Selected Assignments
Dr. DeMarco has had the privilege of serving many public, private, and not-for-profit organizations. The following describe some of those assignments.
Executive Leadership Development: Designed, developed and managed a six day residential Leadership development course for the top three thousand executives of a major global automobile manufacturer The target population included executives and senior managers, from CEO on down, representing all areas of the corporation, including R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing, Quality, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Support, Car Assembly, Component Groups, Finance, and Logistics. The focus was on cross-functional Teamwork, Quality improvements, and improved Customer Service. This program was a cornerstone of a worldwide corporate restructure. It involved significant collaboration with internal Education & Training, the Executive Management Committee and the Group Vice Presidents, including the involvement of the future Chairman and CEO as program champion. The program successfully ran for five years, and contributed to of the quality awards received during that period.
Central Bank Culture Change: Built and led an international team of organizational effectiveness consultants and central banking experts, in the creation of a restructuring plan for a Pacific Rim central bank. The mandate from the Board of Governors was to prepare detailed plans for bank restructuring along the lines of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and German Bundesbank models. Created a project advisory committee, which included a former governor of the Bank of England, former U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, representative of the International Monetary Fund, and several academic experts in central banking. The process and four volume cross-referenced “Report to the Board of Governors” became a model for future IMF-sponsored central banking restructuring projects in developing countries.
Corporate-wide Culture Change: Managed Culture Change process for the new CEO, in preparation for the transition from a mutual to stock company for a then 125 year old industry leader. The Culture Change process included operating company-level vision, strategy development, attitude surveys, competency (best practices) modeling, and tactical planning & implementation. The Culture Change process also included the design, development and implementation of a three day Leadership Training Program for the executives and managers, and establishment of ongoing performance measurement standards. Project description provided the case material for the prize-winning presentation at the First International Conference on Corporate Culture (University of Lund, Sweden)…selected for publication in a prestigious U..K. business Journal.
Decentralizing Corporate IT Function: Designed, developed, and managed a total Culture Change and organizational reengineering process of the centralized Information Technology function (logistics, order management, accounts payable/receivable, call center, security, etc.) for the Vice President-IT of the North American operations of this major global corporation. This three year project was a ground up redesign of a nearly twenty year old IT function, including the creation of a new mission, strategy, HR competency model, structure, standards, training curriculum, recruitment policies, succession plans, systems integration, etc. The changes significantly contributed to: increased efficiency, SAP preparedness, decreased employee dissatisfaction, improved quality & customer service, creation of a P&L mindset among employees at multiple levels, and a documented savings to the corporation of more than one hundred million dollars.
Common Global Management/leadership Standards: Hired by Asian headquarters executives as sole external Organizational Effectiveness expert to help in the creation of global management standards. The client was a major global firm of 221 discreet product lines (from avionics systems to robotics to consumer electronics), with more than a quarter of a million employees, working on six continents The project was chaired by the president of the ten billion dollar North American operations, and was made up of international HR executives with strength in all aspects of home country human resource policies and standards. Dr. DeMarco’s specific research took place in Japan, Singapore, Europe, and North America. This significant four year culture change project included either the creation of, or responsibility for integrated global strategic HR systems, competency models, performance management standards, attitude surveys, succession planning processes, compensation redesigns, country-appropriate defined benefit/defined contribution plans, updated expatriate policies, corporate/union communications, custom training design, and liaison with legal in matters pertaining to the creation of global management standards.
Non-profit Organizational Effectiveness: Hired by the board of directors of this prestigious American West Coast non-profit to audit all museum general management policies, practices, procedures, and direct a climate study of all stakeholder populations as part of a successful 40+ million dollar capital campaign and physical expansion. Board members included very high-ranking U.S. government officials and senior executives from the private and not-for-profit sectors. This “Year 2000” project led to a detailed blueprint for improvements in operations and stakeholder relations, as well as a management improvement coaching assignment with key stakeholders.
Strategy Implementation Process: Designed and facilitated a multi-day, executive management committee, strategic planning retreat for one of North America’s largest drug companies. In addition to this strategic planning retreat, Dr. DeMarco worked with both executives and technical/non-technical professionals of several operating units (e.g. International, BioMed, R&D, Sales & Marketing) and three stand-alone, international companies on culture integration, strategic planning, team building, conflict resolution and organizational effectiveness. This Millennium Project led to a detailed strategic plan, implementation tactics, and a performance measurement tracking system in support of a new SAP initiative.
Entrepreneurial Business Unit: Led a Culture Change Process for the entrepreneurial Specialty Steel Division of one of North America’s largest steel companies. This three-year process included the translation of the corporate strategy and division vision into mission statements, tactical plans, and strategic business success criteria for the five operating companies. Participants included the executive management group and managers from Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, Sales & Marketing, and Human Resources. The process led to a reevaluation of the planned closing of three plants, leading to their restructuring as one merged facility.
Performance Management System: As subject matter expert, coached the senior managers of a prestigious stock exchange’s in-house IT department responsible for performance management systems best practices. The challenge was to design, implement, and gain broad support for a new, post-Enron, goal setting and performance review system which reflected the parent organization/IT subsidiary cultures, eliminated ratings creep, and represented current performance management best practices. There was the additional challenge of simultaneously building organizational value for more realistic lower but acceptable performance ratings which also identified personal development goals which were tied to strategic objectives. The new process was successfully piloted and introduced in 2003-2004 in selected operations of this 2,000+-person organization.
Enterprise System Implementation: Worked with the CFO-Americas, and his Finance & Control management group to more clearly define their future direction, better align F&C structure and policies with global corporate standards, improve ERP (SAP) installation efficiencies, and, as a beta project, enhance the strategic fit of specific HR policies and programs with F&C future direction. This led to the installation of Finance & Control’s contribution to the new corporate-wide enterprise resource planning system on time and close to budget.
Centralizing Corporate IT Function: Designed, developed, and facilitated an organizational effectiveness process for the Americas Information Management function. Significant interface with offshore headquarters was required. This two year project focused on: IM mandates, goals of the new IM Vice President, identification of gaps between the desired state and current capability, and creation/implementation of a plan which closed the gaps in an acceptable time line. The company was experiencing unprecedented growth. The challenge was to retain the entrepreneurial spirit while putting in place an enhanced organizational effectiveness model and mindset, in tandem with new SAP corporate initiative. The project scope involved the creation, review or refinement of the mission, competencies, organizational structure, people assignments, succession planning model, individual & team development plans, cross-functional collaboration, recruitment policies, training programs, team building activities, and “business thinking/partnering” programs. During this period of time, IM-Americas was the most productive and highest rated IM function within the corporation.
