James P. Schadt is a member of Brock Capital Group LLC. Previously, he was the Executive Chairman and Acting CEO of Mercator Software, Inc., a General Partner at the private equity firm Dailey Capital Management, and the Senior Operating Partner for Beacon Group, LLC.
Mr. Schadt spent six year at Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., from 1991 to 1997. As Director he managed the DeWitt and Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Funds, and controlled shareholders of Reader’s Digest. Mr. Schadt was President and COO from 1991 to 1994, President and CEO from 1994 to 1995, and Chairman and CEO from 1995 to 1997.
Mr. Schadt spent 20 years in the food industry serving as the President and CEO of Cadbury Beverages Inc., and was on the Board of Directors of the parent company, Cadbury Schweppes, PLC. From 1984 to 1987 Mr. Schadt was President and Chief Executive of Cadbury Schweppes North America and from 1981 to 1984 he was Senior Vice President of North American Beverages. Prior to his time at Cadbury, Mr. Schadt spent three years at Sara Lee Corporation where he was the President and COO of Electrolux USA and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and International. Mr. Schadt also spent four years at PepsiCo. Inc., where he was the President of the Wine and Spirits Division and Senior Vice President of PepsiCo Foods International. He began his career in the food industry at Squibb Corporation where he was Vice President and General Manager of Beach Nut Baby Foods. Mr. Schadt previously worked at Glenco, Inc. for Consultant and Sales Promotion and for Proctor and Gamble as Brand Manager of their paper products division.
Mr. Schadt is the Founding Member of the Northwestern College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board. He was Chairman of the Board until 2001 and remains Co-Chair of the Arts and Sciences $200 million of $1.5 billion “Campaign Northwestern.” He is also a trustee of the University serving on the Development, Alumni Relations, and Steering Committees. Mr. Schadt was a Trustee of the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington D.C, a Trustee of the DeWitt Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund and the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund (Arts), and Trustee of the Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut. At Norwalk Hospital, he was also the Chairman of the Medical Affairs Committee, Co-Chair of the $10 million Centennial campaign, and Co-Chair of the $12 million Millennium Campaign.
Mr. Schadt received his B.A. from Northwestern University.