MEET CHARLES MARINO

Charles Marino is a Master Chair for Vistage International, the world’s largest peer to peer leadership organization.

He has had a long and distinguished career, serving as President & CEO of Friedrich Air Conditioning for nearly 17 years.  His experience includes overseeing Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Sales and Marketing.  He spent much of his career leading the Sales and Marketing of the Company and has extensive experience in domestic and international sales.  Under his leadership, new product lines were launched, distribution channels were expanded and the Company’s revenue and profits were substantially increased.

As the founding Vistage Chair in San Antonio, he launched the first CEO group in 2010, and today chairs three business groups.  In 2018, he launched the first Emerging Leader group in the United States for Vistage.  In addition, he has been honored with the Vistage Rookie of the Year Award in 2011 and several Chair Excellence awards.  He has conducted over 250 group meetings in San Antonio.

Charles believes that being a great leader is hard work and that success does not come easy.  He now uses his extensive business experience to help small and medium sized company leaders achieve their fullest potential and get better results for their business, as well as more balance in their lives.

Today, Charles works with business leaders, both B2C and B2B, in the San Antonio area.  Industries represented in these groups are:

  • Business Services
  • Construction
  • Equipment Leasing
  • Financial Services
  • Food Distribution
  • Health Care
  • Manufacturing
  • Non Profit
  • Oil & Gas
  • Private Equity
  • Professional Services
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Technology
  • Wholesale Distribution

Charles Marino is presented with the 2018 Vistage Chair Excellence Award

The companies he coaches have combined revenue of over $1.4 billion and employ over 5600 people.

Testimonials

More than double the revenue, double the profits, and a company on hyper drive. These are the things that have happened since I started meeting with Charles.  He has guided me, both personally and professionally, with outside perspective that has dramatically helped my business and changed my life for the better. Charles has grown to be more than a coach. He is an impactful sounding board, a valuable resource, and a trusted ally. He holds me accountable and speaks up even when a topic may be uncomfortable. Hiring Charles was a launching point for my business to mature. If you are ready to move your company from adolescence to adulthood, hire Charles – he will help you move the needle. 

Andy Hill

CEO, Orange Box Investments

Charles’s approach to coaching is transformational.  After working with him for several years, and now looking back, I can see the new foundations he has help create in my business and model.  His ability to simplify and focus are extremely valuable to me and our organization.  I would recommend Charles to anyone that wants to grow!

Jay McAnelly

Group Vice President, Ameriprise Financial Institutions Group

I was a first-time CEO when I joined the McNay Art Museum in the fall of 2016 as its only third executive director. I joined the staff of the first modern art museum in Texas with very ambitious goals of maximizing the Museum’s impact on San Antonio’s growing communities. Early on I met Charles Marino, who during our first Vistage one-on-one session asked me about my elevator pitch. I didn’t have one. In fact, an elevator pitch was one of many things Charles would later teach me to always have at hand as a CEO. So, we crafted one together. A week later, during my first day on the job, the Chairman of the McNay’s Board of Trustees, the late Tom Frost, also asked me for my elevator pitch. Thanks to Charles, I was prepared: “I’m in the business of encouraging people—ALL people—to question the world around them and be inspired to dream and grow, all by engaging with the best of the visual arts.” Mr. Frost was impressed, because it dovetailed beautifully with the McNay’s mission statement.

Being hired as only the third director of a 65-year-old organization has its challenges, particularly for a first-time CEO. But thanks to Charles and his guidance, encouragement, and support these last two years, I was able to realize everything I had promised the Board of Trustees I would deliver when we first met during my interviews. Thanks to Charles, I have been able to focus on vision and strategy while simultaneously strengthening the organization. I was able to introduce a new vision for the McNay, of balancing artistic excellence with community impact. With his support, I was able to improve the organization’s business model with a greater focus on earned revenue opportunities, which we emphasize at new monthly sales meetings. And I was able to strengthen the organization’s work culture by introducing Values-Based Leadership. Charles played a key role in all three contributions, particularly in improving the Museum’s business model. He helped me appreciate on day one that the McNay’s non-profit status is a tax strategy, not a business strategy. And he has helped me and the Board of Trustees close our last fiscal year with a surplus. I am grateful to Charles for so much of the McNay’s success these last two years. His impact on the organization was almost immediate, and I—along with everyone we serve here at the first modern art museum in Texas—am profoundly grateful.

Dr. Richard Aste

Executive Director , McNay Art Museum

Charles Marino has been my business advisor for the past 6 ½ years.  He’s been a trusted confidant whose objective advice has helped me work through many business challenges in today’s competitive industry.   His highly motivated and structured model in executive coaching has made a measurable difference improving my focus, gaining a greater perspective, building on setting and achieving my goals, and growing my leadership capacity.

Tony Liberto

President & CEO, Ricos Products

Charles has been my personal business coach for the past 7 years.  Through our one to one coaching sessions, we have continued to work on the strategy for Legacy Mutual Mortgage.

Over the past 7 plus years we have doubled our gross revenue from $30 Million annually to $60 Million annually.   Charles is a very valuable business coach for someone that is serious about taking their business to the next level.

Dan Diepenhorst

President & CEO, Legacy Mutual Mortgage

I have been working with Charles Marino for over six years.  His influence and coaching has allowed our company to make significant improvements in many aspects of our business but most importantly, profitability.  Charles brings a vast amount of business experience and perspectives that help me see opportunities to improve in many facets.  He provides very clear suggestions and holds me accountable to deliver results.  Charles has a very direct communication method which I have found very productive.  I look forward to many more years of working with Charles Marino.

John Herrmann

CEO, WB Liquors

If you are seeking a business coach who will work with executives, directors and mid-level management to improve performance, leadership skills, & communication effectiveness while exceeding outcome expectations, then I would highly recommend an outstanding business coach named Charles Marino.

I have had the distinct pleasure to work directly with Mr. Marino as well as many of my leadership team since 2010. Charles’s experience, determination, accountability, continued people development and organization guidance has allowed Vanguard Resources to improve prior performance in customer mix, financial performance, new sales, etc. From 2010 to end of year 2017 we have experienced a 205.2% increase in revenue while increasing EBIT by 344%.

Charles has continually challenged me and my organization team members to re-examine our current business and financial models and to recreate ourselves to enhance the outcomes while always monitoring performance daily.

He challenges each of us in ways that may be uncomfortable for peers or subordinates, however he challenges with curiosity and questioning. He never assumes his solution is the best for our situation but offers it up for consideration and allows us to find the solution that is right for us. He has personally broadened my views, both on business & personal matters, offering new and creative ways of looking at certain issues. He has been able to offer an outsider’s viewpoint, which is often overlooked when individuals are to close to the issue at hand, and offer unbiased advice on how to approach the problem.

Charles is a tremendous asset to CEO’s and business executives in my Vistage group. I would highly recommend Mr. Marino to any CEO or Executive team in need of advancing their business outcomes.

Ricky Powers

Chairman, Vanguard Resources

I have known Charles for many years when I was a member of the Vistage Executive Network. In that time, many beautiful things have happened because of knowing him.  Throughout the years we worked together he helped provide guidance that resulted in more than doubling the size of our company.

Charles has been a friend, a coach and someone who always brought a fresh perspective with direct and clear questions.  I can reflect today and see many successful initiatives in motion in our company that started out as conversation in one of our monthly sessions.

Charles has never been afraid to challenge me in all areas. He pushed me for greatness to the levels at which I told him I was going to achieve.  I’m an exceptional leader, husband and father because of the many things I learned from Charles.

Will Duke

CEO, 3Sixty Integrated / Co-Founder SiteOwl

Charles brings real experience and relevant feedback to the table; there’s little philosophical textbook preaching in our meetings.  Whether I’m looking for a bit of personal encouragement through a sounding board, expert direction on maneuvering my life in business or, if the flavor of the day is as simple as needing an accountability coach, Charles acts as a resource for me.  In times of growth where we may lack focus on controls and best practices, in times of stagnation where the business is running flat and needs a pivot, and in times we find ourselves steering through a slump and are wanting some reinvention, again Charles is that invaluable resource.

Whether we’re serving in a new role or wearing an old hat each day, we all could use [at least a bit] of help.  Charles Marino has been and will continue to be my help.

Eyal Avnon

COO, Rialto Homes

Charles Marino has a unique ability to recognize, understand, and help you think through complex business relationships.  Over the last 8 years, he has revolutionized my thinking, actions and most importantly, my vision that helped the Chesmar Enterprise achieve results well beyond what was initially contemplated.  Charles was with me every step of the way from a start-up local homebuilding division to becoming the #1 private homebuilder in San Antonio, expansion into new markets, creation of our financial services support companies (Mortgage and Title) and helping to clarify our vision of becoming a generational private enterprise.

Ken Trainer

President/COO , Chesmar Homes

It is with great pleasure that I am able to recommend Charles Marino as an extraordinarily effective business coach. 

I have worked with Charles over the past five years and he has been an invaluable asset to our business.

Charles is a very keen observer of business and of people in general. He is a straight-shooting guy who will tell you how it is. He has a vast experience in the world of business, marketing, forecasting, manufacturing, production and a host of other skills. 

Charles has demonstrated an ability to impact people at all levels of the organization. He’s an excellent business strategist with a significant amount of skill in accounting and business analysis. 

Any business would be fortunate to have him as a part of their team.

Steven Shuel D.C.

CEO, Oak Haven Massage and Bodywork

Vistage is an outstanding organization. I have been a member since 2006. During that time, I have had the pleasure of working with outstanding business leaders as well as fellow Vistage members and chairs.

Charles Marino is my current Vistage Chair. He truly deserves the accolades he received as the 2011 Rookie of the Year and the 2014, 2016 Chair Excellence Award. He is an excellent coach, mentor and team builder. He challenges me during our coaching sessions and encourages me to dig deeply into my issue to find root causes as well as pathways to overcoming obstacles. Charles also provides a much appreciated “safe space” to be vulnerable when discussing gaps in knowledge and experience.

Elizabeth Waltman

COO, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center

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