Meet David
Founder · Business Strategist · Turnaround & Restructuring Advisor · Writer · Speaker · Storyteller
After more than 45 years in business, David Schulte has honed a keen ability to see what’s possible when others can only see what’s gone wrong. Helping founders through the worst years a business can have takes a rare kind of judgment. When the old plan stops working, David knows what to look for, what’s worth fighting for, and when it’s time to change course.
As founder of Chilmark Partners, David has sat across the table from people making decisions they never expected to face. He’s helped owners figure out what they can still save when cash is running out, whether to walk away from a deal they once wanted, and how to give a successor room to lead the company they spent a lifetime building.
He has a knack for asking the question that changes the conversation and helps people see an option they’d overlooked.
In Let’s Move the Finish Line, David brings those stories to the page, the stage, and the microphone. He talks about the remarkable people he’s met, the decisions he’s gotten wrong, and how much easier it is to give good advice than to take it. The question he keeps coming back to is one he still asks himself. When the finish line you’ve been running toward no longer makes sense, what would a new one look like?
Audio coming soon
How David got here
Before founding Chilmark Partners, David led the Reorganization Group at Salomon Brothers. He went on to co-found the Zell/Chilmark Fund, which invested in businesses going through financial distress.
What he’s exploring now
David likes to say he’ll retire six months after he dies. “I like to give myself a little time to wrap things up.” That’s the spirit he brings to his keynote, podcast, and writing. He’s curious about what people choose to do after they’ve reached the goal they spent years working toward. And he’s still asking himself the same question.
Explore David’s keynote