A team of professionals who coach
Equipment Dealers to peak performance
Our MAC Advisors
George Russell
George Russell started with International Harvester in 1975 , then worked for Case and later CNH Industrial where he held executive and global positions in both Ag and Construction Equipment in product development, strategy and sales & marketing. He left CNH in 2006 as VP, Case CE Europe, Africa, Middle East to start working directly with dealers. He leads several dealer best practice groups in Ag and CE as well as leading workshops for OEMs and AED programs such as “Professional Sales Management”, “Branch Management”, “Parts & Service Profitability””, and “Financial Leadership and Growth”. He writes a regular dealer business improvement column for Farm Equipment magazine and co-authors the annual ‘Big Dealer’ report for Ag Equipment Intelligence as part of his focus on growing & consolidating dealerships. He is a founding member of Machinery Advisors Consortium.
Focus Areas
Sales, , Rental, Service & Parts Management, Peer Group Facilitation, Strategy Development, Mergers & Acquisition (Valuations, Negotiation, Integration), Global Expansion & Market Entry
Contact
VisTion Advisory LLC
35 Cherry St., #901
Burlington, VT 05401
847-219-7252 George.Russell@machineryadvisors.org
Russ Green
Russ credits his success in the agricultural business to being raised with a Midwest work ethic surrounded by people who genuinely cared for each other’s interests and community well-being. Named by Farm Industry News as one of the 10 Fascinating People in Agriculture in 2015, Russ has formed a successful 45-year career contributing to the growth and business expansion of several international industry players in North America.
Russ is a ‘truth-teller and a sense-maker.” He is as comfortable with his problem-solving and communication skills with the producer in the small cattle feed yard as he is with his executive teammates in the corporate boardroom. One of his industry colleagues stated, that Russ’ ability to make strategic progress with the quote, “Russ has great people skills and is comfortable interacting with anyone from the small-scale farmer to the president of a multinational corporation or a State Governor or U.S. Senator.”
Focus Areas
Executive strategic development, rapid improvement, dealer performance group leadership, workforce development, structuring teams, and coaching leaders to their greatest potential.
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Bill Mayes
Bill has a breadth of experience with both OEM and retail experience, starting with 25 years with John Deere. Bill left John Deere to accept a position as Director of Product Support for Case Construction. He subsequently held positions with CNH as Worldwide Director of Service Marketing and Sales Director, New Holland & Kobelco. Bill left CNH to join MachineryLink, a start-up rental company, where he was VP, Fleet Management and Field Operations. His experience with MachineryLink provides a unique dealership relevant experience, because he was responsible for availability and operating cost of world's largest fleet of rental combines. In addition, he managed all customer facing support activities including 24/7 live support hotline, a customer satisfaction process, and he created a flexible staffing model to support MachineryLink combines with local talent throughout the U.S. and Canada on an as-needed basis.
Bill divides his time between his residences in Costa Rica and Las Vegas and can deliver programs in both English and Spanish.
Focus Areas
Coaching and training in Parts and Service Management, Parts and Service Sales Representatives – Program development and training, Sales Management and Selling Skills
Contact
Mayes & Calero, LLC
U.S. (913) 579-5188
Costa Rica (506) 8739-3176
Zach Hetterick
Zach Hetterick began his career at the parts counter of a John Deere dealership and was a territory account manager for a Caterpillar ag dealer. He went on to work for AGCO, served in several territory and senior leadership positions at Case IH and was CEO of a 11-location farm equipment dealership. A native of Ohio, he is a 2002 graduate of The Ohio State University. He offers programs in leadership development along with individual coaching tailored to the agriculture industry. His passion is to elevate an organization’s performance, especially in their people to turn their potential into performance. An alumni of dealer best practice groups, he leads dealer groups.
Focus Areas
Executive management, sales and marketing leadership, mergers and acquisitions, business growth strategies, cultural change, Dealer Group leadership, middle management development
Contact
Harvesting Potential
Bowling Green, OH
(419) 966-8641
Zach.Hetterick@machineryadvisors.org
Jim Henderson
Jim is an entrepreneur who has started and successfully sold two information technology companies. He leads the Exemplary Group, which through Best Practice Groups and direct consulting practices, provides benchmarking best practices and tools for Dealerships, Manufacturer Reps & Value-Added Retailers. As a member of MAC and direct work with dealers, he advises farm and construction dealers in Best Practice Groups on the application of technology, bot for internal business management and IT processes and externally for Precision Farming & Machine Control.
Focus Areas
Teaching dealers to achieve profitability from selling & supporting smart machines, Leaverging the power of benchmarking & models to drive performance improvement, Applying technology & data to re-engineer dealership processes, Providing personal testimony on how & why business must adapt to change
Contact
Exemplary Group
41 Potter Hill Road
Grafton, MA 01519
774-545-5184
Bill Hoeg
Bill’s 45 years in the AG and CE industry is driven by the passion, insight and expertise that creates success through innovation. He started with IH and has demonstrated success in territory sales management, effective Parts Training (31% average improvement of on-the-job performance), “Value-Added Selling” Commercial Training, turn around Product Management (increased product volumes and customer satisfaction) and customer needs driven New Technology application. His experience also extends into other small businesses where people, processes and business systems are critical. His product management includes Global Consulting Center around seed trench simulation, planter product design, agronomic yield impacts, and grower technology, equipment selection and spring preparation.
Focus Areas
Service and Parts Management; Event Planning; Selling Skills; Store Retail, Merchandising & Marketing; Technology and Process Implementation, Speed to Market Engineering Development
Contact
WMH Consulting LLC
14700 W. Fleetwood Lane
New Berlin, WI 53151
262-227-0759
Contact
DellServ, LLC
747 Sage Forest Ln
Monument, CO 80132
717-917-2410
Dave Dell
Dave’s life foundation formed while growing up on his family’s dairy farm. After college graduation he began his career with the Service organization in New Holland. His career in the farm and industrial machinery business spanned more than 30 years. Dave served in many areas of the business performing successfully in significant leadership positions in Service, Sales, Training, Product Management, Aftersales, and Marketing. He led key activities in the merger of New Holland and Fiat as well as in the merger of Case IH and New Holland. In recent years Dave broadened his scope of knowledge and experience in leadership positions with Animal Nutrition, Turf & Golf Care, Grain Management and Business Consulting businesses. He has extensive experience globally and in smaller family-owned businesses. Certainly, the success of any business is largely determined by the network and processes through which services and products are connected to, delivered, and supported with each customer, the end user. Dave is well experienced, successful, and passionate in working closely with customers, dealers, and business leaders to identify best processes and personnel driving success.
With a deep and broad base of knowledge and experience, Dave joins MAC to work with dealers and other businesses which seek to improve their total business performance.
Focus Areas
Coaching and mentoring of personnel and business functions, Group facilitation, Organization analysis and design, Process analysis and design, Listening-Learning and applying common sense in problem solving
Luke Sheppard
From boots in the forest to a seat in the boardroom, Luke Sheppard’s 20-year career with Tigercat, Timberjack, and John Deere span OEM and dealer roles in the US and Canada in engineering, operations, general management, and executive leadership. He was most recently the VP of Customer Support with Nortrax. A solid education in engineering and business backs Luke’s extensive equipment industry experience (go Badgers, Hawkeyes, Cyclones)!
Luke is the Principal of Sheppard & Company, a consultancy he founded to help equipment dealers and their leaders thrive. He’s also the author of Driving Great Results, a handbook that provides managers at any level with fundamental tools in decision making, communication, managing people, and executing consistently to help them run their business better.
Focus Areas
Technical Leadership Development, Lean Dealer Methods & Process Improvement, Parts & Service Business Turnaround, Building & Engaging High-Performance Teams, Technology Integration & Monetization
Contact
Ottawa, CA
343-262-5883
Luke.Sheppard@machineryadvisors.org
www.linkedin.com/in/sheppardLuke
Daniel Surprenant
Since 1988, Daniel has consulted to automotive and capital goods dealers. He founded his own company in 1999 after progressive dealership experience as Service Mgr & General Mgr. He translates into French and delivers high quality training for automotive OEMs and CNH Industrial in Quebec as well as in English. He is equally skilled in the classroom and at a dealership.
Focus Areas
Service & Parts Mgmt., Selling Skills, Sales Management, Customer Satisfaction processes, Business Planning
Speaks French & English
Contact
Formation Future, Inc.
C.P. 1000
Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm
QUÉBEC J0T 2C0
514-386-3597
Michelle Currie
As Co-Owner of Currie Management Consultants, Inc., Michelle developed and delivers the year long Leadership Development curriculum for dealership managers which includes executive coaching and operations. She founded Life Guidance Associates, holds an MA in Psychology and authored the book “Boom Life” about work / life balance.
Focus Areas
Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Peer Group Facilitation, and Aftermarket Management Training
Contact
Currie Management Consultants, Inc.
102 Shore Drive, Suite 100
Worcester, MA 01605
508-752-9229 Mcurrie@CurrieManagement.com
Bob Currie
Bob is founder of Currie Management Consultants, Inc. and has over 40 year’s experience assisting OEMs and dealer in capital goods to improve distribution and performance. Some dealerships in the 25 Best Practice groups he started are in their 3rd generation. His leading edge dealership management approach can be seen in the books: Achieving Profit Potential Series – Service Workbook and Fleet Management. His broad vision and understanding extends internationally with clients in Europe, Asia and South America.
Focus Areas
Enterprise Results, Strategic Planning, Dealerization, Executive Coaching, and Mergers and Acquisitions
Contact
Currie Management Consultants, Inc.
102 Shore Drive, Suite 100
Worcester, MA 01605
508-752-9229 RPCurrie@CurrieManagement.com
Robin Currie
Robin is Director of The Currie Training Center where she leverages her knowledge of distribution practices in several capital goods industries with her passion for leadership development. In addition to her studies in retail management, she understands the dealership retail experience through her support and facilitation of several Best Practices Groups. She is certified to administer the Myers-Brigs Type indicator and sparks discussion about personal development in her daily leadership blog, the Currie Circadian. She teaches the elements of Servant Leadership that complements her first book, Pray Without Ceasing.
Focus Areas
Leadership Development, Personal Evaluations & Growth, Best Practices for Dealership Executives, Women of Distribution
Contact
Currie Management Consultants, Inc.
102 Shore Drive, Suite 100
Worcester, MA 01605
508-752-9229 Robin@CurrieManagement.com
Erik Thompson
Erik is founder of Thompson Leadership Development, Inc. who assist business-owning families and non-family managers in their efforts to:
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Address Relationship Log-jams,
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Keep family relationships as healthy as possible,
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Plan leadership succession,
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Assist the founder in personal life planning “beyond the business”,
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Openly and candidly take on important yet sensitive issues,
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Help emerging leaders develop high-caliber leadership skills.
He is a Licensed Psychologist-Masters whose professional discipline for the past 20 years has been applying the science of systems thinking to leadership, especially in family businesses.
Focus Areas
Executive coaching and training to CEO’s, Presidents, and their leadership teams, Helping top managers think more clearly about leading
Marianne Wood
Marianne is an experienced business consultant with a strong background in information technology, management consulting, project management, and communication strategies. Marianne provides consulting and advisory services to small businesses and medium to large corporations across multiple industries to manage their program/project portfolio; improve their business processes; analyze and synthesize data for management reporting; research, analyze, and implement software and hardware products; and design and develop communication products for online, presentation and printing purposes. Previously, she was a senior manager with Ernst & Young LLP, where she designed and managed the development of online knowledge-base, systems development methodology and software products for clients and internal technical support staff.
Focus Areas
Project management, process improvement, communication strategy, information technology, software implementation, knowledge management, publishing.
Jennifer Short
Jennifer began working in the automobile dealership industry in 2002 in the areas of Warranty Administration and Business Development Center installation and training. In 2005, Jennifer joined MBA Dealer Services and began performing the administrative duties of the fixed operations consulting business. During that time she helped create and install then Chrysler LLC’s Service and Parts Manager Performance Groups (now FCA 20 Groups). To this date, she continues to lead the administration of these 20 Groups on behalf of FCA. In 2014, Jen began a similar task with Case New Holland with the creation and installation of the Service and Parts Manager Performance Dealer Groups which led to her being introduced to Machinery Advisory Consortium. She now administers the Dealer Groups for both Case CE, Case IH, New Holland, and a mixed brands group.
In 2012, Jennifer became managing partner and CIO and in 2018, Jennifer became the CEO of MBA Dealer Services.
Focus Areas
Warranty administration, business development, dealer group administration, financial administration
Rob Park
Rob helped found MAC in 2015 and, despite his passing in May 2016, his spirit, memory and example
continue to sustain MAC members.
Rob had 25 plus years experience in the equipment industry both at the OEM level and at dealerships. It’s the dealership experience though that helped him relate well to dealers and counseled them to step back and look at their operations to examine key areas for financial, operational, and people resource development. His high energy and passion for the business kept attendees engaged and challenged to affect positive change once the training concludes. Rob was one of the first members to be invited into the Machinery Advisors Consortium.
