WINNING OPPORTUNITY
When Breeze contacted me in 2005 to join his most recent startup venture in a leadership role, there were certainly elements of the position that I knew would prove challenging. Breeze was looking to rapidly expand his sales team, increase the company’s total market share within an already highly competitive industry, and take his existing team members to unprecedented levels of performance. But when I spoke with Breeze directly, I knew that this would be a winning opportunity. His vision, drive and enthusiasm were obvious from start—and once Breeze decides to put his considerable energy and passion to work on a challenge, success is sure to follow.
LeeAnn Rohmann
Leadership and Sales Consultant
SENSE OF CONNECTION
When I first began working with Fabrizio, I was struck by his amazing ability to connect with others—whether they were on his team, members of management, or outside business partners. I’ve since had the opportunity to work both in partnership with Breeze and alongside him, leading companies with employee bases of anywhere from five to five hundred or more. And still, twenty eight years later, through all of the challenges, transitions and ultimate successes, I see the same sense of connection that has driven him from the very beginning, the ability to inspire and energize everyone around him toward a common goal.
John Weir
CEO, Planning For College
COMPETITIVE NATURE
Breeze’s most obvious quality is his extremely competitive nature. He likes to win and has made a habit of doing so. But unlike some competitive over-achievers, he is not one to succeed at the expense of others. On the contrary, his focus is on organizational success, and he takes the time to mentor, coach and assist his colleagues as they work toward common goals and objectives. That trait has served him well as he has accepted managerial assignments; many of the sales and marketing professionals who have worked for Breeze have gone on to senior positions in other organizations—and they all credit him for the time he spent in cultivating their strengths and overcoming their weaknesses.
Outside of the professional arena, Breeze is a loyal friend and a gracious host. His varied interests and travels bring him new friends and acquaintances on a regular basis, but he takes the time and makes the effort to stay in touch with old friends and former colleagues—and is always ready to offer help, encouragement or constructive criticism, as circumstances demand. I would not hesitate to make Breeze a member of my team or to become a member of his.
David Harmon
President/CEO Xpress Loan Servicing
DRIVE AND COMMITMENT
I worked with Breeze for more than ten years, but perhaps the clearest example of his ability to transform teams came in October, 2001. In the weeks following 9/11, American Express
decided to shut down our profitable division to focus on its core financial services business. Faced with the very real possibility of losing our industry-leading sales force to lucrative positions with other organizations, Breeze created a plan and a vision to build a new company—from scratch—to market to our existing customers.
He believed in the power of our team, and they believed in him. In two short months, we opened our doors as a new face in our industry, retaining the majority of our sales force and reinforcing our relationships with our clients and business partners. We grew to a top ten company within five years—exceeding our growth record at American Express. This level of success would simply not have been possible without Breeze’s passion, drive and commitment to our team and our vision.
Pat Cook
President and CSO, Sterling Education Finance, LLC
CREATIVE AND PASSIONATE
Breeze embodies the qualities of some of the best entrepreneurs in business—both creative and passionate about his work, he helps inspire others to a high level of passion as well. During our work together, Breeze was able to capture Seth Godin’s Purple Cow mentality and always aimed to transform the ordinary into something remarkable. Above all else, Breeze is a great judge of talent: his ability to attract, hire and lead talented teams is one of his greatest gifts.
John Fees
Cofounder and CEO,
Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks (now owned by MTV)
OPEN COMMUNICATIONS
My firm had been doing due diligence on the for-profit education and student lending space for several weeks, with our research focusing on one company in particular. Specifically, we wanted to learn more about the implications of the meltdown in credit markets, which resulted in a major industry player pulling back from its core line of business. Moreover, we focused on the outlook for
business drivers (enrollment, retention, access to credit) and financial results (revenues, EBITDA margins, cash flow) to make a more robust investment decision.
Fabrizio not only provided cogent analysis, but also culled his industry contacts to give his outlook a “real-time” veracity. Most importantly, he has maintained contact with us, freely exchanging evaluations of current conditions and opinions via email often. We wish more consultants shared his passion and insight!
Analyst (name withheld due to ongoing engagement)
National Investment Management Firm
STRAIGHT SHOOTER
Breeze began working with my company to help us to move to the next level and expand our operations and distribution. With his assistance, we were able to hone our company message to appeal to investors and business partners alike, communicating both our vision and our tremendous potential for success. Throughout this process, Breeze has proved extremely reliable, thorough, and professional.
Perhaps his greatest asset, however, is that he’s a straight shooter, willing to tell you what you need to know in an honest, forthright fashion. My company thrives on its artistic and creative integrity, and Breeze’s open, friendly approach to working with us immediately established him as a trustworthy resource, which enabled us to reach our objectives quickly.
Lindsay Strieker
Owner/Designer – Malaika Handbags
CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL
During my recent collaboration with Breeze, I found him to be a pleasure to work with—energetic, thoughtful, and an extraordinary listener. In his work with my firm, he engaged us on our terms, adapting his team to fit in with our style and our office environment, so that we could focus on developing the new business opportunities envisioned. A consummate professional, Breeze uses his wit and effervescent nature to put those around him at ease, while asking provocative questions that help drive the decision process and create action.
Comfortable in any setting, he can speak to line employees all the way up to senior management with grace and understanding—a unique trait in a world of big egos. He shares his joy in his family, his
people and his work with those around him, and he brings that vitality to every project he takes on.
Jim Sells
Pharr Yarns High Performance Business