EXPERIENCE
Paul Jan Zdunek began his career as a conductor. His decade long career includes performances with the The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Baltimore Chamber Chorale, The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies, and guest conducting opportunities throughout the United States, along with concert tours to Europe and Asia.
Today, Zdunek has over 20 years of experience providing business leadership and advisory services for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He has been a Chief Restructuring Officer, Business Transformation Advisor, Change Management Leader, and Interim Executive for institutions requiring financial stabilization or organizational revitalization. Paul is often engaged by organizations requiring investigatory services to assess financial discrepancies, organizational inefficiencies, human resource challenges, and leadership conflicts.
Paul has designed and leads transformational initiatives that help organizations reach their maximum potential through custom-created strategies that revitalize Leadership’s commitment to the organization, align visions and strategies, identify critical action steps to improve performance, and build a culture of team.
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Paul’s expertise includes: organizational strategy, conflict & crisis management, change management, financial and organizational transformation, cost reduction and rightsizing of organizations, revenue generation, as well as leadership development and stakeholder management. Paul prides himself on being a hands-on, results-oriented leader and advisor.
His industry experiences include: nonprofit, professional services, arts & culture, education, health, media & entertainment, philanthropy, hospitality, design, architecture, and manufacturing.
Additionally, he is a PROSCI® Certified Change Management Professional. Paul is the professor of Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy and continues to deliver keynote speeches at industry conferences and executive retreats on the topics of business transformation and revitalization.
Paul has been the guest speaker for several organizations including The Center for Nonprofit Management, The Nonprofit Learning Labs, Center for Sustainable Energy, Chorus America, Association of California Symphony Orchestras, Leadership Burbank, Leadership Pasadena, LA5 Rotary, Deltek’s Insights National Conference, and The Peter F. Drucker School of Management with topics including: Managing Change FAST to Improve Your ROI, Avoiding the Iceberg & Maintaining Organizational Health, Developing and Leveraging BRAND YOU, Grow Your Business Through Innovation, Managing Culture: HR Issues in the Arts, and Winning in the New Era of Corporate Sponsorships.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Association of California Symphony Orchestras, board vice president
The Neighborhood Music School, board advisor
Pasadena Symphony and POPS, board advisor
EDUCATION
M.B.A., Claremont Graduate University, Peter F. Drucker School of Management
M.M., Orchestral Conducting, Cleveland Institute of Music
B.M., Music Composition, John Hopkins University, Peabody Institute of Music