Conversations with Bill Forquer, an entrepreneur, strategy consultant and a soap-box derby enthusiast -- Part I

As an entrepreneur, angel investor, executive leader, and soap-box derby enthusiast, Bill Forquer delivers strategic consulting using game-theoretic modeling that produces roadmaps for C-level executives on their best strategic moves that will preempt market changes and mitigate competitive responses. He is out there preaching the virtues of game theory every day.

Prior to working at Priiva, Bill pioneered the “Enterprise Content Management” market beginning his career at Battelle Laboratories. At Battelle, he developed software catering to library and legal users which eventually spun off the company “Information Dimensions” which was then acquired by Open Text Corporation. At Open Text, he worked for eleven years, having various executive roles in marketing, products and M&A. He coauthored a book “Enterprise Content Management Solutions: What You Need to Know”

This interview with Bill is the sixth in our series about learning, games, social media, crowd-sourcing and work performance.

RD> The first question for you, are you a gamer?
BF> No! I am not. Wait, do crossword puzzles count?
RD> Sure.
BF> I must say, early on in my career, I was introduced to “Great Game of Business”and the Open Book Management. I found it riveting so I introduced the concept to the entire company. We had great success creating higher performing teams. I like using games and simulations to help employees do their jobs better, and to open up communication that builds trust.

RD> How do you learn?
BF> I learn by doing.

RD> Bill, with your clients, you apply game-theoretic models and help them define and analyze market strategies in a competitive play. As you know, game theory is something I worked on for almost a decade, starting from my undergraduate days. So! I am very curious to learn more about what you do and how you began this part of your career.
BF> We complement each other as I’ve had no formal education in game theory. While I was at Open Text, I had an opportunity to participate in a workshop that Priiva (my current workplace) facilitated. Priiva uses extensive game-form tools and templates. This allowed executives at Open Text to analyze very complex market and strategic data, devise a clear strategic vision, and have an action-based game plan. As I was deciding to leave Open Text and determining the next phase of my career, I realized that these exercises with Priiva really helped me develop my thinking and was something that many companies need.

RD> What do you like about social media?
BF> They are very important for any consultant like me, as they are tools for personal brand building and awareness. Facebook and LinkedIn are especially interesting tools to help bridge the ever blurring of personal and work life. I bias LinkedIn for my professional side and Facebook for my personal life. I’ve both synched to Twitter which allows me to easily update either or both at my discretion. I like that.

RD> When you ran marketing programs for Open Text, did you find that with Social CRM etc, the marketing and sales roles are merging/blurring?
BF> The social tools provide targeted and robust communications, which can be used by both marketing and sales. But I don’t think the roles really blur. First and foremost, everyone in the organization is selling and that hasn’t changed. Corporate Marketing is the steward of the brand, but that stewardship must now accommodate use of social media, by lots of people, as a communications channel; so that responsibility is harder, but hasn’t changed. At Open Text, we had some blurring as I was a champion of having field marketing report to the sales organization. That forces sales to have total responsibility and accountability for their pipeline.

To be continued ...

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