Michael McGrath is a successful CEO, management expert, author, and experienced board member for public companies, private companies, and non-profit organizations. He founded and managed PRTM, the most successful management-consulting firm to the high-technology industry; led the successful turnaround of i2 Technologies; is an experienced board director; and is a published expert on strategy and product development.
Michael is retired from active management. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for National Instruments (NATI) in Austin Texas. He recently updated and expanded his successful book: Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Strategies, and Disruptions.
BUSINESS EXPERTISE
Michael has been recognized for his expertise in several areas critical to the success of businesses today.
Autonomous Vehicles
After research autonomous vehicles for several years, he published Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Strategies, and Disruptions in 2018. In 2020, he updated and expanded on this successful book with a second edition.
Product Strategy
Michael is a recognized expert in high-technology product strategy. Many successful companies have used the concepts in his book Product Strategy for High-Technology Companies, particularly his strategic concepts on platform strategy, as the basis for product strategy. He continues to actively advise companies on product strategy.
Decision Making
Michael is also a recognized expert in business decision-making. His latest book, Business Decisions, was the culmination of more than 25 years of advising executives throughout the world on business decisions. Michael has appeared as a decision expert for CNBC, CNN International, ABC, and Fox Business; and he has done more than 100 radio interviews on business topics.
R&D Management
He initiated PRTM’s product development consulting practice in the late 1980s, creating the PACE® process. PACE has been implemented by more than 1,000 of the largest technology and industrial companies in the world to significantly improve R&D. His books (Next Generation Product Development, and Setting the Pace in Product Development) are standard references for product development. In 2004 he received the first lifetime achievement award from the Product Development and Management Association in recognition of his work in product development and product strategy.
Board of Director Experience
Michael has extensive experience as a director of public and private companies, as well as a trustee for non-profit organizations. He has served on the board of directors of four NASDAQ companies:
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of National Instruments (NATI), a $1.5B company that provides advanced hardware and software solutions for test/ measurement, imbedded control, and the internet of things (IoT).
He served on the board of i2 Technologies (ITWO), the leading supply-chain management software company, from August 2004 until May 2008 (and as its president and CEO from February 2005 to July 2007).
He served on the board of directors of Entrust (ENTU), a leader in security software, in February 2007, was named chairman of the board in November 2008 and served as its chairman until the company was sold in July 2009.
He joined the Thomas Group (TGI), a management consulting firm, as executive chairman in February 2008 and interim CEO for a period. He served as its chairman until March 2012.
His experience as a director covers a wide range of activities including: strategy, financial management, CEO recruiting, executive compensation, board governance, M&A including the sale of the company, debt and equity financing, legal and patent issues, and SEC regulation. He has served on audit, governance, and compensation committees. He is qualified as a financial expert under SEC guidelines.
He also has served on the board of directors of six venture-funded technology companies. Most recently he served as the independent board member of Revolution Analytics, which was acquired by Microsoft in early 2015.
Founder and Managing Director PRTM
In 1976, Michael co-founded Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (PRTM), a global management consulting firm, which grew to more than $250M. He led the firm as managing director until 2004. Under his leadership, PRTM became the fastest growing and most profitable management-consulting firm by expanding globally and across multiple industries.
Some of the highlights of his leadership at PRTM include the following:
Led the firm to organic growth of 30%/year in the 1990s.
Led PRTM to be the most profitable management consulting firm in the 1990s based on an exceptionally high level of utilization by leveraging proprietary intellectual property.
Created the PACE process for dramatically increasing R&D time-to-market that was implemented at more than half of the companies in the high-technology industry and generated more than $1 billion of revenue for PRTM.
Created the SCOR model for supply-chain management, which has become the standard supply-chain process reference model.
Created PRTM’s successful product strategy consulting practice.
Led PRTM to be ranked as the best management consulting firm to work for.
CEO i2 Technologies
In February of 2005, he was named CEO and president of i2 Technologies (ITWO), the leading supply-chain software company. Faced with excessive debt and having been unprofitable for several years, i2 required a major turnaround. He cut expenses by more than $100M and restored the company to sustained profitability after three months. Under his leadership i2 eliminated its cash/debt deficit of more than $200M, resolved legal problems, was relisted on NASDAQ, created substantial cash balance, and ignited growth. During that time, he created and implemented a new strategy by positioning i2 as a solutions company. He led i2 until July 2007 and continued to serve on its board until May 2008. During that time, he:
Created and implemented a new strategy by positioning i2 as a solutions company.
Reorganized sales and service by vertical market.
Increased sales efficiency by 50%.
Enforced one of the largest software patent violations, generating $130M in cash payments.
Strengthened the company’s software platform strategy.
Worked with some of the largest customers.
Improved the rate of software maintenance renewal.
Non-Profit Board Experience
In addition, Michael has significant non-profit board experience including chairman of the board of York (Maine) Hospital, vice-chairman of St. Michael’s College, board member of Berwick Academy, and Chairman of Aidmatrix. He has also served on several advisory boards.
General
Michael McGrath lives in Naples Florida and York Maine. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science and management science from Boston College (’71) and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School (’73). He received a CPA in 1975.
