MICHAEL BLACKSTONE

Master Facilitator
Michael’s specialty is taking his real world business experience and working with partner companies to apply the SNI system to their specific needs.  His engaging and realistic application of negotiation tools has earned him respect from some of the world’s most successful organizations.

Experience & Client History
Michael has delivered programs and served as a negotiations Deal Coach to organizations in the Oil and Gas (Sunoco), Banking (Wachovia, Bank of America), Pharmaceutical (Ortho Biotech, Sanofi-aventis), Entertainment (Feld Entertainment), Medical Devices (Covidien), Insurance (BenefitFocus, ICMA-RC), Publishing (TV Guide, RR Donnelley), Government (General Services Administration, Export-Import Bank), Staffing (TEKsystems), and Sports (San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Indians) industries.

International Experience
Michael has delivered programs on four continents and in five countries, including Canada, Germany, China, and Australia.

Professional Background
Michael came to SNI after serving as Founder of Humagination, a successful sales training and executive development firm.  He designed and developed training programs and marketing strategies for companies such as ChevronTexaco, the National Institutes of Health, Baltimore Ravens, V.H.B. Engineers, and Johns Hopkins.  Michael played a key role in taking the company from its startup phase to an internationally recognized consulting firm.

Prior to Humagination, Michael worked as Marketing Director for Aussie Rugged International Clothing Company.  He also helped the Believe in Tomorrow Foundation create a world-class branding initiative, and served as strategic director of Brann Worldwide’s advertising account team, working with Fortune 500 clients.  Featured in publications such as Selling Power, USA Today, Entrepreneur, CEO Refresher, and Small Business Start-Ups, Michael was also co-author of a weekly management newsletter issued to readers in over 23 countries, and is known as an expert within his field of Sales and Leadership Management.

Education and Community Involvement
Michael received his M.B.A. from the University of Baltimore where he was inducted into both management and marketing honors societies.  Michael works closely with the Believe in Tomorrow foundation, an organization that provides exceptional hospital and retreat housing services to critically ill children and their families. 

He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, Julie.