BARRI CARIAN
Over the past 30 years, Barri Carian has started up and led two successful entrepreneurial businesses and held executive positions in two Fortune 500 companies. Barri has established herself as a skilled strategic and critical thinker. She has expertise in all facets of operations and in building customer-focused and market-driven organizations. Her extensive experience gives her the keen insight needed to grow revenues by increasing productivity, streamlining delivery systems and spearheading business development.
Barri has been consulting with business owners since 1998, helping them achieve clarity with company issues and developing practical solutions for growth. She built a successful practice; Insync Partnership Services that helps troubled partnerships get back on track. Barri also chairs a local business owner/CEO group for TEC International, the largest CEO membership organization in the world.
Prior to starting her own business, Barri was Senior Vice President of Aon Consulting Worldwide, where she directed the Outsourced Services Division. She had P&L responsibility for $17 million and provided leadership to 500 field, call center and account management employees. She built the infrastructure, a new call center and new management team, chaired the executive steering committee for a major Information Technology project and increased revenue during the year of restructuring.
As Chief Operating Officer for Pinnacle Group, she led this start up to revenues of $12 million in 5 years by creating a national brand identity, developing and implementing a customer focus strategy resulting in client retention and significant growth in new business. She co-led a management buy-out from the major stockholder, Weyerhaeuser Company.
Barri spent 11 years with Merrill Lynch Relocation, her last position as Regional Vice President, responsible for the acquisition, sale and closing of $20 to $30 million of real estate each month. She also held the position of Vice President for Relocation Concepts, a start up company in Denver, CO.
A native Californian, Barri received her BA from the University of California, Riverside. She currently serves on the board for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Orange County chapter and is completing her 11th year of volunteer work for Healing Odyssey, a retreat for women cancer survivors. Barri resides in Newport Beach.
RACHEL OWENS
Rachel Owens is a business consultant with over 20 years experience in financial services. She has helped hundreds of family and closely held businesses in a variety of areas, including succession planning, benefits, retirement planning, and estate planning.
In June 1997, she earned the professional designation ofCertified Family Business Specialist from the American College. This designation recognizes the unique needs of family-owned businesses.
Her specialization in family owned businesses began in 1994, when helped found the Family Business Council at California State University, Fullerton. In 2000, she received the Small Business Administration Women in Business Advocate of the Year award. She currently serves on the board of the Small Business Financial Development Corporation (SBFDC). The SBFDC is a community resource for business capital for Orange County small businesses.
Rachel is a curriculum advisor for the University Extended Education Programs at California State University, Fullerton. She is a founding member and serves on the board of the National Association of Women Business Owners (Orange County Chapter). She is a published author and lecturer on succession planning.
Rachel holds a BA from the University of California, Irvine
BILL SORENSTEIN
Bill has been a financial services professional since 1977 and is a specialist in the area of qualified retirement plans. He founded Benefit Plan Services (BPS) in 1981. BPS provides administrative and consultative services for pension and profit sharing plans of closely held businesses.
Consulting with family and closely held businesses for over 20 years, he has assisted clients with succession planning, estate planning, and retirement planning. As co-founder of Succession Strategies, he enjoys working with family issues as they relate to the ongoing health and success of the business.
His experience includes leading seminars and workshops, strategic planning, and facilitating family meetings. He has also published articles on succession and retirement planning.
Bill received his BA in economics from Pomona College (Claremont, CA) in 1977.
DEBBIE GILSTER
Debbie Gilster is small business expert who is known for streamlining small businesses and the people that run them. She helps companies toimprove their business processes, increase their productivity and realize how to work and live more simply. Acting as a mentor, she helps businesses and their owners get to the next level. As an operations specialist, she rolls her sleeves up to develop right-sized solutions to solve identified problems. She is also the part-time COO/Operations Manager for several companies.
Debbie's work background includes almost 20 years working for large corporations her last job was as Mazda Motor of America's Business Process Reengineering Manager. She left corporate life in 1993 to become Partner and Chief Operating Officer of a highly profitable start-up women's accessory company. In 1995 she started her own consulting and training firm. She has a Master's degree in Systems Management from USC and a BA in Business from Cal State Fullerton.
Debbie is a QuickBooks Advisor and Paper Tiger Authorized Consultant. She has authored several handbooks and many articles. She has been quoted often in the media on organizing and productivity issues. She speaks for companies and associations, as time permits.
