Leo Flanagan
A hallmark of Leo’s work is an ability to meet the unique challenges faced by individual leaders and their organizations, within the context of their markets… the alignment of an enterprise’s people and processes with its brand and customer loyalty strategies.
Recent assignments have included:
- Crafting and implementing a customer-centered growth strategy for a major retailer, which yielded an 18% increase in transaction value
- Advising the CEO of a global financial services firm on implementation of a cultural change process, which generated an estimated $200 million in incremental revenue
- Installing a process for tailoring global strategy by country specific requirements, for a multinational consumer products company
- Realigning the Human Resources function of a $20 billion global firm to drive measurable business performance
- Creating and implementing a brand/client loyalty strategy for a hospitality chain, which increased customer satisfaction from 22% to 86% and revenue by 15%
Leo’s experience includes Group Director, Learning & Development/Chief Learning Officer for The Willis Group, global insurance broker, where he launched the company’s first integrated, worldwide learning and development strategy, as well as, a global sales training system for middle market and premier accounts, which produced 700 new client relationships in the first four months, with a training ROI of 228%.
Previously, Leo was with Merrill Lynch where, as Director, Global Leadership & Organizational Development, he managed orientation and interventions for 5,000 employees following September 11th. Leo also led scenario planning and analysis of new business models for the Board in response to dramatic market shifts. He designed the firm’s first integrated learning system and planned the first firm-wide leadership development process that links and measures the impact of a leader’s performance through employee loyalty, client loyalty, and financial results. He also integrated the firm’s succession planning and talent management processes in order to facilitate the Board’s selection of the new Chairman/CEO.
Before joining Merrill Lynch, Leo was Senior Vice President, Practice Leader – Employee & Customer Loyalty for The Forum Corporation, a global diversified financial services firm. At Forum, he introduced a leadership development strategy that included simultaneous coaching of top executives around the world, developed and implemented business-specific leadership models, and implemented decision-making models for office of the Chairman and Executive Management Committee. These actions saved 525,000 payroll hours annually over traditional training approaches, and achieved financial benefits comparable to $450 million in new business, with an 18% ROE.
Leo spent eleven years in academia, as a member of the faculty at Cornell University’s, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he was also Director, Office of Management & Executive Education and Director, Human Resources & Management Development.
He is an active volunteer, most notably as a member of Heart 911, a group of New York City rescue and recovery workers committed to sharing lessons learned from September 11th with those affected by other disasters. Professionally, Leo is a member of the Learning and Development Committee of the Human Resource Planning Society.
Leo received his B.A. from Fordham University with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. He received his M.A. in Social Psychology from Hunter College and his Ph.D., in Psychology, from the City University of New York. He resides with his family in Stamford, CT.
Stephen Tubbs
A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Stephen grew to love and nurture the creative process in team building. After earning a BA in theatre from the College of Santa Fe, he began his career in facilitation as Associate Artistic Director of a performing arts school. He has worked in the small business, non-profit, and corporate worlds and is most proud of his time as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Now residing in Norwalk with his family, Stephen is thrilled to be a new member of Fusion Associates as Program Director handling program design, implementation and logistics.
Tim Hawkes
Tim also serves as Managing Partner of Hawke Mountain Ventures, a Connecticut based company offering outdoor experience events for corporation and schools. He founded and served as Managing Partner of Trade Zone, LLC, a full service retail marketing agency, before selling it to a division of the world’s fourth largest advertising agency. Previously, he cofounded SmartDemo and served as its CEO until it was sold to Time Inc. In-Store Marketing. Tim is a member of the Cornell University Food Industry Advisory Board and a former chairman of the Promotion Marketing Association in-store marketing council. He has published numerous white papers, has often been quoted in the trade press, and has addressed the Annual Convention of the Food Marketing Institute and other industry congregations.
Tim graduated with a Bachelors degree in Food Industry Management from Cornell University.
David Diamond
President of David Diamond Assoc, a New York based consulting practice focused on marketing and strategic planning. David was President of Emerging Business and Chief Vision Officer for Catalina Marketing. David served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for ActMedia’s promotion division and as Senior Vice President for the company’s new products division where he developed the Instant Coupon Machine.
John Colwell
John has worked with companies at all stages of corporate development for over twenty-five years. Serving in senior management positions with half a dozen companies (revenues $3,000,000 to $85,000,000) has provided a depth and breadth of operating knowledge for helping owners optimize the growth and profitability of their businesses. Seven years as a Managing Director of a private equity firm that invested in high growth and mature companies, five more managing a $70,000,000 fund that made equity and mezzanine investments in expansion stage companies, and participation in over eighty mergers & acquisitions and growth financings have instilled a practical understanding of how to execute investment banking transactions that achieve owners’ corporate and personal financial objectives.
John served as exclusive financial advisor in connection with transactions that were finalists for the Baltimore Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth Deal of the Year Award in 2011 and 2009.
John has spoken on a wide range of entrepreneurship and investment banking topics for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Maryland Small Business Development Centers; Maryland Technology Development Corporation; UMBC ACTiVATE; and the Capital Formation Institute. He developed the content and served as moderator for The Washington D.C. Archangels CFO Master’s program, for “Credit Crisis Rx” sponsored by Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development and for “Three Paths to Entrepreneurship” sponsored by Baltimore City Community College.
John is a member of the Advisory Board of the Merrick School of Business Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center and an Adjunct Professor of Finance in the school’s MBA program. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of The Mountain Workshop, LLC and StorepPort, LLC.
Chris Kozma
Chris is the consummate outdoorsman, with over 10 years of outdoor guiding and training experience. Chris, not only, heads up Hawke Mountain Ventures’ Mountain Workshop Youth Programming, but also consults on Fusion’s outdoor, adventure based programming. Chris resides part-time in Putnam County, NY and Breckenridge, CO.
Adam Manewell
For the past 12 years Adam has gained invaluable experience managing and delivering organizational, team, and individual leadership development programming. Adam’s experience ranges from Central American educational development, to working with fortune 500 companies to create fundamentally stronger organizational leadership. He has also worked with professional sports teams and governmental organizations to empower more collaborative high performing teams and improve team interpersonal skills. Adam takes pride in helping leaders and teams understand their greater potential while encouraging them to take action steps towards continuous improvement in daily their daily lives.
Adam has a background with international organizations such as Outward Bound, and a degree in Education from Monmouth University. His facilitation style is both flexible and consistent with program designs and objectives in order to create a program climate that is specifically directed to clients’ individual needs. In addition, Adam has advanced certificates in Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Developmental Dimensions International (DDI), Wilderness First Aid, and is a member of the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD).
Kent Tullo
Kent Tullo has been a leader on our team since 1994. He has over 20 years experience guiding outdoor adventures and experiential education programs. Kent studied Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education at Unity College in Maine. Kent is also the director of our outdoor education division providing programming for school students. This experience provides him with excellent perspective as he facilitates programs for professionals. Kent lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
