ABOUT
What Makes Us Unique
Lance Miller, Jon Knutson and Lou DaRe’s corporate and organizational experience spans more than 60 organizations across 25 industries. Collectively, they have organizational experience ranging from 4-man start-ups, to Fortune 50 giants, to Olympic Organizing Committees, to high-growth high-tech companies to stagnated constructions companies.
They have worked for the best in leadership and executive skill. They have seen success in the face of certain failure and have succeeded when hope was lost, and all avenues of success seemed exhausted or blocked.
This team has the experience and knowledge to know what works and why it works as well as the experience and knowledge to know what does not work and why it doesn’t work.
Miller. Knutson and DaRe have developed a quick assessment protocol to rapidly locate the weakest link in the organizational structure. The weakest link is the one area, procedure or system in the organization that is having the greatest impact on minimizing or preventing expansion. MKD then, literally, goes to work in a fractional management capacity, working with existing personnel to oversee the necessary changes and/or corrections required.
Miller, Knutson and DaRe have a stellar track record of success which typically results in minimally a 100% increase in sales with corresponding market expansion and increased profits.
Lance Miller – Partner
Lance holds a bachelor’s Degree in Food Systems, Economics and Management, from Michigan State University and specialty industry training from Rutgers University’s Industry Ice Cream Manufacturing School, Purdue University’s Food & Dairy Merchandising and Marketing Academy.
Lance leads corporate training and seminar delivery.. He is an award-winning speaker and trainer. Lance has delivered more than 5,000 speeches in over 60 countries on leadership and effective management. In 2005 he emerged from a field of over 30,000 contestants from 125 countries to earn the title of Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking. He is an accomplished pilot, transoceanic sailor and scuba diver. Many of his leadership lessons stem from real life situations at sea or in the air where “theories don’t apply.”
Lance has an extensive business background which includes holding sales and management positions with the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, Nestle, Anheuser Bush and Katz Media Group. For 15 years he developed and managed sales and marketing programs for businesses in 5 different industries. He has held C-level positions in two international non-profit foundations and has managed 5 new business start-ups to completion.
Jon Knutson – Partner
Jon's prior experience includes 20+ years as a C-level executive responsible for running innovative technology companies in the fields of IT, engineering and healthcare. Jon has served as a director and/or the lead consultant with numerous companies including Diskeeper (now Condusiv), ABC Mouse, and UMS Banking. His consulting experience crosses industries from entertainment, hi-tech, semiconductor R&D and real estate to construction and integrative health care. Jon has successfully started or turned around more than 12 companies over the past 25 years. He was trained in a proprietary business optimization technology that he uses to lead and direct our client analysis and transformation programs.
Lou DaRe – Partner
Attended the U.S Air Force Academy and UC Davis as well as graduated from Executive Leadership Training at the Stanford Business School.
Lou leads client marketing and sales operations. Lou has extensive experience and an impressive track record managing teams in both operations and sales. His expertise is in developing the exact training and formulation needed for successful sales teams. He served as Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer at Government Technology Services, Inc. (GTSI). He and his executive team grew GTSI from $10 million to $300 million in sales in five years.
Lou held VP Sales and VP Business Development positions at Executive Software (now Condusiv), Panda Software and iolo Technologies. He has structured sales and partnerships with companies of all sizes, most notably including IBM, Dell, Microsoft, UPS and Lenovo.
