Henry P. Allessio, Managing Director
David J.R. Ogilvie, Managing Director
Mark H. Wick, Principal
Henry P. Allessio is a founder of Walden Consultants Ltd. He has managed assignments for clients
ranging from moderate-sized industry specialists to international conglomerates in corporate
diversification; evaluating business areas for possible investment; developing marketing strategies;
and, screening and ranking competitors. Allessio's previous experience includes co-founding
Easton Consultants Inc., a management consulting firm, and serving as Senior Vice President in
charge of the Manhattan office of Hayes/Hill, Inc., an international consulting firm.
Mr. Allessio directs engagements in all segments of Walden Consultants' practice. He has
consulted with numerous clients in the automotive industry. Examples of recent
assignments include:
> Market entry strategy for a manufacturer of industrial friction products. Research and
analysis among competitors without publicly reported financial results, required developing
"profit proxies" to determine the business attractiveness. Information to assess each proxy
was gathered through in-field contact with prospective customers and competitors.
> OEM strategy development which led to improved aftermarket share mainly through dealer parts
wholesaling. The technique involved "psycho-segmentation" of trade customer segments.
> Creation of a service parts pricing strategy for a foreign manufacturer with an expanding position
in the USA. A dynamic computer model was developed which allows continuous receipt of competitors'
prices; weights their strategic effect by equipment age, part value and type, and CSI; and, allows
the flexibility to price for profit or for market share.
> Several strategic competitive audits which are the basis for performance strategies. Customer
values are defined and quantified; competitors' performance in satisfying customer requirements
are measured; and, client's performance is compared with competitors to identify business investment
needs to improve the delivery of values. The technique works well in virtually all business environments.
Allessio received a BS ME from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and an MS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Allessio has served as chairman of the Auto International Association. This association has honored him with the
Person of the Year award and the Distinguished Service Award "For Outstanding Service To Automotive Aftermarket Education."
He has served on the boards of Tighe & Bond International, an environmental consulting firm, The Norwood Company, a construction
management firm, and has been active in local government in Hopkinton, Mass. Mr. Allessio's articles appear in business
publications, and he has been a speaker at auto industry conferences.
David Ogilvie is a Managing Director in New York. Mr. Ogilvie is responsible for developing and managing
major research and consulting assignments for clients in America, Europe and Asia. The themeunderlying consultancy
which Mr. Ogilvie conducts at Walden Consultants is application of appropriate research methodologies for
addressing strategic issues of concern to senior corporate management.
Prior to co-founding Walden Consultants, David Ogilvie was a Senior Vice President at Harris Interactive.
Prior to that, he was a Principal of Easton Consultants, Inc., where he concentrated on corporate development.
Consulting assignments typically focused on development of competitive advantage through strategic market
segmentation and competitive analysis.
Automotive industry assignments include:
> A detailed review of trade customer attitudes and opinions resulting in a psycho-segmentation of buying
decisions which are able to be influenced by alert vendors. In this case Chrysler was able to identify very
specific actions which, in the minds of independent repair garages, increased the desirability and probable
requisitioning of Chrysler OE service parts.
> For a European OEM in the USA, a review of available strategies to increase share of collision parts
sales to independent customers. Sales objectives were achieved in 1994.
> For a Japanese OEM in the USA, a thorough examination of vehicle owners, franchised dealers, and various
independent service parts suppliers in support of a corporate strategy which was simultaneously developed for
vehicle sales growth and service parts share maintenance.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Ogilvie was a partner at Hayes/Hill Inc., a general management consulting firm.
Prior to that, Mr. Ogilvie spent eight years in marketing research, with Dun and Bradstreet Inc., in New York
and London, and with GKN Engineering, Ltd., in London.
Mr. Ogilvie received a Master's degree from Cambridge University, where he studied mechanical sciences and social anthropology.
He also graduated from a two-year general engineering training program with De Havillan Aircraft Company. Following graduation
from Cambridge, and before joining GKN, Mr. Ogilvie served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot, flying the Gnat advanced trainer
from bases in Scotland and Wales. Mr. Ogilvie has resided in the United States since 1969.
Mark H. Wick has been consulting since 1993, a career which began with Easton Consultants immediately after graduate school.
He joined Walden Consultants Ltd. in 1999. His client engagements have involved primary and secondary research, in-person
in-field interviewing, financial analysis, pro-forma model building, and strategy development.
Examples of recent assignments include:
> Market analysis for increasing national brand share for an OE and aftermarket oil filter supplier. Primary in-field research
was conducted to identify key decision elements in brand selection by retail chains, reps, WD's, jobbers, and independent garages.
> Aftermarket strategy development for a European OEM to increase collision parts sales through franchised dealers. Research
included in-person interviews of parts and service managers, and selected insurance carriers.
> Assessment of variations in vehicle reliability among an OEM's range of models currently in-use, and resultant influences on
aftermarket demand patterns and CSI. The latter relating mainly to repurchase loyalty.
> Researched competitive market trends and developed a business case for a utility holding company that resulted in the successful
launch of a residential HVAC service business with projected revenues of $150 million.
> Market definition and strategy development for a large gas utility attempting to grow a recent acquisition in the commercial HVAC
business. Analysis included primary research of customers, potential customers, and competitors in order to evaluate potential market.
His experience includes owning a design/build construction company, and as site manager of a million dollar residential remodeling
project which was featured in Architectural Digest. He was a contributing author to a Harvard Business Review article on the strategic
implications of occupancy rates. He also received the NAGT-USGS Fellowship awarded on achievements.
Mr. Wick has a Master's degree from the Yale University School of Management, and a BA Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College where he
earned the Walter Pond Award and Warren Stearns Prize for academics, 8 football and lacrosse letters along with All-Conference and
All-New England honors, Friends of Amherst Athletics award, and Outstanding Lineman award.
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