Helping Organizations Create a
CULTURE OF PERFORMANCE
Leaders of every kind of organization want to create a culture that engages their team members in achieving superior results. For more than 30 years, the founders of GrowthSPORT have been involved in working in or with companies, universities, governments, and other organizations to achieve this “triple crown” of results, engagement, and culture. Bottom line? It can be done, but it’s not easy!
OUR MISSION: provide the systems, processes, and discipline organizations need to accomplish superior results from engaged employees in a culture of performance
Bryan Ritchie, Ph.D. M.B.A.
Dr. Bryan Ritchie’s wide range of business and academic experience spans entrepreneurial startups, large corporate management, consulting, technology transfer and academic teaching and leadership. An expert in venture startup, value creation, and organizational execution, He has helped many enterprises, large and small, create and execute on their highest strategic initiatives.
Dr. Ritchie is a serial entrepreneur who has formed several information technology companies. He has held management positions in or consulted for numerous other information technology companies including Century Software, Dayna Communications, IBM, Novell, IOMEGA, Seagate, Megahertz, and 3Com. His work with these companies focused on executing new product development initiatives, such as groundbreaking product launches of wireless computing adaptors (Dayna), mobile video (3Com/Megahertz), removable storage (IOMEGA), multi-media networking (Novell), and cross-platform communications (Century Software).
Dr. Ritchie also combined his private sector experience with academic work. As a professor of political economy at Michigan State University for 11 years and as associate vice president for research commercialization at the University of Utah for four years, Dr. Ritchie is a thought and execution leader on innovation, entrepreneurship, technological development, skills education and training, and social capital. He has authored books and articles on relationship economics, sustainable growth, and technological upgrading, all of which have influenced our knowledge about the decisions and processes behind high-growth enterprises. He is a widely renowned teacher and is the recipient of many awards and grants.
Dr. Ritchie has effectively provided leadership and community building to connect work among academics, business and government leaders, and student/community entrepreneurs.
James Western, M.B.A.
James Western brings over 25 years of senior executive, leadership development, executive mentoring and coaching, and entrepreneurship experience to organizations worldwide.
James’ extensive background allows him to act as coach, advisor and consultant to executives in various functions and industries, helping them to identify specific needs, goals, strategies and tactics that will help in their development as well as their teams and the organizations for which they are employed.
He actively consults with Fortune 500 companies to help them develop methods to more effectively execute against strategic plans and initiatives. Some of his clients include Ericsson, Eli Lilly, Verizon, Keller Williams, Epsilon Data, NextEra Energy and Dow AgroSciences.
He regularly consults with founders and executives of early and middle stage companies regarding all facets of organizational development and performance.
He began his career in computer technology, functioning as a sales representative for a start-up dedicated to the development of data communication devices for portable computers. Having reached the position of COO with that venture, he elected to move to another start-up, taking the position of CEO, where he successfully guided the company through a six-year growth phase that led to the acquisition of his company by Xircom, which was subsequently purchased by Intel Corporation.
He served as the VP and Business Unit leader for Compaq Computer Corporation in Norwood, Massachusetts, where he oversaw multiple cross-functional technology groups that supported various geographies worldwide across a matrixed organization.
He has served in executive positions in sales (VP), marketing (VP), operations (VP and COO) and administration (CEO), and currently holds the position of CEO of MARE Corporation which has two operating companies; Access Mortgage and MARE Diversified Holdings. As CEO he is able to continue to model the principles he utilizes when coaching, advising and consulting.
James graduated from the University of Utah, earning Baccalaureate degrees in English Literature and Economics and graduated from the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management, earning a Master of Business Administration degree with Honors.
He is married with three children, and enjoys mountaineering, writing, reading, and traveling.