As I continue to lead The Whitehall Group, I’ve been reflecting on my professional journey and the experience I bring to every engagement. Over more than 35 years, my goal has stayed the same: deliver measurable results for organizations by helping them navigate growth, change, and transition. My recent focus has been on serving as a board member, advisor, and mentor to help drive growth. Today, I want to share a meaningful new chapter: my role mentoring business students through Oakland University’s ACHIEVE Program.
Mentoring the Next Generation: Oakland University’s ACHIEVE Program
Mentoring the next generation of business leaders matters as much to me as advising those of today. That’s why I’m proud to volunteer with Oakland University’s School of Business Administration through the ACHIEVE Program — Accomplishing Career Hopes Including Excellent Valued Employment.
ACHIEVE equips Oakland University business students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need for personal and professional success. The program is built around the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career competencies: Career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology, as well as self-awareness, ethics, civic and global engagement, and network building.
The program is structured across three courses:
- SBC 1990: An eight-week first-year course focused on Oakland University resources, career services, advising, and academic support
- SBC 2990: An eight-week course focused on career pathing, resume writing, networking, and preparing students to pursue internships
- ACHIEVE 3990: A 16-week semester course taken inside the student’s major department, deepening preparation for early career and the workforce
The ACHIEVE Impact
The results speak for themselves. ACHIEVE earned a 2023 QS Reimagine Education Bronze Award in the Nurturing Employability category at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, has been recognized as a “best practice” for AACSB Business Accreditation, and posted a 94% passing rate across 1,739 students in 2024–25.
Eighty percent of surveyed employers and recruiters say ACHIEVE students are more competitive and better prepared to enter the job market, and 96% of School of Business Administration graduates are employed, in voluntary service, in the military, or continuing their education.
My Role in ACHIEVE
My involvement focuses on mock interviews, networking practice sessions, and business ethics case study workshops. This is exactly the kind of real-world preparation students need before they walk into their first interview or career fair.
From the Classroom to the Boardroom
The value I bring to mentoring Oakland University students comes from my experience in the work I do every day with business owners and leadership teams. Decades of operating in challenging environments have shaped both how I prepare the next generation and how I help today’s companies deliver results.
A Career Built on Operational Results and Top-Line Growth
Throughout my career, I’ve focused on improving top-line growth, profitability, and guiding companies through transitions or challenging situations. I started in the food service industry, managing national accounts and purchasing, then moved into medical products — capital goods manufacturing, medical devices, and disposable products — overseeing national distribution management. From there, I worked in global tier-1 automotive manufacturing and beverage bottle production before founding The Whitehall Group.
For the past 37 years, I’ve run my own firm while serving as a full-time W-2 President, General Manager, and Chief Restructuring Officer to more than 14 companies ranging from $5M to over $2B in sales, with assignments lasting one to four years. Along the way, I’ve been recognized with multiple national awards for that work, including:
- 2025 M&A Advisor Award: Out-of-Court Restructuring (family-owned manufacturing company)
- 2023 M&A Advisor Award: Restructuring of the Year ($10M–$25M category)
- 2016 ML100 Award: Turnaround of the Year in Manufacturing
- 2012 ML100 Award: Visionary Leadership
That experience now shapes how I work alongside business owners, boards, and leadership teams navigating today’s unstable market conditions.
How I Can Help: Board Member, Advisor, or Mentor
Currently, I’m focusing more on board roles, advisory engagements, advising, mentoring, and contributing to companies in whatever capacity is needed. On most of my prior assignments, I’ve served on boards for privately held businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions, and I want to bring that experience to organizations facing today’s challenges.
If you’re seeking senior-level experience and guidance to:
- Grow your top line and improve bottom-line performance
- Navigate an unstable economy and shifting customer demand
- Lead a complex turnaround, restructuring, or transition
- Build a team environment rooted in metrics, accountability, communication, and change management
- Strengthen governance through an experienced independent board director
…then a board, advisory, or mentoring relationship may be the right fit. Privately held businesses, family-owned manufacturers, private equity portfolio companies, and nonprofits across Michigan and the broader Midwest have all benefited from this kind of senior-level support.
Let’s Connect
Whether you’re a business owner, board chair, private equity sponsor, or lender looking for senior-level guidance, I’d welcome the conversation.
Reach out at bione@whitehallgroupllc.com or call (248) 227-3436. It’s never too late to change the course of your business future.
