Patrick Carroll

Background

About Patrick Carroll

In his celebrated work,"To A Mouse", the brilliant Scottish poet, Robert Burns, captured a timeless truth when he wrote,"The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy!" Given a narrative of plans gone awry and grief found where joy was promised, my keen suspicion is that Burns' mouse simply suffered for want of a better strategist. Strategy challenges us to acknowledge that the quality, utility, and value of an answer is dependent almost entirely upon the question being asked. I love strategy. I excel at formulating and pursuing questions - often hearing that "no one has asked that question before"- to uncover and develop insights that empower Owners, Directors, and Executive Leaders to chart a wise future for their enterprises. After the analysis and planning, I remain at work to ensure fidelity to the strategy during implementation. Written strategic plans typically communicate what to do and why, but fall short by nature of what is really needed: counsel on how to do it. Rather than risk Robert Burns' grief and pain, I offer strategic and creative direction, project management, and a hand-cultivated portfolio of talented, reliable professionals to keep the strategy on track to fulfill its promise. I don't just do the gap analysis; I prepare to bridge gaps - whether those needs relate to function, skill, capacity, or some fluid combination. My experience in strategy, branding, and marketing extends to sectors that include Health & Beauty, Luxury Consumer Goods, Sports & Entertainment, Nonprofit, Contract Research, Fleet Transportation, Telecom, and Industrial Manufacturing. Philosophically, I think that Benjamin Franklin was wise, Sun Tzu even wiser, and the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, wiser still when he said,"Character is Destiny." You don't get anything different at the end of the journey than what you got along the journey itself. Enjoy the ride!