Ajax Greene Bio
Ajax’s path to success started early. His father, a hiker and skier since the 1930’s, was a member of the 10th Mt Division, the ski troops made famous during WWII. Ajax joined his dad, starting hiking at age 5, skiing at 6 and rock climbing at age 11. At 16 when Ajax was rapidly becoming a world class athlete, it was clear his life was on a non-traditional trajectory.
Ajax graduated a full year early from Wellesley, MA High School and while most of his peers went on to college and business or law school, Ajax traveled the US and the world as a world class rock climber. He’s visited 49 of the 50 states (hoping to hit Alaska in summer 2007) and 6 of the 7 continents (anybody want to join him in Antarctica?).
With about 100 first ascents and first free ascents during the 1970’s scattered all over the US and the world it is safe to say Ajax knows how to be productive and have more fun than most. It was Ajax’s stature in the climbing community and his irrepressible spirit led to unique experiences and friendships with so many dynamic individuals who had a huge impact on him ranging from the founder of a leading $250 million dollar outdoor products company with a cutting edge environmental mission to a progressive US congressman, a Nobel Prize winner in physics, amongst many others.
When a trip to China fell through and an old back injury acted up Ajax met the famous Fitness instructor and Myotherapy originator Bonnie Prudden. Ajax was so inspired he attended her new school becoming a certified Myotherapist & Fitness instructor; although it didn’t take him long to realize that his business acumen surpassed his treatment skills.
Unsurprisingly Ajax ended up working in the health and fitness club industry. For 12 years he was a general manager and consultant, overseeing the development of several multi million dollar athletic clubs, revitalized several clubs in a turn-around situation, 20 years later clubs around the country still use the membership satisfaction guarantee he originated, and was a pioneer in the early stages of the indoor rock climbing industry. He helped launch a still successful manufacturing company which made a highly innovative rotating climbing wall. As part of the product promotion plan he designed, Ajax appeared on CNN, Lifetime Television, Regis & Kathy Lee (how things change) and countless other media & magazines.
Ajax’s began his commitment to corporate social responsibility as CEO/co-founder of a company that manufactured high performance back backs and outdoor apparel out of recycled materials. The company didn’t make it, but Ajax views the experience as his MBA.
An important personal relationship drew Ajax to re-enter the healthcare industry, specifically the HIV and Hepatitis community. He was hired as President of Community Prescription Service a specialty mail-order pharmacy; he grew revenues from $7.5 million to $15 million before it was sold. After the pharmacy sale Ajax and a partner launched Visionary Health Concepts a health and medical education company specializing in HIV and Hepatitis. The firm provided to major pharmaceutical companies physician education and were particularly well known for their cutting-edge secondary provider and low literacy patient education programs. During this time that Ajax became totally committed to corporate social responsibility and developed many pro-social programs for his companies. In 2004 Ajax sold his portion of the company to his partner. And he took a year off for a road trip filled with rock climbing, hiking, skiing and surfing.
Currently Ajax sits on the boards of Sustainable Hudson Valley www.sustainhv.org the Gunk’s Climbers Coalition www.gunksclimber.org and is active with Balle (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) www.livingeconomies.org
Today Ajax still climbs and pursues other adventure sports; he is not quite as skinny as he once was, but more importantly he’s inspired by On Belay Business Advisors Inc. On Belay represents the nexus for Ajax of a dynamic and successful life and career.
If you choose to work with Ajax, you can be certain of being driven to achieve peak performance and trust us it will be fun.
Click On Belog to read Ajax’s blog.
Institute for Independent Business
The Institute for Independent Business is a not-for-profit research and accreditation organization established in 1984 in the UK to give independent businesses direct access to some of the world’s top business executives.
The IIB is the largest organization of its type in the world with over 4,000 Executive Associates having been through the accreditation process. Executive Associates work with businesses mostly within the 'small to medium sized' (SMB) sector including not for profits, placing at their disposal mature senior executives to use as sounding boards, support and mentoring whenever and wherever needed, drawing on one of the most comprehensive support infrastructures in the world.
Independent businesses often operate in isolation without the networks of contacts and information services available to executives in larger companies. It is widely recognized that business ownership is one of the toughest and loneliest jobs in the world.
Why care about small to medium size businesses?
According to recent statistics, 98.6% of all businesses in the US employ fewer than 250 people, 95% employ fewer than 50 people and 88% employ fewer than 20 people! These figures clearly illustrate the importance of caring for the SMBs rather than aiming initiatives at the larger companies who can already afford to hire expertise and a full board of professional directors on whom the large company CEO can call on at any time for specialist advice and assistance. However, the chief executive for an SMB has no such facility and is expected to know everything, keep up with everything and do everything themselves. Clearly a very unsatisfactory situation!
What about practical assistance?
Research, both by the Institute, and by several academic organizations, indicates that the SMB sector requires not only information and advice in order to survive and grow, but also practical assistance, preferably from more mature business executives who had 'been there, seen it and done it'. In order to be effective, a practical implementation phase was also required. It was evident that any sort of traditional consultancy was inappropriate as it is too expensive, too theoretical in nature, and is frequently delivered by inexperienced practitioners.
Who are the IIB Executive Associates?
All IIB Executive Associates who attend meetings with business owners are themselves senior executives from every profession, background and industry imaginable. They are mature business people who have been Chief Executives, Managing Directors or Executive Board Directors themselves, and have experienced first hand the pressures, stresses and joys of running a business. Many having started up run and eventually sold their own businesses and others have run some of the best known businesses in the world. In short, the IIB’s Executive Associates have 'been there, seen it, and survived to tell the story'!
Check out the IIB at www.iib.org
Social Venture Network
Ajax is a long time member of the Social Venture Network.
SVN transforms the way the world does business by leveraging its members collective strengths of leadership, knowledge and enterprise for a more just and sustainable economy.
SVN's mission is to inspire a community of business and social leaders to build a just economy and sustainable planet. SVN promotes new models and leadership for socially and environmentally sustainable business in the 21st century. We champion this effort through initiatives, information services and forums that strengthen our community and empower our members to work together on behalf of their shared vision.
Too much of today's business and economic activity operates at the expense of our biosphere and future generations. We believe in a new bottom line for business, one that values healthy communities and the human spirit as well as high returns. SVN members are a part of an expanding global network of pioneering entrepreneurs who share this vision and are helping to transform the way the world does business.
If you are interested in SVN, please visit the web site www.svn.org .