Maddox’s work earned him serious hardware: the Legion of Merit medal; the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement; the Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Award; and a Bronze Star. He parlayed his achievements into a book, Mission Black List #1, a speaking career, and consulting work. In addition to providing interviewing training, he teaches business leaders to effectively gather information, builds intelligence collection programs so companies can find out what their competition is up to, and provides negotiation training.
EXECS’ REQUESTS FOR HELP LED TO NEW CAREER
Maddox’s consulting career hadn’t been part of his post-military plan. But company executives who attended his speaking engagements were looking for expert help with interviewing tactics and intelligence-gathering. “Some of the CEOs came up to me and said, ‘Hey, can you train us up on this?’” Maddox says.
At Olin, his background raises eyebrows, but not ire. His former career as a military interrogator doesn’t seem to offend any political sensibilities, Maddox says. “I’ve spent my career identifying and teaching interrogation techniques that are nonviolent, that are about negotiation, that are about compromise. In a pretty patriotic society nobody has issues with what I do.” However, he says, he’s an “outlier” in his EMBA class.
“Everybody there’s got a business background. I’m definitely the oddball, in a good way.”
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