Eric Holtzclaw

Liger

As Chief Strategist of Liger, Eric evaluates businesses to improve products, services, support and marketing strategies for overall effectiveness. Along the way, Eric teaches companies how to understand their customers better so they build solid teams that deliver to customer expectations.

A trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and small business owners alike, Eric uses his extensive experience starting, growing and running his own businesses in concert with a knowledge base from over a decade of business and consumer interviews to accelerate a deeper understanding of the true behaviors, motivations, goals, preferences and expectations of customers and teams.  

A sought after speaker, writer and thought leader, Eric's passion is to apply customer-based knowledge to emerging trends in technology creating new opportunities and improving existing business models.

Chief Strategist

Tarkenton Private Capital

Actively guiding the firm's investment strategies and shaping the future of innovative startups and early-stage companies in the portfolio.

Collaborate closely with entrepreneurs, founders, and CEO's, guiding them through growth challenges, refining business models, and providing valuable industry connections. Analyze market trends, identify emerging opportunities, and contribute to portfolio optimization. Contribute to the success of both the firm and the startups we support, fostering innovation and driving impactful returns on investment.

Principal

PossibleNOW

Provide strategic direction for the adoption of the MyPreferences platform within enterprise clients. MyPreferences allows companies to "Listen, Remember and Respond" to their customers' desires for overall engagement and customized experience.

Formation of a Professional Services Organization within PossibleNOW to assist Fortune 500 companies with both the strategic evaluation of enterprise-wide preference management and the implementation of the MyPreferences SaaS solution.  

Serve as the interface between PossibleNOW and industry analysts, potential PSO partners and vendors.  Establishment of proprietary research and best practices for the centralization of preference management and maximizing user adoption with an eye toward existing and future marketing needs.

Chief Strategy Officer

Mansueto Ventures

Weekly column on Inc.com providing advice to business owners and entrepreneurs.  The column covers trends in technology, leadership, employee management and research.

http://www.inc.com/author/eric-holtzclaw

Columnist, Lean Forward on Inc.com

User Insight

As CEO of User Insight, Eric Holtzclaw oversaw strategic service offerings and ensured operational excellence and innovation across the business. 

User Insight's body of work gave Eric the unique opportunity to interview thousands of users across industries where they work, live and play to truly understand "why" they do what they do within different contexts.  User Insight delivers over 150 projects a year supporting the world's largest brands.  This vantage point provided a unique perspective and understanding of the dramatic impact created by relationship-based technologies and a preview of the future based on the "Internet of Things".

Chief Executive Officer

CyberSource

Part of the leadership for a new team tasked with creating a professional services arm within CyberSource to support deployment and extension of CyberSource's core payment and fraud offerings.

Specific highlights include:

- Responsible for negotiating relationship with order fulfillment partner and rollout to organization 
- Creation of stored value offerings
- Supporting United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia in development of emerging markets
- Development of statements of work, pricing and pitches of key high profile projects

Practice Manager

Silicon Graphics

Created Internet Services practice for SGI's newly formed Professional Services organization that generated $30 million a quarter in new business

Responsible for identifying partner companies to add new solutions for extension of SGI hardware

Advised SGI's customers on solutions based on SGI hardware to take advantage of emerging Internet technology to extend and expand upon their core businesses

Solutions Architect, Practice Lead

PrimeWire

Created an employee benefit enrollment system to streamline benefit enrollment for employers working with independent agents.

VP, Technology

OneCoast Network

OneCoast is a consolidation of Manufacturer Representative Agencies from across the United States into one larger entity.

Responsibilities included:

- The application of technology to increase efficiency 
- Centralization of the back office operations
- Creation of enabling technology to equip in-field sales reps
- Development of order entry and commission system for showroom sales
- Build out of corporate headquarters and data center

OneCoast was the one of the largest venture capital backed entities in Atlanta in 1997.

Thomson Reuters

Projects included KnowX, KeyCite, WestLaw on the Web and WestLaw Europe.

Director of Product Development

Marketing isn’t just about tactics—it’s about discipline, consistency, and strategy. At Liger, we don’t use cookie-cutter marketing. We specialize in bringing complex businesses to market—financial services, fintech, insurance, PEOs, and more—to clarify their message, amplify their brand, and drive real business growth.

With decades of experience launching, growing, and advising companies, I’ve seen firsthand how the right marketing can transform businesses. I’ve helped Fortune 500 giants and scrappy startups alike, using a mix of research, strategy, and storytelling to uncover what truly drives customer behavior.

Why Work with Liger?

We take brands from being invisible to unforgettable through:
- Strategic Positioning – Crafting messaging that cuts through the noise
- Creative Storytelling – Turning complex ideas into compelling narratives
- Smart Execution – Driving measurable growth with tailored marketing

As a founder of multiple startups—including one of the first profitable internet enterprises—and two, three-time Inc. 5000 honorees, I understand what it takes to scale a business. My experience spans creating new divisions in established companies to challenge the status quo and leading teams that turn bold ideas into real impact.

Let’s connect and explore how Liger can help you become the market leader in your space.

Professional experience includes: founding multiple startup companies, including one of the first profitable Internet enterprises; co-founding User Insight which made the Inc 5000 fastest growing companies 3 years in a row; and the creation of new divisions within established companies to encourage a shift in thinking and change in approach.

Chief Strategist & Dojo Master

As Founding Partner and Chief Strategist of Liger Partners, Eric evaluates businesses to improve products, services, support and marketing strategies for overall effectiveness. Along the way, Eric teaches companies how to understand their customers better so they build solid teams that deliver to customer expectations.

A trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and small business owners alike, Eric uses his extensive experience starting, growing and running his own businesses in concert with a knowledge base from over a decade of business and consumer interviews to accelerate a deeper understanding of the true behaviors, motivations, goals, preferences and expectations of customers and teams.  

A sought after speaker, writer and thought leader, Eric's passion is to apply customer-based knowledge to emerging trends in technology creating new opportunities and improving existing business models.

Orbital IQ

Orbital IQ is an Arieli Capital company --> www.arielicapital.com

- Responsible for developing and executing commercial strategies to drive revenue growth and increased profitability.
- Lead all sales and marketing teams, setting sales targets, and developing marketing campaigns.
- Oversee customer experience management, ensuring that Orbital IQ delivers a positive and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints.
- Developed and implemented pricing strategies that maximized profitability while remaining competitive.
- Identified and pursued new revenue streams, including partnerships and acquisitions.
- Built and managed relationships with key stakeholders, negotiating contracts and overseeing the integration of new acquisitions and partnerships.

Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

CICL - The Center For Innovation Commercialization LLC

CICL provides innovation commercialization services to Fortune 500 Companies, global integrators, resellers, and telecoms through identifying new targeted cutting-edge capabilities that can enhance their products and increase revenues without penalizing earnings to fund innovation development costs. 

CICL also represents hundreds of innovative companies seeking to grow faster or expand into the United States and internationally. By doing so, CICL has become a large Innovation Bank of cutting-edge innovative solutions for commercialization that is constantly being freshened and up-to-date.

CICL success derives from the CICL team and its global alliance partners' unique and extensive skill sets, deep experience in building successful and globally competitive companies, and their strong network of relationships in the US and internationally

Member Of The Board Of Advisors

The Florida Fury Hockey Foundation

I serve on the board of directors of Florida Fury Hockey Foundation & Club, a 501c3, that is home to the premier youth travel hockey program in South Florida. Along with the other board members, I oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization that includes financial planning, operations, marketing, and communications.

Chairman Of The Board

USA Hockey

CEP Level Three

Completed Age-Specific Modules
8 & Under	
10 & Under	
12 & Under	
14 & Under	
16/18/19 & Under

USA Hockey Certified Coach

Paysafe Group

I was recruited to lead the rebuilding and rollout of the US product and sales force. Direct all domestic operations, regulatory requirements, and marketing for the launch of Paysafe eCash. Propel business growth and performance via a direct sales infrastructure, channel partnerships, ISV’s, and strategic distribution paths. 

Highlights of my accomplishments include:

•	Design innovative marketing campaigns, messaging, content, and collateral and steer the deployment of go-to-market (GTM) strategies for direct to merchant and strategic partnership initiatives.
•	Foster the development of employees and ensure their performance is compliant with metrics and KPI’s as well as overall company mission.
•	Develop detailed financial models and run valuation scenarios for strategic initiatives, potential business development and partnership opportunities.
•	Set up a clear partner strategy with standardized partner/alliance management process and governance. Hands-on management of the entire lifecycle of strategic partnerships: Stage-manage, Classify, Engage, Create, GTM, Governance.
•	Create all legal agreements for referral partnerships and reseller opportunities.

Senior Director Business Development, Paysafecash USA

I was recruited to ADP to identify gaps in products and services and constructed world-class products to fill the need, primarily within the Small Business Services unit. Led full scope of initiatives from concept to deployment to sales force training. Managed enterprise-level partnerships and proactively sought out cutting-edge technologies and implemented novel strategies to position ADP well above the competition and capture increased market share. 

Highlights of my accomplishments include:

•	Creatively solved a major gap within the SBS unit by creating a plug & play to the SaaS platform (an 8 figure AR product) utilizing customer’s existing lines of credit and enabling SMB clients to place payroll on a “credit card” for little or no cost, and float payroll in order to have immediate liquid capital. 
•	Partnered with an industry leading payments platform to roll out a major product service in just 6 months. The API driven application seamlessly addressed the needs of ADP’s 650k small business customers addressing a 300MM opportunity. Quickly gained stakeholder trust and buy-in and fast-tracked the product, still in place today, elevating and differentiating ADP in the marketplace.
•	Architected a first-of-its-kind product from concept through deployment called Upnetic.com, a suite of services that supports a small business from legal to marketing. Drove sales of 10k units in the first year, earning $70M in annualized new revenue.
•	Charted and tapped new distribution channels, domestic and global, for investment or acquisition to grow and expand ADP products, services, and overall market reach.
•	Led product and technology diligence for earned wage access for ADP SBS portfolio of clients.
•	Aligned all functions across SBS (legal, security, finance, product management, client service, product development, marketing and sales) to maintain a constant focus on the success of partner acquisition and management.

VP - Business Development - Partnerships and M&A

IAS Equities, Inc

International Acquisitions Services, Inc. established in 1979 and its wholly-owned subsidiary IAS Equities, Inc. (“IAS”) is a Private Investment Banking firm specializing in “cross border” mergers and acquisitions, advisory services to listed NYSE Companies, and asset-based forms of financing to small, midsize and large companies in the United States and the rest of the world.
IAS has originated and put in place financial transactions having a value in excess of $7 billion. Transactions have included debt and equity placements, syndications, sales and purchases of a wide variety of corporations to domestic and offshore corporations.

I joined IAS to modernize marketing and operations and position the company for a successful sale. Leveraged agility and project management talents to digitize the entire company and built out a marketing program from scratch. Expanded brand awareness to generate new sales opportunities. Drove solution development efforts focused on client needs. 

Highlights of my accomplishments include:

•	Updated 30-years’ worth of obsolete paper records into a current, real-time database of transactions. 
•	Built out web presence and established marketing collateral and benchmarks, honed from Office Depot experiences. 
•	Negotiated and closed complex contracts up to $50MM for capital raise of debt and or equity by qualifying and generating interest for clients and prospects and producing powerful value propositions related to client business requirements. 
•	Established and maintained strategic relationships with executive sponsors and client stakeholders.

Chief Operating Officer

Office Depot Merchant Services

Organization providing merchant services to Office Depot customers; acquired in 2014 by a Top 10 Merchant Processor.
 					 	
Drove development, launch, and rapid growth of an entirely new revenue source for Office Depot aimed at its six million small business (SMB) and Mid-Market clients. Effectively expanded its offerings and enhanced its value to thousands of small business customers by enabling them to accept credit cards in a more efficient manner. Conceived, developed, introduced and successfully managed new merchant service offerings that included retail (hospitality), mobile, online, mail and MOTO credit card processing.

Leveraged broad knowledge of products and services, including POS systems, transaction settlement platform, custom Internet and Intranet solutions, and terminal products and custom applications to effectively cultivate and enhance relations with third-party vendors. Created key partnerships with WorldPay and iPayment (First Data) to create a world-class processing and boarding platform.

- Created 100% turn-key solution that transformed Office Depot into largest retail merchant processor in the USA. Developed and provided 100% of the infrastructure.  

- Recruited, hired, and trained sales force. Developed training curriculum for Office Depot employees at the store level. Delivered product and marketing training to call center personnel, enabling them to better understand and present offerings in the marketplace.

- Improved customer service by employing innovation at checkout line. Assisted in design of Office Depot’s inline checkout technology. 

- Solidified client partnerships by providing hands-on needs assessments, brainstorming payment processing alternatives, implementing innovative marketing programs, negotiating attractive pricing schedules, and quickly resolving both processing and service level issues.

Founder /  President

Chase Paymentech

The payment processing and merchant acquiring business of JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM). Chase Paymentech became the Merchant Services subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase in 2008. 

Promoted to manage integration between the new assets of Chase Paymentech and Chase Global Treasury. Closely liaised with product operation and sales groups to resolve critical issues and increase new and existing accounts. Negotiated agreements and employed effective closing techniques to consistently beat commercial payment volume and revenue targets.
 
Served as the catalyst for growth in existing client programs while consistently exceeding established yearly quotas for volume and revenue. Developed, implemented, and continually refined a rolling plan that effectively grew volume and revenue in key accounts, including Louis Vuitton, Continental Airlines, Chase Home Mortgage, Borders Books, Dell, Jiffy Lube, Michaels, Pepsi, and Jarden Consumer Solutions.

Vice President, Global Treasury Initiatives

Chase Merchant Services

The payment processing and merchant acquiring business of Chase. Chase Merchant Services was created as a joint venture between Chase and FDC in 1997 and integrated its merchant services with those of JP Morgan Chase in 2005. 

Strategically marketed products and services to key JP Morgan Global Fortune 500 Treasury clients, including Dell and Louis Vuitton, representing $3M+ in revenue and $7B+ in actual dollar volume annually. Trained and guided as many as 25 sales associates tasked with developing business with lower-volume accounts.

Took lead in driving new business development and growing account penetration. Developed market segment sales strategy and identified new business opportunities based on trend analysis. 

- Fueled innovation that markedly grew revenue and profitability while lowering costs.
-Implemented largest Dynamic Currency Conversion program in the US and globally for Louis Vuitton and their Duty Free Shop brand. Annual revenue subsequently grew from $200K+ to $5M+.
-Saved Chase Home Mortgage nearly $1M annually while enabling Chase Merchant Services to markedly improve revenue per transaction and increase revenue by more than 500%.   Developed “card not present” pinless debit transactions enabling Chase Home Mortgage to reroute Visa and MC branded debit transactions and ride rails of the debit networks; ultimately eliminated onerous Visa and MC routing costs.

Vice President, Global Treasury/Merchant Services Sales & Support

I’m an accomplished, solutions-minded executive with an entrepreneurial spirit and extensive experience in transforming business operations and payment processing technology for global Fortune 100 companies. As an industry expert, I have a proven record of success in capitalizing on and predicting trends in the payments marketplace. Cultivates trusted stakeholder relationships at all levels, including C-Suite leadership. I build and lead high-performing empowered sales teams, provide them with the necessary tools and training success, and motivate them to exceed expectations. 

I tackle complex strategic challenges head-on and have confidently scaled steep learning curves. Additionally, I identify areas in need of improvement and implement innovative solutions to enhance performance, improve/streamline processes, and achieve aggressive organizational revenue goals and sales targets.  

Areas of Expertise

Business Development • Sales & Marketing •  Employee Engagement •  Strategic Planning •  Product Ideation • Account Acquisition & Penetration • Salesforce Guru • Territory Management • SEO & SEM • Contract Negotiation • B2B Sales • Consultative Selling • Relationship Management • M&A • Partnerships • Market Trend Analysis • Payment Processing Technology • Human Capital Management • B2B SaaS Solutions • Financial Advisor • Training & Employee Development • Merchant Services • Solutions Execution • Executive & Cross-Functional Collaboration

✉ LET’S CONNECT!

I’m always interested in expanding the network of my professional acquaintances and welcome thoughts or questions about my work.

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