Gene DePrez provides strategic and management advisory services to clients involving business location and incentives, global competitiveness and economic development.  Mr. DePrez draws upon the global resources of IBM Global Services and IBM Global Business Services, the largest management consulting organization in the world -- as he works with CEOs and other clients in the corporate, public and voluntary sectors on strategic and tactical issues related to achieving competitive advantage.  With over 30 years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, geo-economic assessment, workforce evaluation, organizational effectiveness and communications, Mr. DePrez focuses on integrating business location strategy and implementation on a global basis.

Mr. DePrez has led engagements placing headquarters and other major business units for Citigroup, Chiquita Brands, John Wiley & Sons Publishing, Novartis, Honeywell, Philip Morris, General Motors, Toyota, Proctor & Gamble, Becton Dickenson, Hertz Corporation, Shire Pharmaceuticals, NuSkin/Pharmanex, Lowe’s Group, Heinz, Netscape, Unilever, Diageo, Dura Pharmaceuticals, American Red Cross, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, MasterCard International, NationsBank, United Parcel Service, AlliedSignal, Citicorp, Xerox, VISA USA, Union Carbide, CibaGeigy, United Technologies, American Insurance Group, National Basketball Association, The New England, Treasure Chest Advertising, Ocwen Financial, IDEC Pharmaceuticals, and Newmont Mining  He oversaw client relationships and total quality management of all aspects of these engagements.

He has led development strategy and business attraction engagements for a variety of public and private development organizations. Among them the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Louisiana Board of Regents/Economic Development, Michigan Jobs Commission, Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, Toronto Region Research Alliance, Regional Growth Partnership (Northwest OH), Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Forest City Ratner (NYC), Georgetown Group/Newport Office Tower (Jersey City, NJ), Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (Queens, NY), New Jersey State Economic Master Plan Commission, Regional Business Partnership (Newark, NJ), Baltimore County, MD, Center for Advance Technology/Regional Partnership (Geneva, NY.

Prior to the acquisition of PwC Consulting by IBM, Mr. DePrez led his Global Location Strategies practice within PricewaterhouseCoopers, and earlier served as principal at Fluor Daniel Consulting and was a member of Fluor Daniel’s Executive Management Team. He also served as Vice President, Principal and member of the Executive Committee at PHH Fantus and was a founding partner of Location Advisory Services, Inc.

Earlier, Mr. DePrez was Chief Executive Officer of a national organization formed by the White House, The National Association of Manufacturers, The American Society of Association Executives, business, media and voluntary sector leaders to stimulate public/private partnerships—a predecessor of the Points of Light Foundation.  He has been a university administrator, president of a regional economic development partnership and held marketing positions at Kodak.

Mr. DePrez is often quoted in the international media on topics such as global competition, business location trends, and future work force availability.  He has been interviewed recently by the BBC, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, US News & World Report, Forbes, Global Finance and Crain’s NY Business.  He has made multiple keynote and other presentations in the US and Canada to the International Economic Development Council, Partners for Livable Communities, and CoreNet Global, as well as to the International Corporate Location Conference, Berlin; Management Consultants World Conference, New York; National League of Cities, Reno; Federal Reserve Conference, Cleveland; Industrial Development Research Council, San Diego, Seattle and Baltimore; North American and Asia Pacific Contact Center Summits, Miami and Honolulu; Federal Inward Investment Conference, Ottawa; Urban Land Institute, Cleveland; NAIOP, Orlando; International Downtown Association, New Orleans; American Society of Association Executives, Atlanta; New York/New Jersey/Connecticut Economic Summit; Economic Development Association of Canada, Halifax; Young Presidents Organization, Chicago; Florida Summit; Colorado Business Conference, Denver; Louisiana Committee of 100; Greater Washington DC Board of Trade; National Real Estate Conference, New York; Philadelphia Development Coalition, Portland OR Growth Association, and the National Partnership for Education and Training, New Orleans. He has authored numerous articles in trade journals including Site Selection, Area Development, Business Facilities and Expansion Management.

Professional Affiliations

Board Member and Strategic Planning Committee, International Economic Development Council; Trustee and Executive Committee, Partners for Livable Communities; Chairman, Advisory Committee, Rochester Institute of Technology College of Imaging Arts and Sciences; CoreNet Global (Editorial Committee Advisory Committee, Corporate Real Estate Leader magazine); NJ Transportation Advisory Committee, The Strategic Leadership Forum, The International Society for Strategic Management; American Society of Association Executives

Recognition

Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in Finance and Science, President’s Award for Public/Private Partnerships, Gold Award, American Film and Television Association

Education

Bachelor of Communications Design, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology; Master of Communications Design, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology; Graduate Studies, Urban Policy and Adult Education, Syracuse University