Stephen Reilly

Background

About Stephen Reilly

With 25+ years as a leader, entrepreneur, ideator and influencer, I have worked across international education, non-profit management, global consulting, and travel and trade. Having founded and built three successful companies in distinctly different fields, and run a non-profit, my strengths include strategic planning, focus on growth, optimizing profitability and operational efficiencies, building systems, and inspiring innovation among teams. I have lived on 4 continents and traveled to 50+ countries, building a high level of cultural competence, a passion for social justice, and an intense focus on bringing positive change. As Founder of Chesapeake Painting Services in Annapolis, MD - we have built a best-in-class home services business, which draws upon my strengths in strategic planning, customer service, operational excellence, sound software and systems, and establishing a strong cashflow model. As Co-Founder of internationalexperiences.com, we are focused on destination management and consulting for government tourism boards, in addition to a tour operator business with unique curated itineraries from around the world. As a Founder of Global Experiences, I developed a broad set of skills in building a complex organization with many stakeholders. I've worn every hat, writing web code, building a sales team, marketing platforms, negotiating contracts, partnering with global employers & 100+ universities, financials, budgeting, and managing teams in a multimillion dollar company. I led a successful exit of this company in 2019. I am ‘always on’, looking for better approaches and measuring to ensure we are reaching desired outcomes. My ability to distill complex issues into actionable strategies, coupled with my influencing strengths, often positions me as a go-to activator on any team. My time as Executive Director of the Fulbright Association required more soft, diplomatic skills. I was fortunate to earn a Fulbright in 1998 to Sweden (M.S.S, Peace & Conflict). I lobbied Congress for funding, had countless public speaking engagements, and built a strong network of influence to help raise our profile. A catalyst for change, I am always thinking of a better way, empowering the team to think smarter, leverage technology, and improve outcomes.