An expert in the field of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions, Steve brings a unique blend of skills to the table: natural enthusiasm; an insightful and balanced perspective; extensive domestic and international experience; knowledge of organizational design, work flow management, conflict resolution strategies, technical commercialization approaches, leadership styles, cooperation models and a clear understanding of the factors related to successful collaboration whether in the rough and tumble world of the commercial enterprise or the publicly demanding non-profit and governmental sector. Dr. Gomes is a trained mediator and actively involved in a number of non-profit boards and outside activities related to the environment, native Americans and social improvement.

With a 20 year consulting practice focused on assisting clients to achieve high performance results with their international strategic alliances and joint ventures, Steve's specialty is strategy and leadership.  He used a market-tested combination of guided facilitation, coaching, dispute resolution, mediation, leadership workshop and seminar services to help clients co-create sustainable collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships and strategic alliances.  His client assignments have ranged from helping NASA create and implement a $100 million 80-member technology development R&D consortia to assisting in the regeneration and mediation of an underperforming strategic alliance for the Industrial Gas Technology non-profit research foundation.

As part of his experience, Steve has been Senior Partner of The Warren Company, a strategic alliance consulting firm responsible for Fortune 500 clients including Xerox, IBM, Mobil Oil, Anderson Consulting, Arthur Andersen, Price Waterhouse and Wells Fargo Bank.  He is the past CEO for a successful non-profit Silicon Valley technology development and joint venture firm, AmTech, Inc., was manager of international marketing for Technology Development Group at Bechtel Corporation, Vice President of Systems Planning at Airways Engineering Corporation, and has been on the Boards of Advisors for several hi-tech companies and non profit organizations. Steve has extensive international experience, including work in 65 countries and a two-year assignment to Brazil with the U.S. Peace Corps.

Steve holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada and a Ph.D. in Public and International Management (under a fully funded NASA Ph.D. Fellowship Grant) from the University of Pittsburgh.  He is also a mediator, trained under guidance of the Community Board of San Francisco. 

A cheerful workaholic, Steve relaxes by reading, hiking and contributing to others, including the creation of the sustainable village project on the Lakota Indian reservation at Pine Ridge, South Dakota and serving on the Board of Directors of the Spirit Rising Foundation and Satir Family Camp (founded by the late Virginia Satir).  He also maintains a very active university teaching schedule, including teaching a Master's of Science and Technology course entitled "A Practicum in Technology Commercialization" at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), undergraduate upper division business courses in “International Business” and “Organizational Development and Change” at California State University Northridge (CSUN), and MBA courses in “Advanced Concepts in International Strategic Alliances” at Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in Holland, OHSU and Kuwait Maastricht School of Management (KMBS) in Kuwait. He also created the first distance learning course on the internet in “International Strategic Alliances” from an accredited U.S. graduate university program.

Tom is the founder of CEO2 and the author of the new book entitled, “The Accidental CEO”, available on Amazon.com.  He is a visionary and one of the main professional associates in the Gomes and Company professional network.  His goal is to inspire a new generation of leaders.  Leaders who transcend ego and its fear based agenda, to experience the authentic fulfillment of Self and Others by co-creating a Game worth playing.

His understanding of what makes relationships work and how good relationships work for the good of the company led him to create the concepts that make CEO2  unique.  Engineer, programmer, retailer, marketing and sales executive and energetic entrepreneur,  Tom’s success stems from his insatiable curiosity and his ability to translate esoteric principles into a language that can be understood by the rest of the world.

In 1979, he founded Griffin:Thomas Marketing Group, New Haven, Connecticut,  one of the nation’s largest firms specializing in marketing communications and sales support for the growing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Improvement Market.   In 1984 he expanded the company with G:T Human Resources Communications, Inc., that helped companies "Get, Motivate and Keep Good People”.   A year later, long before it was fashionable to be "In Search of Excellence”, a new division evolved, focused on developing leaders throughout the corporate structure. 

In 1989, at a national marketing conference at which they were both speakers, Tom met Frances Fujii, also a CEO.   A long distance romance ensued and after making United Airlines stock climb for a year, Tom headed west to join his new wife,  best friend and business partner in creating a dynamic new venture: CEO2 .

CEO2 ’s Accelerated Transformational Technology brings organizations to the next level in their evolution with a lot less of the traditional pain and drama.  “Companies can expand and prosper,” says Voccola, “while at the same time providing a rich environment for career growth, self expression and contribution.  At CEO2  we help leaders develop the extraordinary relationships they need to create the extraordinary futures they envision.”

Besides creating extraordinary organizations, Tom’s great passion is sailing.  His mistress, a 44’ Mercer Sloop named Sea Fever resides at Ventura Harbor California.

 
Simon D'Arcy