Scott Friesen

“I have had the opportunity to work with Scott over many years and in that time I have come to appreciate many things about him, but there are 3 aspects of Scott that really stand out. 1. He has a deep understanding of how a business works, where its advantages are, how it can best make money, how it can differentiate from its competitors to the benefit of its customers, and finding new growth opportunities while exiting declining businesses. His strategic vision paired with his business acumen makes his already exceptional consumer insight ability even more powerful. 2. He is the best problem solver I have ever met - whether it be a business problem, or some obscure puzzle/riddle, I've never known anyone better than Scott at quickly breaking down a complex problem and providing a solution. 3. What I like most about Scott is how he cares about people. He is always a strong advocate for his team, he partners well with his peers and he loves to help people of all levels develop. Scott is always willing to work one-on-one with people to help them, or put together a training to share his knowledge with a larger group. Scott is a very talented leader and a strong asset to any organization.”

“Scott is an exceptional strategic and analytical executive with deep experience in chief insights officer roles. His ability to influence the c-suite, inclusive of the CEO, with a strong fact base and sound judgment would be an asset to any company, in particular, large complex organizations needing senior executives who can bring clarity to seemingly complex internal and external landscapes. It would be a pleasure to again work closely with Scott.”

“Very few people can legitimately claim to have Scott's combination of skills, experiences and virtues. He is an analytics powerhouse, but also an effective communicator and translator. He is an entrepreneurial risk taker, but also a deliberate strategic thinker. He is an exuberant team player, but also a strong manager and leader. He is a modern day Renaissance man--exactly what most companies need in this era of rapid and continuous change.”

“As a board member for Children's Theatre Company (CTC), the world's leading family theatre, Scott chaired my Board's IT commitee and helped staff re-imagine the opportunities and opportunity costs of investing and not investing in a robust IT infrastructure. Scott was instrumental in changing the paradigm of the theatre into a forward thinking mode that invested clearly and deeply in capital planning and he was both thoughtful and clear in his ability to make complex ideas and difficult technology issues concise and transparent.”

“Scott immediately stepped into his role in the Services Development group and set forth a vision of where he wanted to take the business, how he was going to lead the team on the journey and the resources he needed to make it happen. He approached the opportunity with a fresh set of eyes and inspired the Best Buy leadership team to invest in this growth area. Besides Scott's visionary talents, he also possesses a creative ability to teach up, down and across levels in a manner that is both engaging and inspiring. I would highly recommend Scott and welcome the opportunity to work with him again in the future.”

“Scott is a thoughtful team member and people leader who brings strong analytical expertise, communication skills and business acumen with a healthy dose if realism and humor. He routinely collaborates with all levels of the organization, providing thought leadership and data driven support to complex business decisions in a fast paced, dynamic environment.”

“Scott joined the Board of Directors at Children's Theatre Company in 2011. He immediately distinguished himself as a key player on the board and a valued resource to the staff by contributing his world-class expertise in customer analytics to help CTC identify and implement new strategies in pricing, audience development and IT. His strategic thinking has informed the company's long-range goals for content distribution and out-reach to new markets. CTC is grateful to Scott for volunteering his time and his skills to the theatre.”

“Scott is an extremely intelligent and engaging colleague. He has proven his ability to work individually as a coach and mentor, as well as his ability to lead teams and facilitate large groups. His ability to explain complex concepts in ways that engage and inform is impeccable. He has a rock-solid grasp of Lean Six Sigma and has strong working knowledge of statistical and stochastic analysis. More importantly, he can lead others through and to pretty much anything. Scott is a great person and I can't recommend him enough.”

“Scott served CommonSense Connections as a informal Business Consultant guiding us through the start-up process from incorporation to the point of investor funding. This company benefitted greatly from Scott's expertise and integrity.”