Walter is founder of The McDonald Group, Inc. For the past 45 years, Walter is a highly respected material handling, construction equipment, heavy-duty truck and Ag industry consultant and management seminar leader. Walter published over 50 articles, and his nine-volume “Master’s Program in Dealer Management” has become an international success. Walter specializes in customized in-company dealer management training programs. Since 1975, Walter has conducted well over 2,600 management seminars and work- shops throughout North America, Europe and the Far East.
Walter’s adult education clients have included Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), Timberjack, Valmont, John Deere, CASE, CASE Ag, Komatsu CE Indonesia, Caterpillar, Bobcat, JCB, Vermeer, Ditch Witch, Trimble Navigation (SITECH), Material Handling Distributors Association (MHEDA), Hyster, Yale, Crown, Komatsu, Toyota, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift, Nissan, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks, Thermo King, E-One, Pierce Fire Apparatus and, numerous independent industrial equipment distributors. Prior to his professional management consulting career, Walter held several industrial sales, marketing and general management positions at the senior level including V.P. and General Manager of a $160 million distribution company.
Walter received his Management Consultant Certification (CMC) from the Institute of Management Consultants in New York. He graduated Cum Laude from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in Economics, attended M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management and pursued graduate studies in marketing and finance at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. You are also invited to visit his website: www.mcdonaldgroupinc.com. Or, contact him at walt@mcdonaldgroupinc.com.
Dealer Development support in Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Jerry is a highly experienced executive who has managed distribution networks across Europe, Middle East and Africa in the material handling, utility vehicle and golf car industries. With dual US/UK citizenship, he has worked and lived in France, Netherlands, USA and UK and has done business in the material handling industry at the OEM and dealer level throughout EMEA, Asia and South America.
For 20 years Jerry was an owner/principal of a diverse materials handling distributor, developing and distributing electric tugs, trucks and a wide range of material handling equipment. His team’s work in electric vehicles gained unique insight and expertise in this fast-moving industry.
Jerry exited that business in an MBO and is now concentrating on dealer development support in the material handling, construction and Ag equipment industries. His personal interests are related to helping machinery dealers build, strengthen and expand technical competence in product support to better collaborate with machinery sales for significant competitive advantage.
Early in his career, Jerry worked 10 years for Ingersoll-Rand in Finance and Dealer Management roles, including responsibility for channel management, sales and marketing strategies, employee development, dealer succession planning, market share, and key accounts.
Jerry holds a B.S. Finance from Siena College. He is a Graduate of Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Programme focusing on financial metrics, top line growth and increasing market share. You are welcome to contact Jerry in the UK at jhanss@liftsafe.net.
Luke Sheppard Certified Instructor, Ottawa, Canada
Dealer Development support in Canada, United States, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand
Luke is the founder and principal of Sheppard & Company, a business consultancy that helps leaders in medium-sized organizations to conquer time management, build and lead high-performance teams, and implement processes and systems that drive sustainable results. He is the author of the just-released book, Driving Great Results: Master the Tools You Need to Run a Great Business. It’s short, snappy, and filled with practical tools and tips to help entrepreneurs and managers make better decisions, communicate more effectively, improve their people management skills, and execute consistently.
Luke Sheppard is a veteran industry leader with 20 years at John Deere both at the OEM factory level (he is an engineer) and dealer level, where he was VP Product Support of a 43-branch dealership. His 20 years of heavy equipment industry experience is in engineering, operations, general management, and executive leadership roles in the United States and Canada with Tigercat, Timberjack, John Deere, and Nortrax.
Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Iowa State University, and an Executive MBA from the University of Iowa.
Stephen Ross Certified Instructor, Orlando, Florida
Dealer Development support in the United States
Steve is founder and President of RHCI Associates, Inc. a business consulting firm dedicated to people development and process capture, documenting and improving. He has spent 38 years in most roles in material handling dealerships, from sales to operations and senior leadership to National Director of a multi-location factory owned dealership. Steve has spent the past 12 years in consulting roles for small and large dealerships focused on enhancing the customer experience, leadership development, problem solving, continuous improvement and achieving industry best results.
Steve has been particularly successful in helping non-financial dealer employees with limited financial expertise build financial acumen. He trained them to better understand revenue center financial management and management actions required to achieve budget. Steve has presented numerous Continuous Improvement and Sales Time and Territory Management Workshops.
His focus on Aftermarket operations and management helped his team grow Gross Profit by almost 30%. By implementing an account-focused A/B Strategy with largest accounts by unit count, his dealerships were able to increase machinery market share by almost 50% over 36 months. After leading many teams, Process Focused Teams has become his passion. Over the years, Steve led many teams to construct improved processes that have reduced cost, increased efficiency and customer satisfaction and improved employee morale and retention. Early in Steve’s career he was with a construction dealer for six years, first as Field Tech and then Service Manager. Steve became a student of business through mentors, reading, attending seminars and a student of The McDonald Group’s vast resources now readily available to everyone. Contact Steve at steve.ross@rhciassociates.com, 407/234-4150. Business Improvement Specialist, Lean Management.
Debbie Frakes Director, End-User Customer Research
Dealer Development support in the United States, Canada and Europe
Ms. Frakes is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Winsby, Inc. Winsby has been working with manufacturers, distributors, service providers and retail businesses to help them grow their businesses for over 10 years. The firm has tested, developed, and rolled out marketing initiatives for hundreds of companies that continue to thrive and grow.
Debbie has started several businesses, and each has grown rapidly. With her first venture, she purchased a service franchise that expanded to seven locations within two years. Another startup established an elder care management company throughout a major metropolitan area. A successful catalog operation and a market research company also preceded Winsby.
Her first position outside of school was as an environmental consultant in New York City. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in environmental science from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a Master of Business Administration in finance and marketing from the Columbia University School of Business. You are welcome to contact Debbie at dfrakes@winsbyinc.com.
Mr. Vandy successfully held executive positions with Private and Fortune 500 Corporations including GM through President/COO levels representing leading companies like CNH, Terex Corporation, Manitowoc Crane, Doosan Infracore, TAS Energy and GTherm, Inc. He has successfully leveraged industry knowledge on consulting assignments as President of The Vandy Group, Inc. and in association with The McDonald Group.
John contributed global sales and marketing expertise to a broad range of companies from start-ups through mature business operations. Acquisition, integration and restructuring skills have been demonstrated numerous times, while strategic planning and implementation are keys to a track record of success. Building on a strong foundation in traditional capital goods/B2B businesses that reliably delivered support through multiple distribution channels on every continent insure value in addressing customer needs.
John was nominated to serve on the US Commercial Service’s District Export Council and is the Chairman of their Legislative Affairs Committee in Houston, serves on the Board of Directors of a Chinese Company, and is active in the professional organization – CEO Netweavers as Vice President of the Houston, Texas chapter. John graduated from Western Michigan University and holds degrees in Business and Economics.
Mr. Wilson brings to clients a career experience of 42 years with Caterpillar, Inc., and related companies in North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In various senior positions, he directed Marketing Regions, Advertising and Marketing Programs, Corporate National Accounts and Dealer Development and Relations. He worked internationally in the areas of dealer appointments, best practices, and performance assessments and recognition.
Having worked closely with equipment dealers throughout his career, Jim understands both their challenges and opportunities. He also gained insight and perspective representing Caterpillar for eight years on the Roundtable on Distribution. The Roundtable consisted of twenty large multinational non-competing companies whose senior executives networked and shared best practices in distribution management.
Jim offers consulting and coaching expertise in many areas:
Strategic Pricing for Dealers/Distributors and OEMs: Offer proven strategic pricing algorithms that identify hidden opportunities from clients’ parts invoicing history. Properly implemented strategic parts pricing generates significant, sustainable incremental revenue and operating profit without jeopardizing relationships with customers.
Succession Planning for Dealers/Distributors: Help identify and weigh options, issues, special interests, skill sets, timelines, and development programs.
Strategic Compensation for Dealers/Distributors: Help assess compensation program alignment with the enterprise’s goals and objectives.
Dealer Excellence recognition programs for OEMs and Dealers/Distributors: Incorporate criteria that benefit and enhance performance, in line with the enterprise’s goals and objectives, while recognizing exceptional performance.
Managing Dealer/Distributor/OEM relationships: Help either type of client assess the quality of the relationship and then work to improve or end it.
Business Proposals for Dealers/Distributors to represent new product lines: Assess draft proposals or outlines and help ask the right questions and include the right elements that might favor a decision.
Management of strategic suppliers for Dealers/Distributors: Help assess the relationship and help identify what steps to take to preserve and improve it to gain competitive advantage.
Mr. Wilson holds a MBA from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and is active in a variety of church, arts and community non-profits in Houston, Texas.
