Michael Olson

Michael Olson engages with organizations, businesses and entrepreneurs in developing sustainable business and operations practices to generate more revenues and/or reduce costs. He helps managers understand the dynamics of their business architecture to improve performance in the short term balanced by the insights of the longer term implications of decisions made today. Michael leverages facilitated dialogue to help companies understand the context of the future of their business through scenario thinking and translating those insights into their potential impacts on a company’s culture, management style and business architecture through causal loop analysis and strategy (system-thinking) dynamics. The result is that management becomes more coordinated in aligning their decision making to make better use of their financial, material and human resources. For non-profit and government organizations, the tools and methodologies Michael uses lead to improved management of those organizations’ success metrics as established by their charters.

Michael is an experienced high technology manager and strategic thinker who is comfortable both with the theory and the hands-on practical operations-related tasks. His current focus in sustainability management includes energy efficiency auditing, sustainable agriculture practices, life cycle assessments, and strategy dynamics for sustainability management using system thinking models and dashboards.

Michael’s career covers a range of technology and business disciplines in venture-funded and public companies that has given him a broad understanding of technology, business, and organizational dynamics. His responsibilities have included auto-pilot stability analysis for the 747 jetliner at the Boeing Company, operating a radio science research laboratory in Antarctica for Stanford Electronics Labs, developing high altitude meteorological data collection platforms at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, commercializing remote automated environmental data collection networks at Synergetics International, and pioneering development of spread spectrum communications at Equatorial Communications. His experience in sustainable agriculture opportunities comes from his work in helping manage his parents’ farms in Idaho and South Dakota.

Michael earned BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Idaho and Eng and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He is also a graduate of the Executive Program in Sustainable Management at the Presidio School of Management. He is a professional engineer licensed in Colorado, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), and a member of American Mensa.