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Alumni spotlight: Albert Ciuksza, C’02

Alumni spotlight: Albert Ciuksza, C’02

by Public Relations | November 21, 2024

LATROBE, PA – Albert Ciuksza Jr.’s interest in consulting was sparked during his first year at Saint Vincent College when he worked on a team project through the Small Business Development Center.

“Having the chance to work on a real-world problem while managing a client relationship as a student was a huge catalyst for my post-graduation job search and eventual career,” Ciuksza said.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Saint Vincent, Ciuksza, C’02, managed technology driven growth projects at the Idea Foundry, directed the Pittsburgh Impact Initiative for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business.

Nine years ago, Ciuksza joined Solutions 21, which offers programs that help corporate leaders adapt to new markets and direct a multi-generational workforce. As vice president of leadership development, he mentors executives at corporations, small businesses and nonprofits on everything from leadership development to general problem-solving strategies.

“It’s been a great ride,” Ciuksza said.

A frequent topic executives raise with Ciuksza is succession—handing over control of an organization to new, younger leaders. With thousands of baby boomers reaching retirement age every day, it’s estimated that more than three million businesses will change hands over the next decade.

“Almost all the resources to support organizational transitions—lawyers, accountants, consultants and coaches—are designed to advance the interests of the predecessor,” Ciuksza said. “That's not fair.”

That prompted Ciuksza to write his first book, “Succeeding: Stepping Up Without Stepping in It.” Released in September 2024, the book is targeted to 25- to 45-year-old business successors, who often need help navigating the social, emotional and operational challenges of organizational transitions. It examines the struggle of predecessors who grapple with letting go and the challenges successors face when settling into their new roles.

“I wrote it to be skimmed so readers can pick and choose what matters to them,” he said. “From addressing the predecessor's perspective to avoiding common succession pitfalls to understanding the very real leadership tools and tactics that can make the process more likely to succeed, it's all there.”

As he put the book together, Ciuksza gathered the experiences of hundreds of incoming and outgoing executives, exploring why some successions go smoothly and others—even when family members are involved—go off the rails, leading to bruised egos and severed relationships.

“One guy called me and just brain-dumped for 30 minutes about his own succession process, looking at it through a new lens and seeing where he made mistakes in choosing his successor,” Ciuszka said. “It can seem like a predecessor is the top of the world, but they're actually going through a challenging psychological experience. I’m trying to give some perspective to successors, some guidance on why things might be happening and to not to take those things personally.”

Writing the book took about three years, a process Ciuksza found to be exhausting but fun. Will there be a sequel? “We’ll see if it’s a first and last [book],” he said with a grin. “It was a real learning experience for me, way more difficult than I expected.”

“Succeeding” is available from major book retailers or via www.succeedingbook.com. Ciuszka is set to teach a sales course as an adjunct at Saint Vincent College in spring 2025.

 

Father Pachomius Okogie sitting at a table

Albert Ciuksza Jr.

 

 

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