Larry Girouard

Boston Chapter

Larry Girouard is the CEO of The Business Avionix Company, a consulting company that focuses on the development of strategic plans, sales and marketing programs, and assisting companies in changing the way they do business through measurement metrics in order to make them more competitive within their selected markets.

He has 40 years of experience in engineering, sales/marketing, and senior management positions with a proven track record for results over a broad range of manufacturing and manufacturing support disciplines. Larry had entrepreneurial start-ups in both Gallium Arsenide crystal technology and high strength carbon composites.

For the State of Rhode Island, he was the Executive Director for both NASA’s Technology Transfer Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership RIMES), a US Department of Commerce Program.

Larry  has earned a BSME (University of Rhode Island) and MBA (University of Delaware), and is a frequent lecturer at business functions and colleges/universities. He particpates on the boards of Slater Mill Historic Site, SBANE (Smaller Business Association of NE), and various corporate boards. 

Dan Guglielmo

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

In the rapidly emerging Exit Planning field, Dan Guglielmo is considered a national thought-leader. His goal is to continue expanding the influence and deepening the impact of two significant communities: owners of closely-held businesses who have proven leadership skills, and the community of advisors whom these families must rely upon to realize their goals.

He began his professional career at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Finance Attorney in the Division of Enforcement.  As much as he enjoyed learning about the public markets at the SEC, he discovered that his professional calling was working with owners of privately-held businesses. This should come as no surprise, as Dan is a fourth generation entrepreneur.

In 2001, with his partner Ronald B. Ware, Dan founded TrustDesign, a planning-based wealth management firm. Dan now serves as a Personal Wealth Advocate for successful business owners and their families, focusing on increasing the sustainability and transferability of the family’s most valuable asset: the family business. Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, a Jurist Doctorate degree from Arizona State College of Law and studied for his LLM in Taxation at Boston University.

Jeffrey Hart

Boston Chapter

Jeffrey P. Hart is a founding member of the Boston law firm of Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers, P.C.  A member of the firm’s management committee, Jeff concentrates his practice in advising businesses and individuals in the areas of business law, taxation, and estate planning, with a special emphasis on business succession planning.

He was an Adjunct Professor of Law at New England School of Law from 1985 through 1997, teaching courses in Advanced Corporate Taxation and Business Planning and has also lectured on advanced topics of estate planning at Suffolk University Law School.

Earlier in his career, Jeff practiced as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Chicago.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and New England School of Law.  Jeff was voted one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts in a survey of Massachusetts attorneys published in the November 2004 issue of Boston Magazine.

Michael Oleksak

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

Michael Oleksak is a co-founder of Trek Consulting where as both a management consultant and a coach, he helps clients to grow their businesses His corporate experience spans finance, sales, marketing and management at Bank of Boston and Thomson Financial.

As a consultant, Michael works with owner-managed businesses to develop action plans for growth. Michael also works with the owners to prepare for their successful exit by coordinating the resources necessary to increase and preserve the firm’s value, creating the succession plan and assembling the right transaction team, financing and post-transaction plan.

In addition to consulting, Michael is an energetic speaker and author on topics related to strategic customer conversations, growth and value creation. He has taught seminars at Northeastern University, writes a monthly column on Strategic Action and has been published internationally. In the 1990’s, he also co-authored a book entitled, Beisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game.

Steve Snyder

Boston Chapter

As Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Gesmer Updegrove, one of Boston’s premier law firms for technology companies and emerging businesses, Steve Snyder works with entrepreneurs to help them grow their companies. Following 17 years of successfully building, funding and turning vision into reality at three companies, Steve’s focus at Gesmer is providing clients with impactful business guidance to drive revenue and increase profitability.

Steve’s passion is providing extraordinary business advice and utilizing his network to create enormous value. And he really enjoys using his financing experience to help companies grow. As a result, Steve has been able to transform young companies into successful, well-financed organizations, some of which have been acquired or gone public. In each case, Steve helped entrepreneurs turn their vision into reality.

Steve began his career as a corporate and securities attorney but quickly acknowledges that building businesses is much more fun. He enjoys exercising but after two marathons, has been relegated to an elliptical machine.

Shannon Zollo

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

Shannon Zollo, an attorney with Morse, Barnes-Brown, & Pendleton P.C. , represents a variety of U.S. and international clients in securities and corporate matters. As part of his general corporate and technology practice, he advises, amongst others, emerging growth companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and technology and life sciences companies. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, strategic technology licensing and transfer, and executive employment matters.

As the former general counsel of a high growth, venture-backed company, Shannon has substantial experience advising executive management on a wide range of U.S. and international legal and business issues, including corporate transactional negotiations, debt and equity financings, licensing and protection of intellectual property, corporate governance, leasing, import/export compliance, immigration, executive compensation, and employment/labor matters.

Shannon is a graduate of Brigham Young University (Sc.B., International Business Administration, B.A., Portuguese) and Northeastern University School of Law.