David Balsbough, Practice Director
David's taken on all sorts of challenges throughout his life - from climbing big mountains to starting his own business to leading turnarounds of distressed companies. But the one challenge of which he's most proud - the one that continues to deliver the biggest thrills and the most excitement - is being a father. It's something he's quick to downplay, though - as if fatherhood, in this go-for-broke world, couldn't possibly provide enough excitement for an adventurous person. "It sounds boring," he laughs. But for David and his kids, it's anything but. The father of three - two boys and a girl - is proof you don't have to stop living a life of adventure once you start raising a family. The secret, he's discovered, is making your kids your partners in adventure. "I love being active," says David. "And when I'm not working, I try to spend as much time as possible outdoors with them. We don't sit still very often." During winter, he and his kids, along with his wife, head up the mountain together for skiing and snowboarding. During summer, it's hiking, boating and wakeboarding. On weekends, you'll often find them at one of the kids' sporting events, shooting hoops, tossing a ball around, or doing flips on the trampoline. They've gone surfing together in Hawaii and camped in the wilderness of Glacier National Park. David would be the first to tell you that fatherhood is a full-time job, and it can be exhausting at times. But it's a job he wouldn't trade for anything. "It's easier than being a mom," he jokes.
David's other full-time job is finding solutions for companies. He has more than 20 years experience in managing business strategy and operational improvement projects. He's worked across industries as diverse as consumer products, electronics, automotive, distribution, industrials and telecommunications. Throughout his career, David has orchestrated both the acquisition and sale of numerous companies. He is also credited with successfully leading the turnaround of several that were experiencing deep financial trouble. Undaunted by big challenges, David helped one of the world's largest manufacturers reduce their annual transportation costs by $100 million, while improving delivery performance by 10%. Part of the puzzle was figuring out how to schedule the delivery of more than 10,000 parts from all over the globe to arrive at the right place and in the right sequence to support 15 just-in-time assembly plants.
David earned his MBA from Columbia University and his bachelor of science in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He and his family live in Portland, Oregon, always just minutes away from an outdoor adventure at the coast, on the mountain or in the high desert.
