MEET MARC EMMER
Marc Emmer is an author, speaker and strategic consultant recognized as a thought leader throughout North America as an expert in strategy and business planning. Marc’s second book, Momentum: How Companies Decide What To Do Next was covered online by Yahoo! Finance, Market Insider, NBC and CBS. Marc is also a regular contributor to the Vistage Research Center, Forbes, and Inc.com. Before his consulting career, Marc spent over 20 years in the food business, in operations, marketing and business development. Marc founded Optimize Inc., a California-based strategic consulting firm in 2002. Optimize has an impressive client list that includes public companies such as Starbucks Canada, CBRE, Justice Stores (formerly Limited Too), Superior International, Klipsch, and mid-market companies in a diverse range of industries including financial services, healthcare, technology and energy. Marc has personally facilitated strategy sessions for over 200 companies.
Marc has also served as an advisor to several serial entrepreneurs. Marc is an accomplished speaker, having delivered over 400 keynote speeches for organizations such as the Association for Corporate Growth and Panda Express, and speaks internationally for Vistage, the world’s largest CEO peer group organization. His strategy blog is received by over three thousand senior executives. Marc received the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Mentorship Award in 2021 and was also recognized by LA Biz Journal’s People on the Move.
In 2015, he was nominated in his community of Santa Clarita for Man of the Year to recognize his non-profit service. Marc is past Chair of the Board of Directors of The School and Business Alliance and Single Mother’s Outreach. He served as a Board member for The SCV Facilities Foundation, and was appointed Chair of the William S. Hart Parents Council. While Marc was Chair of the Single Mothers Outreach board, the organization established a social enterprise (Closet on Main) which helps fund the organization to this day. Marc completed the rigorous non-profit training offered by the Annenberg Foundation at USC (by invitation only).
Marc graduated from Loyola Marymount University’s business school and has also completed executive education management programs at Ohio State and Cornell where he earned a Certification in Financial Management. His alma mater awarded him the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 2003 and celebrated his achievements at the “Dinner with a Winner” event in 2011. Marc also received commendations from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich (twice), the California Legislature, the William S. Hart School District for Outstanding Business Partner, and the ACSA Golden Apple Award for his contributions to education.
Marc lives in the Greater Los Angeles area with his wife of 30 years and has two daughters.
At the heart of strategy are difficult choices that management teams need to make about concentration risk, diversification, and how to ensure that a company’s value proposition continues to resonate in the marketplace. While companies know they must provide unique value, the quest for differentiation can prove to be elusive.
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