It is best to learn insight into David Carrithers abilities and past performance through what others have written, here are a few:
Brings Strategic Thinking
“David is a compassionate and honorable professional who always holds the company’s best interest at the heart of every decision. David brings strategic thinking to all processes and decision making and he truly makes a difference in a company’s culture. He has the innate ability to bring a company together to work toward common goals and to excite under-performers. Leading by example David pours his life into everything he touches.”
· Ty Crowder, Vice President Operations, Lifecycle Construction Services
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Creates Value Where Others May Not
David is a very entrepreneurial thinker. He sees a situation in a way that offers him the ability to create value where others may not. He has a wide array of skills and a vast inventory of contacts and experiences that make him a very versatile leader.
· Dennis Hummel, Board Member, Affinity Center International
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Catalyst For Change
“Five years! And what a difference you have made! Our nonfederal market has grown and been developed beyond our expectations. Our brand is distinguished and known. Thank you for the incredible results – and most importantly your support being the catalyst for change. Thank you for your leadership as we guide Centennial forward; 27+%growth over the past two years to $277.8M ER, above target margin – outstanding! Specifically thank you for your creativity, talent and passion in developing new markets and driving a “people first” culture.”
· Mark Bailey, President, Centennial Enterprises
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A True Leader
“You have absolutely transformed Centennial. I have watched you do it before my eyes. There are market and outside forces that negatively impact us, but you have been the rudder that reminds us what we are all about. You are someone who knows how to motivate others – could always leverage my strengths and ameliorate my weaknesses while guiding me to overcome them, the sign of a true leader. We are sad to see you go but know you will do amazing things and drive the creation of something new!”
· Lisa Cooley, Senior Market Development Manager, Centennial
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Thirst For Knowledge
“Dave has a deep and abiding thirst for knowledge as evidenced by his continuous self-learning and wide breath of interests. He examines most issues from a very strongly based character and is a prolific writer.”
· Rich Benton, SVP Operations, Centennial
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The Best Ever
“The best industry event we have ever held. Thank you for all the hard work and the creativity.”
· Patrick Dean, President, Associated Builders & Contractors – Virginia Chapter
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Achieve The Vision…
• Integrity – David immediately came across as honest and sincere in our discussions. His answers to key questions were not contrived and were communicated in a manner which instilled trust and confidence
• Energy – quite simply, I found David to be highly energetic. While certainly well directed, I also realized that his energy was infectious. As he spoke, both his words and body language had a positive impact on those around him.
• Business Acumen – it was readily apparent that David possessed an extensive background in the gift card, rewards, and payment service businesses. I also recognized very quickly that David had a developed sense of business drivers and how to manage them toward a specific objective.
• Communication Skills – written and oral skills were excellent, often getting to the key point very quickly. Most importantly, David came across as sincere and credible in his communication. His ability to mix the critical points with humor is an asset to which people respond.
• People and Leadership Skills – as I watched and listened, I noticed that David quickly made many of my fellow Board Members feel at ease with him. Questions and dialogue began to flow freely, and David gave everyone a sense that he was up to the task at hand.
• Vision – David has a unique ability to see both the “bigger picture” and understands the details required to achieve the vision.
· John R. Zavoyna, Executive Vice President, MBNA America Bank and Board Member NSC
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Driving Force…
“David has the ability to understand a market, the players, the issues and the opportunities – quickly grasping the necessary direction and action to seize a sales and marketplace advantage.
David is able to build dedicated teams with a clear focus, objectives, and move those teams forward. He has managed a variety of areas while working for, and with me, including new business development, product management, marketing, marketing communications, sales support, award products, catalog production, stored-value cards, technology, new product development, patent development, etc.
David has the unique ability to both define a vision and manage a business. He is able to build a connection, rapport and relationship with customers and partners, which builds a loyal bond to David and the business. He is also able to deal with difficult situations and people, by changing the focus from issues to rebuilding the relationship.
David has been the key driving force behind changing the focus at Maritz, and maybe even in the industry, from being a fragmented and exclusionary business to one with a focus on liberating the award earner and, in doing so, growing the pie for the awards business. He has challenged everyone in the organization to sell, to focus on where the net profit is and to look for new ways to grow – the bottom line.”
· Darryl Hutson, CEO, American Express Incentive Services
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Creative Mind…
“David is one of the most creative minds we’ve had, particularly in terms of developing products and bringing them to fruition. Thank you for all your hard work and contributions to our current success. You’ve played a key role in helping us change for the better.”
· Steve Maritz, Chairman, Maritz Holdings, Inc.
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About Vision…
“David is about vision, direction setting, planning, sales & marketing creation, profit results and team building. He is able to keep an organization focused on one simple fact where and how to make money. His business vision, management abilities and skills generated multi-million dollars in profits.”
· Dick Hurely, President, Maritz Performance Improvement Company
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Checks His Ego at the Door…
“David is a true professional who brings a wealth of creative ideas that mix well with a bedrock understanding of business development, product innovation and life cycles, channel & other sales positioning relationships and knowledge of industry movers & shakers. With David as an associate you will be one step ahead of the competition in launching market-grabbing products and solutions. Last but not least, he’s a ‘heckuva’ fun guy who checks his ego at the door and looks totally after his client or business partner.”
· Stephen Banick, Director of Business Development, Information Technology International
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Most Creative Marketing Minds…
“Dave Carrithers is one of our industry’s most creative marketing minds. He has unique leadership abilities, which leverage the science of the business, through technology and people skills. I have personally worked with Dave on several projects and found his unique business acumen to be innovative and exciting.
In recent years, we’ve specifically involved Dave with product development projects. His leadership skills brought teams of people together, focused on a shared vision. I’ve personally seen him work through challenging issues relating to project management, financial accountability and partnership negotiations. Dave’s knowledge of the performance marketing industry, business, general business acumen, and coaching style created a trusting environment that produced winning results for all parties involved.”
· Tom Mahoney, VP Sales & Marketing, ITA Group
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Excellent Communicator…
“David Carrithers provided ACT with a fresh perspective on our business. He was able to identify both unseen opportunities within our customer base and whole new markets for our products. Not only did David help us to analyze our problems, but also, he was able to oversee a process to correct them. David is an excellent communicator and very skilled at keeping people of disparate backgrounds on the same page.”
· Merlyn Barth, President, Access Control Technologies
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Go the Extra Mile…
“David is an extremely driven and innovative person who brings a fresh new perspective to solving today’s business issues. In particular, he comes with proven expertise in business and product development, relationship development, coaching support and creative thinking. I have personally experienced his skill in each of these areas. David has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge due to a broad background spanning many industries, which allows him to provide extremely valuable client support to those employing his services.
One thing that has continually impressed me about David is his willingness to go the extra mile and proactively provide value and service even when he is not under contract. This is truly the mark of a dedicated and caring professional who has your company’s best interests at heart.”
· Jeff Crapo, Founder & VP Business Development, WebMiles
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Ideas Based on Knowledge, Not Just Theory…
“David Carrithers has had more real-life experience in the incentive business than most people I know and can apply the most cutting-edge ideas to the most concrete solutions. He has a unique combination of creativity and practicality based on years of seeing what has worked and doesn’t work in the incentive business. His bottom-line management experience ensures that his ideas are based on knowledge, not just theory.”
· Bruce Bolger, President & Editor/Publisher, Selling Communications, Inc.
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Thinking Beyond…
“We have utilized David’s skill in business and market planning over the past years, in connection with our 5-year planning process. We have found his skills in research, business questioning, new market assessments and business strategy development to be very helpful and on target. His ideas have helped us focus on new business and revenue growth.
Most recently we tapped into David to assist in assessing the impact of September 11th on our industry, company and people. His outside prospective was great. I highly recommend David to any business needing to think beyond their current understanding of their business and market and help with development of new ideas and suggestions.”
· Karl Kloster, President MW Division, McCarthy Building Companies
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Man of Character and Integrity…
“David has been a significant contributor to our strategic planning as well as our day-to-day implementation. He has a rare ability to ‘see the big picture’ and understand the details. We have relied on David’s guidance in helping us understand the subtleties of the incentive industry, the techniques of successful Internet promoting and the benefits of one-to-one marketing.
What we value highly in our relationship with David is his energy and creativity. He is a stimulating force in finding new solutions and defining issues from a uniquely accurate perspective.
Most of all, David Carrithers is a man of character and integrity.”
· Bill Wicklem, CEO Paramax
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Boldly Creative…
“David Carrithers is a tie for the finest business consultant I have ever known (the other being my Dad, who consults for Microsoft). David has been of enormous value to my company and he can help you too. David Carrithers is an expert on loyalty marketing, incentive marketing and Web marketing. He sees things not so much as systems, but as relationships. I have been in marketing for 20 years and I’ve seen very few people who approach marketing with as much integrity as David.
David is boldly creative. He fosters creativity in others. He moderates inspiring meetings. His business planning is first-rate. He sees the big picture when others are bogged down in minutia. His voracious reading habit means he can almost always draw a relevant analogy or lesson. He is honest, but he doesn’t use his honesty as a license to be rude. He is diplomatic and I love his sense of humor. He works fast. When he locks onto a project, he is ‘a shredder.’
David is a rare person. He earns the admiration and loyalty of almost everyone he works with above him and below.”
· Jeffrey Noedel, Founder, Praisepoints
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Infectiously Positive Manner…
“I count myself very fortunate to have come in contact with David Carrithers. He has been a teacher, advisor, coach, partner and friend since the first time we met nearly six months ago. So often in business you have to claw and scrape for every ounce of help that you can get. With David this simply is not the case.
David has an incredibly broad and deep knowledge of the incentive industry and does a wonderful job of communicating his expertise. He has helped U-inspire on a wide variety of issues including navigating the incentive industry, developing product concepts and taking products to market.
Best of all, David does all of this in an infectiously positive manner. It is clear how much he enjoys helping others and how well intended his motives are. What more can you ask for in a partner?”
· Michael Weinback, CEO, U-inspire
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Strong Leader…
“Summary of strengths: creative, intelligent, strong work ethic, insightful, leader. David is a strong leader, excellent communicator and dedicated worker with a passion for Maritz and our products and services. He has created an energetic and innovative environment within his group and achieved a high level of contribution for everyone. He is able to handle pressure well and has the raw talent to go far at Maritz.”
· Brian Fitzpatrick Executive EVP Maritz, Director of Marketing
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Out of the Box Thinker…
“David is a very special person. He has done more than any other individual to stimulate the growth of Individual Awards sales, and the enhancement and expansion of our products and services. I ask our managers to think “out of the box” and to challenge the status quo David is by far, the best I have ever seen at doing so. No matter how busy David is, he always has time to help support and counsel his peers and associates. David demonstrates incredible passion for our business and our people. David is a gifted individual.”
· Bill Midgley VP Maritz, closing statement from performance review
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Incredible Creativity, Vision …
“Dave, your constant support and encouragement, positive attitude, sense of humor, incredible creativity, vision, ideas and friendship are truly rare in both a manager and a person. You are what a leader is all about honesty, creativity, willingness to take risks to succeed, commitment to what you truly believe is right, team spirit and most of all genuine support and caring for your employees.”
· Julie Hubert, Director Product Communications, Maritz
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Establishing A New Benchmark In Performance…
“I would like to thank you personally for your many contributions to the success of this program. The promotion was very creatively designed and supported with six follow up mailings. Your attention to the myriad of details, creative writing, follow up and follow through were greatly appreciated. The Trailblazers promotion was an outstanding success, generating 75% more revenue & participation rates dramatically increased. Thanks Dave, for your contributions in helping us establish a new benchmark in promotion performance.”
· Joanne Koster, Sales Operations Manager, Xerox Corporation
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Leading Creative Force…
“Dave continues as a leading creative force in the group. Dave has provided excellent support of account managers and clients, and valuable guidance to peers. David’s presentations have featured outstanding innovation and creativity. Other areas come to Dave and request his ideas and creativity in developing presentation leave behinds, rule structures, communications, program themes, etc. Also, Dave has helped resolve disagreements with the art department between new people to the area and helped develop compromises, fostering a team approach. He remains the strongest in the region in creativity and implementing outstanding presentation and production packages.”
· Rick Huhn, Creative Director, Maritz Performance Improvement Company
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Outstanding Job…
“I want to let you know that Dave Carrithers did an outstanding job of coordinating our participation at the ET ’88 conference. In my thirteen years of working with various Air Products advertising and marketing representatives, I can’t remember another show or conference that was better planned and executed.”
· Dale Miller VP Air Products and Chemicals
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Excellent Individual…
“More important than your energy, your determination, your knowledge, or your sheer creativity, you are an excellent individual.”
· Mark Bodenstab MRI Product Manger Air Products and Chemicals
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Excellent Team Player…
“Dave is an excellent team player and successfully interacts with all members of the group and brings a high level of creativity to all projects.”
· John King VP Electronics, Air Products and Chemicals
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Refreshing Enthusiasm…
“His refreshing enthusiasm, responsiveness, and willingness to handle my many requests made it a pleasure to work with him. Definitely a QUALITY effort.”
· Steve Ruoff, VP Air Products and Chemicals
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Excellent People & Project Skills…
“Dave’s excellent people skills and project execution skills have resulted in a dossier that is literally jammed with congratulatory and appreciative notes from business area and Public Affairs clients. Dave also earned public affairs Quality Award based on his efforts.”
· Bill Craumer, Communications Director, Air Products and Chemicals
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Free Thinker, Highly Creative…
“Mr. Carrithers is a free thinker and a highly creative individual who has been an excellent addition to our communications staff. Although creativity is a distinct asset for Mr. Carrithers, he still has the discipline to work within a structured marketing framework.”
· Doug Durand, Director, Advertising & Communications American Cyanamid
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Perseverance, Intelligence, Dedication…
“Entering business becomes more difficult each season for all who try. Entering a company that is in a rapid growth curve is even more difficult. If you can make it 60 m.p.h. from a standing start, you will probably survive. You will need intelligence, dedication, a priority system and most of all perseverance. Dave, you have these qualities. Your willingness to learn and high level of flexibility are truly desirable qualities.”
· James Thrift, Manager Business Relations, American Cyanamid
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Thorough and Very Personable…
“David has three assets that will make him successful in any venture he enters. He is creative, thorough and very personable. I could always count on David for these three assets. He would thoroughly implement programs and I could trust that David would get the programs done to the best of his excellent ability.”
· James Conroy, Ph.D., Product Manager American Cyanamid
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Insists on Teamwork, Takes Away Excuses…
“You inherited a complex management challenge. You rose to the occasion admirably. You inspired your peers, associates and the agency staff assigned to the Cyanamid account. You insisted upon teamwork and took away excuses.”
· Dick Damrow, General Manger, Miller Meester Marketing
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Considerable Enthusiasm…
“Mr. Carrithers provided accurate and timely work and injected considerable enthusiasm and innovation into his work.”
· James Campbell, Ph.D., Technical Director, Cyanamid
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Professional Touch…
“Many times, people have difficulty handling the specialty or out of the ordinary jobs. This was definitely not the case in your involvement with our Agribusiness program. You brought a professional touch to all our activities, especially the newsletter – Ag$ense, the Advisory Board, and our trade show activities.” · Gene Morgan, VP Farm Manager Progra
People-Process-Passion 