Intelligent planning

An intelligent strategic plan includes the clear identification of your organization's challenges and creating a process to overcome them. In my experience, undertaking the following work with the organization's leadership is the best way to design that process:

Refine the organization's mission.
Undertake market research.
Examine tangible and intangible assets inside of your organization.
Understand your target audience.
Complete a comprehensive analysis of potential revenue and costs.
Establish confirmed and planned revenue flow.
Outline practical steps toward the future in a realistic timeline.

My experience in this area

Tianjin Juilliard School

Co-led the feasibility, strategic planning and launch of The Juilliard School's only international branch campus, in Tianjin, China, from 2011 to 2018.

Objective
Realize a board-level directive to establish a permanent presence for Juilliard in Asia.

Work

Partnered with an expert in global education finance, my work on this project focused on the artistic, educational and government relations aspects of the project. Among my responsibilities were to cultivate relationships local partners and governmental entities; report regularly to a committee of the Juilliard board; develop the academic and business model; participate in the planning the physical campus with the architecture firm; participate in the negotiation of the joint venture agreement; hire the New York support staff and the campus's first leadership staff, while doing everything to protect the reputation of the Juilliard brand.

Results

The Chinese Ministry of Education approved the project and announced its approval at The Juilliard School in New York in September 2015 with a visit by the first lady of the People's Republic of China.

Tianjin Juilliard School opened in 2020 offers the Master of Music degree from Juilliard, an elite pre-college program, and public music education programs. The school continues to evolve, offering new festivals and educational programs that positively impact the quality of conservatory education in China and the Asia region, and that have created substantial public engagement.

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the custom campus building includes a 690-seat concert hall, a 299-seat recital hall, a 225-seat black box, 86 practice rooms and numerous teaching and administrative facilities.