WM Lakeshore Affinity Group

Penny Rosema, Negotiation Expert & Consultant

Have you ever signed off on a deal and immediately thought, “I could have done better.” Early in her career, Penny Rosema did. As an engineer, she knew there had to be a systematic way to be more effective at negotiation. She made it her mission to find out how.

Penny explored what to do with the take-it-or-leave-it-bully. She investigated if the person who makes the first offer comes out ahead or behind. Along the way, she earned her MBA from Notre Dame. She also studied who has the most power in a negotiation – and it’s not always who you think it is!  When Penny held a leadership role for Amway’s capital equipment and indirect materials buying team, she discovered that knowing what you want out of a deal is only part of the equation. You must understand your counterpart’s wants and needs. By the time she left Amway, she led a team with a spend of $250 million that brokered a deal that achieved a $2.5 million cost reduction from a single source supplier.  As an educator and leadership trainer, Penny worked with corporate teams in the US, Japan and Korean. She has also served as an adjunct professor of supply chain and negotiation at Grand Valley State University. Currently, Penny serves as Managing Director of the Cookware Manufacturers Association as the primary link between its members and board, as well as retailers and the public.

Using her rich repertoire of intriguing experiences, Penny shares her expertise speaking before businesses and professional associations. Her clients include Mercantile Bank, Michigan Realtors, Calvin College, and the Michigan Society of Government Meeting Planners.

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For more information contact: 

Cameron Dolbow at cdolbow@rwbaird.com or 616-446-714

Brandy DeWilde at brandy.dewilde@harlandclarke.com   or 616-393-9425