Jim Wilkey’s love of the ocean and boats began at the age of 13 when he purchased his first sail boat for $30 and became one of the youngest people, at that time, to become certified by New England Divers. He grew up on and in the waters of Manchester and Magnolia, Massachusetts. He’s been boating and diving ever since with occasional breaks for a 24 year career with the IBM Corporation, a four year stint as a U. S. Naval Aviator in Kodiak, Alaska, CEO of a large travel company in New York City and President of a database software development firm in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, California. He also headed up sales and marketing for a large Midwest home builder. He has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Ohio State University Business School for over 16 years and was a member of the Board of the United States Tour Operators’ Association, USTOA, whose membership generates over 90% of all US foreign travel.
His business, sales, marketing, advertising and nautical experiences are extensive. Jim graduated with a mathematics and government degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts and attended high school in Danvers, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of IBM’s Advanced and International Business Institutes and graduated first in his class as Regimental Commander of the United States Navy’s Aviation Officers Candidate School in Pensacola Florida in 1969. Photo left: Jim at the ripe old age of 22 when he was commissioned after graduating first in his class at Aviation Officers Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida in 1969.
During his early career, while on IBM’s Northeast Regional Staff in Waltham, Massachusetts, he recognized that many of IBM’s customers were not devoting any time to long range strategic planning. To address this, he and several colleagues developed IBM’s Strategic Account Planning Program, which, after many years of focus from IBM, became institutionalized throughout the business world. He has conducted hundreds of planning sessions in some of Americas largest Corporations.
For the last 12 years, Jim has focused most of his attention on his family, his yacht brokerage business and his love of the ocean. In addition to handling the yachting affairs of his business clientele, he actively sails and dives in and around Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Former U.S. Naval OfficerExtensive Business Experience
Former Member of the Board of the U.S. Tour Operators Association
Former Member Ohio State University Business School’s Board of Advisors
