Advisory Board
Navigate is honored to introduce our Advisory Board made up of a diverse group of talented professionals.
Phil Hendrickson is a senior advisor to Navigate International. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Hendrickson has held leadership positions within a multitude of respected regional and national organizations. Mr. Hendrickson is currently an acting Director of: Nicolet National Bank, Ariens Company, Hanson Foods, Inc., Trudell Trailers of Green Bay, Inc. and the Green Bay Packers, Inc.
Some of Mr. Hendrickson’s past positions and accomplishments include: President, CEO and Chairman - KI, Krueger International, Inc.; Director and Executive Committee Member - Nelson Industries; Chairman of the Board of Trustees - St. Norbert College; Chairman of the Board – Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce; President and Director of the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association; Director of the National Association of Manufacturers, Director of P.J.’s of WI, LLC,; Director of Associated Bank of Green Bay; Director/Vice President of Bellin Hospital, Director- Shopko, Midwestern Life Ins. Co. and Beckley Candy Co.; Treasurer/Director – UltraCare Products; and President of the American Cancer Society Board.
Among Mr. Hendrickson’s many accolades, he received The Chancellor’s Award from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, The Free Business Enterprise Award from the Green Bay Rotary Club, The University of Wisconsin - Madison Distinguished Business Alums award, and a Doctor of laws Honorary Degree from St Norbert College.
Prior to his professional career, Mr. Hendrickson earned a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. In addition, he was a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy in WWII with 56 months of active duty including seven naval engagements.
Dr. Karen Walch is an Associate Professor of International Studies at Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management and is a consultant and advisor to Navigate International. Dr. Walch is a specialist in the fields of conflict resolution, negotiation, international political economy and Caribbean Basin trade and investment. Dr. Walch's primary areas of research are international political economy, policy studies, public administration, negotiation, international commercial mediation, and Caribbean Basin foreign economic policy making.
Prior to her career in academia, Dr. Walch assisted in civil litigation court cases concerning product liability, personal injury, and malpractice. She has commercial private sector experience in the tourism and aquaculture sectors and has lived or worked in the U.S., Honduras, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Germany, Japan, and Cuba.
Dr. Walch earned a B.S. in Social Change and Development, with a minor in Public Administration and Women's Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She earned her Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has received additional training through Harvard's program on Negotiation and International Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Centre for Dispute Resolution in London. Dr. Walch graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Wisconsin and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Honor Society for Political Science.
John Stearns is an advisor to Navigate International. John has more than 20 years of experience in senior executive positions in both domestic and international organizations, from technology start-ups to turn-arounds in mature consumer enterprises. In 1997, John co-founded Arista Systems, providing leading-edge E-learning management software to Fortune 500 clients. Arista was acquired by Digital Think (NASD - DTHK) in June, 2000. John was CEO of Project California, a privately funded industrial development initiative tasked with building California's advanced transportation and telecommunications industries. From 1991 to 1995, John was President and COO of Navigation Technologies in Sunnyvale, CA, the world's leading supplier of digital map databases for automotive navigation, Internet driving directions, and other transportation applications. John spent 15 years with the American Automobile Association (AAA), in successive COO and Group Manager positions with seven auto clubs around the U.S. and as Managing Director, Strategic Planning, Research and Development at national headquarters. A native of Vermont, John holds an M.B.A. from Rivier College and an B.A. in Philosophy from Holy Cross College.
Dr. Rodney L. Thompson is an advisor to Navigate International, providing expertise on matters related to medical products and management issues in the healthcare field. Dr. Thompson has practiced medicine for more than 25 years at an internationally renowned clinic. A specialist in infectious diseases, Dr. Thompson speaks widely on topics including infection control and antibiotic usage. Dr. Thompson received his B.A. and M.D. from Kansas University and internal medicine and infectious disease training at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Thompson is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Association of Practitioners of Infection Control, The Society for Microbiology, The Minnesota Society of Internal Medicine and the American Medical Association.