Leadership Team
Meet the Leadership Team
HEIDI SCHUMANN
EXPERIENCE
Heidi Schumann brings more than 20 years of corporate training and international business management experience to her position at the helm of Fluency Group. Heidi has a proven track record of successfully managing high-profile international education projects and delivering high-tech English language testing services to diverse audiences, while working closely with local, national and foreign governments. Fluency Group was founded to create the first online standardized language proficiency test in 2000. Heidi led the team’s deployment of this solution for a nation wide roll out by TSA upon it’s creation in 2002. Prior to launching FluencyGroup, Heidi co-founded and managed International Language Institute, Inc. (ILI), a nationally-accredited English language training firm which quickly became established as a leading English language-training institute for businesses worldwide such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Paccar.
In addition to her activities as CEO and co-founder of Fluency Group, Heidi has been recognized for her leadership and vision by 3 U.S. Secretaries of Commerce. Two Washington Governors have chosen her to speak to trade missions and to sit on the Board of Directors of the Washington Technology Center, a group that was committed to the development and commercialization of new services and products. Heidi has served on the US Export Council for the Department of Commence and the Global Competitiveness Council to solidify Washington State’s reputation as a hub of new technologies and world-class service. She most recently served on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington’s Global Business Program.
LANGUAGES
English, German, Japanese
EDUCATION
B. A., International Relations, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Barcelona, Antarctica, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, and the Crystal Bridges Museum
OWEN WALTON
EXPERIENCE
Owen Walton brings almost 30 years of experience in international business and education to Fluency Group, including co-founding the International Language Institute (I.L.I.) of Seattle. Owen lived and worked in Japan as a corporate trainer and United Nations Association Language Testing Officer. In addition to his work at Fluency Group, Owen taught business undergraduates about information systems at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics from 2013 — 2016.
LANGUAGES
English, Latin, Swedish, French, and Japanese
EDUCATION
M.L.I.S. (Masters in Library and Information Science), University of Washington
M.A., Modern Japanese and Chinese History, University of Washington
B.A., History, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Tokyo, Salvador do Bahia, Helsinki, Sydney
FRED PURSELL
EXPERIENCE
Fred Pursell acts an advisor to Fluency Group. His focus on global marketing, sales channels and business development for Information Technology spans three decades, three technology revolutions, and six continents. Fred has served in senior marketing roles with software industry leaders Microsoft and Autodesk (computer-aided-design), led global expansion for Osborne Computers, the developer of the first-ever portable PC, and Local Area Network pioneer Digital Microsystems. He has worked with a diverse group of technology start-ups bringing innovative solutions to market. His most recent work at Microsoft focused on using digital marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to transform the customer base and partners from on premise software to cloud services.
As a consultant Fred has worked on strategic marketing, channel development and e-commerce projects for IT multinationals IBM, Intel, Microsoft, HP, Oracle, Sun, Novell and a diverse group of small firms focused on new business value through technology innovation. As co-founder and VP Consulting for interactive media firm Creative Works, Fred collaborated closely with Web usability design guru Dr. Jakob Nielsen building methodologies, business processes, and best practices to integrate Web usability principles and techniques with digital marketing.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
M.A. in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University
B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley
LANGUAGES
English, French, and Italian
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
DSWT Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya, Tierra del Fuego, and New Zealand
MAGGIE SIMPSON
With more than 30 years of experience working in reputation management, Maggie has implemented numerous highly successful national media campaigns and managed sensitive crisis communication challenges for leading non-profits, universities, Fortune 500 companies, think tanks and media organizations. Her many years working at CNN as public relations vice president have given her a unique perspective on how to handle prestigious, high stakes interviews and thought leadership campaigns on behalf of her clients. Maggie’s extensive international background, not only as a news anchor in Tokyo, but in her many years living throughout the world in such countries as Algeria, France, Australia, Japan and Ireland gives her a unique expertise in global communication trends and best practices. Born in Saigon and fluent in French, Maggie graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from U.C. Berkeley and conducted graduate studies in Far Eastern Politics at the Sorbonne’s Institut des Langues Orientales in Paris.
JAMES LANGFORD
James Langford has more than 29 years of experience in the insurance industry. His experience spans sales agent to wholesaler for independent distributors and many other roles along the way, having worked at Prudential, Allianz, and American General(AIG). He has significant expertise at establishing and maintaining relationships with marketing companies as well as developing channels for hundreds of marketing organizations, broker dealers, banks, general agencies, and individual producers resulting in well over $100mm of life and $1 billion of annuity premium. Jim is well known in his field for making insurance fun and interesting, and for bringing in the premium.
LANGUAGES
German, Thai, & basic Chinese & Japanese
EDUCATION
B. A. — St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Kyoto’s Gardens & Temples as many times as possible, Any Rain Forest, & New Zealand
MECHELLE BUSH
EXPERIENCE
Mechelle Bush has spent more than a decade working in the high-consequence industry of emergency management. She managed strategic global travel operations following the September 11 attacks. She developed policies that ensured that the needs of international and regional offices were met while allowing for cultural and regional differences. She specialized in developing internal metrics for travel and expense management best practices. Mechelle created highly effective processes to increase policy adherence through employee feedback, technology and incentives. At Zetron, Inc., she spent three years in sales operations as the CEO-appointed advocate for the customer. She supported customer accounts which included training, trouble shooting and bringing long term success to customers. Mechelle most recently worked at Slalom Consulting as an operations analyst.
LANGUAGES
English and Spanish for travel
EDUCATION
Project Management Essentials, Everett Community College,
Long Beach City College, — Long Beach, California
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Tahiti, Bora-Bora, Japan, Argentina, Chile
EXPERIENCE
Heidi Schumann brings more than 20 years of corporate training and international business management experience to her position at the helm of Fluency Group. Heidi has a proven track record of successfully managing high-profile international education projects and delivering high-tech English language testing services to diverse audiences, while working closely with local, national and foreign governments. Fluency Group was founded to create the first online standardized language proficiency test in 2000. Heidi led the team’s deployment of this solution for a nation wide roll out by TSA upon it’s creation in 2002. Prior to launching FluencyGroup, Heidi co-founded and managed International Language Institute, Inc. (ILI), a nationally-accredited English language training firm which quickly became established as a leading English language-training institute for businesses worldwide such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Paccar.
In addition to her activities as CEO and co-founder of Fluency Group, Heidi has been recognized for her leadership and vision by 3 U.S. Secretaries of Commerce. Two Washington Governors have chosen her to speak to trade missions and to sit on the Board of Directors of the Washington Technology Center, a group that was committed to the development and commercialization of new services and products. Heidi has served on the US Export Council for the Department of Commence and the Global Competitiveness Council to solidify Washington State’s reputation as a hub of new technologies and world-class service. She most recently served on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington’s Global Business Program.
LANGUAGES
English, German, Japanese
EDUCATION
B. A., International Relations, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Barcelona, Antarctica, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, and the Crystal Bridges Museum
EXPERIENCE
Owen Walton brings almost 30 years of experience in international business and education to Fluency Group, including co-founding the International Language Institute (I.L.I.) of Seattle. Owen lived and worked in Japan as a corporate trainer and United Nations Association Language Testing Officer. In addition to his work at Fluency Group, Owen taught business undergraduates about information systems at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics from 2013 — 2016.
LANGUAGES
English, Latin, Swedish, French, and Japanese
EDUCATION
M.L.I.S. (Masters in Library and Information Science), University of Washington
M.A., Modern Japanese and Chinese History, University of Washington
B.A., History, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Tokyo, Salvador do Bahia, Helsinki, Sydney
EXPERIENCE
Fred Pursell acts an advisor to Fluency Group. His focus on global marketing, sales channels and business development for Information Technology spans three decades, three technology revolutions, and six continents. Fred has served in senior marketing roles with software industry leaders Microsoft and Autodesk (computer-aided-design), led global expansion for Osborne Computers, the developer of the first-ever portable PC, and Local Area Network pioneer Digital Microsystems. He has worked with a diverse group of technology start-ups bringing innovative solutions to market. His most recent work at Microsoft focused on using digital marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to transform the customer base and partners from on premise software to cloud services.
As a consultant Fred has worked on strategic marketing, channel development and e-commerce projects for IT multinationals IBM, Intel, Microsoft, HP, Oracle, Sun, Novell and a diverse group of small firms focused on new business value through technology innovation. As co-founder and VP Consulting for interactive media firm Creative Works, Fred collaborated closely with Web usability design guru Dr. Jakob Nielsen building methodologies, business processes, and best practices to integrate Web usability principles and techniques with digital marketing.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
M.A. in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University
B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley
LANGUAGES
English, French, and Italian
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
DSWT Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya, Tierra del Fuego, and New Zealand
With more than 30 years of experience working in reputation management, Maggie has implemented numerous highly successful national media campaigns and managed sensitive crisis communication challenges for leading non-profits, universities, Fortune 500 companies, think tanks and media organizations. Her many years working at CNN as public relations vice president have given her a unique perspective on how to handle prestigious, high stakes interviews and thought leadership campaigns on behalf of her clients. Maggie’s extensive international background, not only as a news anchor in Tokyo, but in her many years living throughout the world in such countries as Algeria, France, Australia, Japan and Ireland gives her a unique expertise in global communication trends and best practices. Born in Saigon and fluent in French, Maggie graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from U.C. Berkeley and conducted graduate studies in Far Eastern Politics at the Sorbonne’s Institut des Langues Orientales in Paris.
James Langford has more than 29 years of experience in the insurance industry. His experience spans sales agent to wholesaler for independent distributors and many other roles along the way, having worked at Prudential, Allianz, and American General(AIG). He has significant expertise at establishing and maintaining relationships with marketing companies as well as developing channels for hundreds of marketing organizations, broker dealers, banks, general agencies, and individual producers resulting in well over $100mm of life and $1 billion of annuity premium. Jim is well known in his field for making insurance fun and interesting, and for bringing in the premium.
LANGUAGES
German, Thai, & basic Chinese & Japanese
EDUCATION
B. A. — St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Kyoto’s Gardens & Temples as many times as possible, Any Rain Forest, & New Zealand
EXPERIENCE
Mechelle Bush has spent more than a decade working in the high-consequence industry of emergency management. She managed strategic global travel operations following the September 11 attacks. She developed policies that ensured that the needs of international and regional offices were met while allowing for cultural and regional differences. She specialized in developing internal metrics for travel and expense management best practices. Mechelle created highly effective processes to increase policy adherence through employee feedback, technology and incentives. At Zetron, Inc., she spent three years in sales operations as the CEO-appointed advocate for the customer. She supported customer accounts which included training, trouble shooting and bringing long term success to customers. Mechelle most recently worked at Slalom Consulting as an operations analyst.
LANGUAGES
English and Spanish for travel
EDUCATION
Project Management Essentials, Everett Community College,
Long Beach City College, — Long Beach, California
BUCKET LIST TRAVEL
Tahiti, Bora-Bora, Japan, Argentina, Chile