity Trader

The Hospitality Group of America, Inc., Chicago, IL, Sales Manager and lead hiring manager, wrote training manual

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky Rugby Team

Various officer positions in SAE fraternity

Awards & Distinctions

“Most Likely to Succeed” in First Command training class of 2011

Awarded new Edward Jones Investment Office in 2009 for outstanding performance during the “GFC”

Recognized as leading money raiser for National Kidney Foundation (IL Chapter) in 2001

Set multiple international sales and sales team records for The Hospitality Group

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