Christine Stadler

Founder and President Christine Stadler launched BDS in 2003 to help companies grow by working with business owners on identifying barriers to growth and working with them to develop and implement strategies to achieve long-term success. Today, she works exclusively with closely-held organizations and family-owned businesses. She understands that owners and senior leaders of these types of organizations need a comprehensive, yet practical, process for growing their companies. Through more than 11 years and engaging with more than 100 business owners, Christine organized her approach into something called the BDS SMARTGrowth System ™. This proven method for helping companies grow to the next level is tailored specifically to each client. Through the use of various tools and assessments that are part of SMARTGrowth, Christine works with you and your team to co-create a growth vision for your company. She also assists companies with succession planning, strategic planning, leadership development and performance management.

Prior to forming her own business, Christine gained significant experience in strategy, business development and developing high performance teams through emerging growth industries, primarily in the technology sector. She has served in senior management roles in companies such as Cellular One, NexTel and AT&T. She was also instrumental in the growth of a significant technology start-up company, PlanSoft Corporation, that during her tenure as Vice President of Marketing secured more than $40 million in venture financing over several years.

After launching BDS, Christine continued to work in the technology sector by helping fledgling companies get to the next level, but she also began to establish herself with mature organizations, closely-held companies that needed to identify new ways to grow and create a sustainable future. Many of these companies were also family-owned businesses and her practice quickly evolved to include specific types of strategic planning, leadership development, and opportunities to serve as a trusted advisor to owners and leaders.

Christine’s core operating principle in working with clients is to respect their willingness to work with an outside advisor and to tailor her approach to the client’s immediate, mid-term and long-term objectives. She helps clients prioritize objectives and develops a plan that can be executed in their unique environment.

Christine is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of Cleveland State University with a degree in Marketing Communications. She is trained in Miller-Heiman Strategic Selling and LAMP, Large Account Management Process. Recently, Christine completed training and was certified as a Family Business Transition Advisor ™ through the Galliard Family Business Institute.   She is active in numerous community and business organizations and has served on the board of the Ohio Venture Association and as Interim President of the Product Development Management Association (PDMA), Northeast Ohio. Currently, Christine serves as a Board Member and Marketing Chair for NAMI-Greater Cleveland and as a volunteer coach at Towards Employment.