Grant Schneider is president and founder of Performance Development Strategies. His company helps organizations achieve greater results by aligning people in the organization with the organization’s mission and strategy. Grant helps these organizations create change, develop managers and executives, and create high performing teams resulting in engaged employees and loyal customers. Grant is a Certified Coach using an approach that helps organizations identify their vision of success, develop the roadmap, create goals and then achieve those goals. Prior to starting Performance Development Strategies, Grant had a 30-year track record in operations and people development., His previous experience includes Chief People Officer for the Briad Group which operates the largest TGI Friday’s restaurant chain as well as operating Wendy’s restaurants and Marriott hotels. During his tenure at Briad, he successfully facilitated the post-merger integration of services of two equal sized pre-merger organizations. Later he helped define the corporate mission and cultural pillars to put the company on track to become an employer of choice. Prior to that, he was Director of Global Human Resources for Brunschwig & Fils, an international distributor of fine decorative fabrics and home furnishings. Prior corporate experience includes Sears Holdings, holding positions in operations, merchandising, human resources, training, and development. He has worked with MacDermid, a chemical manufacturer, Kraft Foods Credit Union, and Community Connect, an Internet social networking company. Grant has served in numerous community and professional volunteer leadership roles. He served on the Westchester County Private Industry Council. He is a past president of the Westchester Human Resource Management Association as well as past Executive Director of the New York State Society for Human Resource Management and has served on the Society for Human Resources’ national panel for HR Metrics and Human Capital Measurement. He currently runs the Academy for Entrepreneurial Excellence which is a joint venture of the Business Council of Westchester and Westchester Community College.