Ron Benschoter

Past

Internal Consultant at Discovery Communications
Director, Intl Research & Strategy at Discovery Communications LLC
Senior Manager, International Strategic Planning at Discovery Communications

Senior Manager, Operations and Strategy, Office of President at Discovery Communications
Executive Assistant to General Counsel at Intelsat
Financial Analyst at TRT Communications
Communications and Development Coordinator at AIDS Action Council

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4 more...

Education

The Johns Hopkins University
The George Washington University
University of Michigan

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Recommended

6 people have recommended Ron

Connections

137 connections

Industry

Broadcast Media

Ron Benschoter’s Summary

Business development professional offering extensive in-house corporate experience in international strategic planning, operations, and research.

Ron Benschoter’s Specialties:

Offer strong skills in strategic planning, research, and organizational development. Extensive experience in building relationships and driving performance from cross-functional teams building both infrastructure and efficiency, identifying critical problem areas and formulating viable solutions.

Ron Benschoter’s Experience

Internal Consultant

Discovery Communications

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; DISCA; Broadcast Media industry)

September 2007 — December 2007 (4 months)

Updated award-winning flexible workplace policies; formulated recommendations to expand charitable giving options for employees to include paid time off for community service work; identified and recommended vendor, developed process to implement wellness and employee assistance programs (EAP) to reach Discovery’s entire worldwide employee population.
Director, Intl Research & Strategy

Discovery Communications LLC

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Entertainment industry)

July 2006 — August 2007 (1 year 2 months)

Business Analysis & Development
- Developed business plans and managed feasibility studies.
- Determined strengths and weaknesses using SWOT, BCG Box and other business analysis tools.
- Managed cross-functional teams to identify and develop expansion opportunities.
- Conducted extensive interviews to understand operational and business issues.
- Prepared and delivered presentations to senior management team.

Global Project Management
- Determined project scope, workflows, and resource requirements.
- Created and distributed RFPs and evaluated responses. Formulated recommendations on contract awards.
- Participated in the identification and selection of project staff, created job descriptions, and made assignments,
- Ensured timely completion of projects
Senior Manager, International Strategic Planning

Discovery Communications

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; DISCA; Broadcast Media industry)

October 2003 — June 2006 (2 years 9 months)

Competitive Intelligence / Market Positioning
- Monitored competitors (global & local), analyzed trends, and presented findings.
- Designed market sizing studies across 20 largest markets for revenue planning and benchmarking.
- Devised strategies to target products against consumer preferences and competitor weaknesses.

Branding, Product Development & Sales Strategies
- Identified, created and developed channel brand concepts
- Targeted new consumer segments,
- Appealed to a broader range of advertisers
- Better utilization of programming assets.
- New brands now distributed in 90 countries.
- Organized global ad sales meeting to coordinate global sales programs and promotions.

Budgeting & Financial Management
- Prepared and managed budgets.
- Formulated cost estimates, monitored spending, and reported on project financials.
Senior Manager, Operations and Strategy, Office of President

Discovery Communications

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; DISCA; Broadcast Media industry)

July 1997 — October 2003 (6 years 4 months)

Special Projects Manager
- Liaison between corporate departments and international regional offices to ensure timely completion of projects.
- Provided special project research and support.
- Coordinated intellectual property research & registration matters between regional offices and corporate legal department.
- Participated in budget planning and analysis, prepared and administered office budget.
- Oversaw divisional headcount matters.
- Provided analysis and recommendations to improve efficacy and efficiency of divisional business processes.
- Administrative support for joint venture meetings and conference calls.
- Oversaw floor planning and related administrative activities for corporate international.
- Developed and maintained business continuation plans.
Executive Assistant to General Counsel

Intelsat

(Broadcast Media industry)

1993 — 1997 (4 years)

Responsibilities included meeting scheduling and support, preparation and monitoring of program budgets, and administrative oversight for all activities within the department. Prepared reports for presentation to the Board of Governors and coordinated working party papers used in the multinational deliberations leading to the privatization of INTELSAT. This position involved significant interaction with senior executives in several international law and investment banking firms.
Financial Analyst

TRT Communications

(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Telecommunications industry)

July 1989 — July 1993 (4 years 1 month)

TRT was acquired by MCI/Worldcom in 1993

Capital Appropriations
- Developed, implemented and maintained a PC-based financial tracking system.
- More than two hundred large-scale engineering projects (Ocean Cables).
- Verified invoices with authorizing engineers, recorded transactions, and provided budget reporting.

Commissions Analyst
- Prepared sales commission payments following review of terms and confirmation of proper execution.

Accounts Payable Clerk
- verified invoices and prepared payment vouchers.
Communications and Development Coordinator

AIDS Action Council

(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Public Policy industry)

1987 — 1989 (2 years)

Launched to represent locally-based HIV/AIDS service and public health organizations as HIV was first emerging as a public health threat.

Ron Benschoter’s Education

The Johns Hopkins University

MBA , Management , 1999 — 2003
The George Washington University

Certification , Information Systems , 1993
University of Michigan

BA , Political Science , 1976 — 1980

Activities and Societies:

Staff writer / copy desk editor: The Michigan Daily, Public Service Intern: Member of Michigan Delegation, US House of Representatives.