A Visionary and Results-Oriented Leader
William C. Martin is the president and founder of The Initiatives Group, a management consulting firm that specializes in leader development and executive coaching.
Martin grew up in a blue-collar family with seven siblings. His mom was a beautician and his father a perfectionist machinist. A former Navy boxer, the elder Martin kept his body exceptionally fit and worked long hours to provide for his family. His son respected that self-discipline so much he enrolled in the ROTC program at Siena College and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
During his military career, Martin worked under General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, first as a company commander, then as a strategic analyst and speechwriter, and finally as an operations officer in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment during the first Gulf War. Watching Schwarzkopf navigate the political/strategic environment of Washington and the operational challenges of leading Operation Desert Storm, Martin developed an insight into what made Schwarzkopf an effective leader: he had a talent for helping people to see what they needed to do as well as inspiring them to believe they could do it.
While at the Pentagon, Martin worked within a think tank that focused on improving the Army on and off the battlefield. Martin was appointed as the Deputy to New York’s Adjutant General, the de facto commander of the state’s military forces, including the National Guard, the Naval Militia and state defense forces, overseeing a 24,000-member military organization with a budget in excess of 400 million dollars. During this service, General Martin was selected for the prestigious governor Alfred E. Smith Award by the American Society for Public Administration, the only military recipient in the 60-year history of the award.
General Martin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College and a Masters of Arts degree from Catholic University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and The U.S. Army War College. He graduated from the State and Local Executives Program of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He was a Paratrooper, a Ranger and a combat veteran. His military assignments included:
- Deputy Adjutant General, State of New York
- Strategic Analyst and Speechwriter for General H.Norman Schwarzkopf
- Political Military Planner for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Program Manager-Army’s 21st Century Training Program, Force XXI
- Executive Officer to the President of the National Defense University
General Martin is a man of great insight, passion and integrity. He is a leader and strategist who fervently believes in the importance of values and a strong ethical foundation. He insists that everyone can become a leader and inspire excellence.