Charles Phillips Profile
When President Barack Obama needed a team of top financial advisors to help overhaul the country’s economic shortfalls and stimulate growth, he turned to people well versed and experienced in the financial field. His goal was to set up an advisory board that would get people back to work and the economy moving up instead of down. Who he needed, and who he ultimately appointed, were people who had led companies into expansive profit margins and established growth patterns.
What Qualified Charles Phillips as a PERAB Advisor?
In 2009, President Obama appointed Charles Phillips to the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB). A former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps., Phillips had maintained the characteristics that earned him the rank of captain. Those characteristics, along with an impressive line of leadership roles in major companies exemplify the qualifications and credentials President Obama was seeking for his board. Currently, Phillips is CEO of the third largest software company in the world that serves customers in over 125 countries, Infor Global Solutions. Previously, he was president of Oracle Corporation after a period as managing director at Morgan Stanley. Phillips has worked hard to earn his way into positions where he can capitalize on his knowledge and drive to succeed. His post-secondary school years began with earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He continued his education in not one, but two additional fields. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Hampton University and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from New York Law School.
More Than a Business Man
Credentials and qualifications are impressive and a must for effective guidance; however, President Obama wanted to “enlist voices that come from beyond the echo chamber of Washington, D.C….” Phillips philanthropic work on the boards of the American Museum of Natural History, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the United States Air Force Academy Endowment Fund and New York Law School illustrate his desire to enrich community values. In addition he has contributed millions of dollars to charitable institutions, schools and other community entities. The non-profit Phillips Charitable Organization (PCO) was created in 2011 to support charities that benefit single parents, disadvantaged students interested in engineering and military veterans.
A Software Geek
In his CEO position at Infor, Phillips has spearheaded a move to software designed for Generation-Y users to covet. Its new software has reimaged bland, passé spreadsheets into succulent schemes for sales results, tasks, alerts and activity feed. Social media has evolved and Phillip’s vision of software is capitalizing on the Generation-Y population’s dedication to its devices. By crafting software that entices the new breed of business professionals, Infor will begin its ascent into the market. Versions are compatible for the Web, iPads and iPhones which covers the bases for users to experience the appealing interface. A philosophy that recognizes mass communication is the driving force in today’s world and must be compatible with the consumers’ comfort zones even in business, has no place to advance but up.