Because Experience Matters

Art was founder and CEO of a company that changed the rules of the game in the leadership and organization-development space. The brand promise of The Achieve Group was “When theory is not Enough”. Their successful business model differentiated by referring to themselves as the consulting industry’s “uncola”– delivering “personalized” coaching and training rather than “expert” advice.

The Achieve Group’s unparalleled growth was due in large part to its innovative Service Quality Academy that rebooted corporate cultures and cemented long-term relationships with fortune companies around the world. Art’s reputation as an innovative CEO, coach, and thought leader caught the eye of Times Mirror executives who acquired his company.

Art was founder and CEO of a company that changed the rules of the game in the leadership and organization-development space. The brand promise of The Achieve Group was “When theory is not Enough”. Their successful business model differentiated by referring to themselves as the consulting industry’s “uncola”– delivering “personalized” coaching and training rather than “expert” advice.

The Achieve Group’s unparalleled growth was due in large part to its innovative Service Quality Academy that rebooted corporate cultures and cemented long-term relationships with fortune companies around the world. Art’s reputation as an innovative CEO, coach, and thought leader caught the eye of Times Mirror executives who acquired his company.

After the sale, Art served out a three-year noncompete agreement as executive Vice president and director of Times Mirror’s international training and organization-development companies. A new conglomerate called Achieve Global eventually emerged and has become a major player. Art went on to build and operate an executive retreat center north of Toronto. ”Futures on Georgian” hosted domestic and international CEOs with their management teams.

After losing his wife of 37 years, Art moved to Florida, trading in a green card he’d held for over a decade to become a naturalized American. He and his wife Mary Beth live in Tampa Florida.

Highlights of Art’s career include:

  • Initiating service-quality resets (aka culture-reboots) with five of the world’s largest Fortune companies
  • Providing leadership training for 37,450 managers that potentially impacted the lives of 489,000 employees by marginalizing imbedded communist attitudes and habits during the merger of East and West Germany’s telephone and railroad systems,
  • Authoring a #1 international best-seller, The “I” of the Hurricane: Creating Corporate Energy (recently distilled and updated).

Art is:

  • a contractor with VISTAGE FLORIDA chairing CEO peer groups in and around Tampa Bay
  • a teammate with VICTORY STRATEGIES serving as an  executive- coach, workshop-facilitator and change-agent.

Testimonials

Local
(as founder and CEO of Art McNeil Enterprises Inc)

 

Growing with my CEO peer group and the coaching of Chair Art McNeil has been a transformative experience.  Art’s guidance on rebooting culture helped us take core-value intentions “off the wall” and onto our jobsites, offices and relationships as performance-enhancing “TEAM VALUES”.  Over the years Vistage membership has and still is helping our company inspire, align and discipline ourselves. Subsequently, leadership at Specialized has become everybody’s business.  Strict adherence to our contagious Brand Promise: “Performance Driven 24/7” has preserved us through tough times that swamped many competitors.  When a CEO is serious about corporate survival and continued prosperity there’s no better place to be than in a CEO peer group with Art McNeil as coach.”

Sean Carney

Founder and CEO, Specialized Property Services Inc

As part of a rapidly growing healthcare service, navigating the complexities of organizational change and its impact on team dynamics has been challenging. My CEO peer group and chair Art McNeil’s coaching allowed me to contribute effectively during rampant growth. Tapping their collective wisdom has been an asset in leading my direct reports and steering others towards delivering an invaluable community service—in spite of the turbulence.” I’m seeing a significant ROI from interactions with my peer group and Art’s coaching.”

Allison Maughn

CFO, Gulfside Healthcare Services

Testimonials

International
(as founder and CEO of The Achieve Group)

 

“Art McNeil has the unique ability to cut through the noise of business and inspire executives, managers, and workers to confront things that really matter. He has a profound understanding of the impact that market changes have on the way people need to work in organizations.”

Rod Smart

Senior Partner, Achieve Global Pty, Ltd

“Art helped us take what was a fuzzy emotional concept and clarify leadership for real world application. The jury has rendered its verdict: Leadership as defined by Art McNeil is a competitive edge.”

John Cleghorn

Chairman, RBC Royal Bank

“Tom Peters left us information and Art McNeil gave us the tools to get a tough job done.”

Joe Coors

President, Coors Brewery

“Art McNeil’s process of values clarification and perspectives on leadership was extremely productive.  We are implementing them around the world.”                   

Nolan Archibald

CEO, Black & Decker