Richard Graham

Richard Graham

Business Operations | Project Management | Boston

Business operations and project delivery.

I've owned and operated a business, coordinated multimillion-dollar development projects and helped establish programs and offices in research, higher education and government. My work combines financial administration, due diligence and practical systems for getting work completed.

I organize the people, information and follow-through a project needs. That includes defining the next steps, resolving routine issues, preparing decisions and making sure commitments turn into completed work.

Incoming at Fresenius Medical Care as Project Manager: IT Leadership Operations & Executive Coordination Lead. Scheduled to begin November 2, 2026.

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Capabilities

Operations I have owned and delivered.

Microsoft 365: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive | Google Workspace, including domain administration | QuickBooks | Concur | Ariba | PeopleSoft | Kronos | Paychex | ADP | Taleo | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | Adobe Acrobat | Box | Dropbox | Notion | Zoom | Webex | AI-assisted research, document analysis and workflow design using ChatGPT, Claude, Codex, Copilot and Midpage

Selected Results

What changed because I was there.

  1. Process improvement / development operations

    Reduced proposal preparation from most of a day to under an hour

    Designed and directed an AI-assisted workflow that converted handwritten field notes into itemized estimates, renderings and defined scopes of work. In my experience, preparation fell from the better part of a day to under an hour, allowing proposals to go out the same day during active builds. I reviewed pricing and scope before approving client delivery.

  2. Operational launch / Merck Research Laboratories

    Helped launch a new research facility

    Helped establish a new Boston research facility while coordinating site operations across facilities, IT, security, vendors and scientists. Forecast and tracked site expenses and supplies, supported budgeting and procurement, and coordinated the meetings and logistics around the launch.

  3. Due diligence / private development

    Made complex property records usable for decisions

    Reconstructed property histories from deeds, chains of title, covenants and historical records. Prepared findings to support acquisition and development decisions, identifying constraints and matters requiring legal or other professional review.

  4. Business development / Columbia University

    Built a corporate sponsorship program from scratch

    Established the corporate sponsorship program for Columbia University's year-long 250th anniversary. Developed fundraising plans and multi-tier sponsorship strategies, cultivated corporate relationships and maintained a pipeline of more than 100 prospects.

  5. Program and event delivery / campaign fundraising

    Led fundraising events from planning through delivery

    Coordinated donor development, venue logistics, communications, volunteers, VIPs and security. A Young Professionals event raised approximately $74,000; a Hofstra University event featuring President Bill Clinton raised more than $140,000. These are approximate results from my firsthand experience.

Selected Experience

Business ownership and operations across industries.

  1. IT leadership operations/incoming appointment

    Fresenius Medical Care

    Incoming November 2026 | Waltham, MA

    Project Manager: IT Leadership Operations & Executive Coordination Lead. Accepted appointment; scheduled to begin November 2, 2026.

  2. Business operations/development and acquisitions

    Blackwater Development

    October 2018 - October 2026 | Massachusetts

    Business Operations Manager (Independent Contractor). Managed business operations and project coordination across multimillion-dollar residential development, acquisitions, property operations and financial administration; the engagement with the principal was continuous from October 2018 through October 2026, with the later phase conducted through Blackwater Development LLC.

    Prepared financial forecasts, administered contracts and leases, coordinated municipal Planning Board matters and researched property histories for acquisition and development decisions. Resolved routine matters within delegated authority, coordinated external specialists and brought issues requiring professional review forward with supporting information.

  3. Business ownership/operations and administration

    Richard D. Graham, LLC

    May 2014 - August 2018 | Orlando, FL

    Owner (Sole Member). Owned and operated a business spanning real estate, solar-system sales and business consulting. Managed client agreements, vendors, QuickBooks bookkeeping, business administration and the company's Google Workspace domain and document systems.

    For a Central Florida solar energy client, managed bookkeeping and payroll, customer financing applications, vendor accounts, supply orders and shipping administration. Prepared permit applications, trained staff and provided technology support across finance, service and administrative offices. Built and maintained the client's website and researched potential commercial relocation sites.

  4. HR and administrative support/seasonal appointments

    Macy's

    2010 - 2014 | Natick, MA and Orlando, FL

    Sales Ambassador, promoted to Administrative Support Team Associate. Supported store HR and management-office operations in Taleo: candidate and new-hire records, offer and onboarding documentation, interview scheduling, and hiring reports.

  5. Diligence and leadership operations/proposed acquisition

    Genzyme Corporation

    October 2010 - February 2011 | Cambridge, MA

    Senior Administrative Assistant supporting the President of Oncology and Multiple Sclerosis and the Senior Vice President of Strategic Development during Sanofi's proposed acquisition of Genzyme. Coordinated diligence meetings, confidentiality-agreement tracking and document flow, and prepared executive briefing books and board materials. Prepared operational data for planning, budgets and vendor evaluation, and coordinated clinical-affiliation outreach with Harvard, UMass and Boston College. Contract engagement through Randstad.

  6. Site operations/research facility launch

    Merck Research Laboratories

    January 2006 - January 2007 | Boston, MA

    Executive Assistant to the Senior Director of Molecular Oncology while helping establish a new research facility and laboratory. Coordinated site planning and operations across facilities, IT, AV, security, vendors and scientists. Forecast and tracked site expenses and supplies, supported budgeting and procurement, and managed executive calendars and international travel. Contract engagement through Kelly Services.

  7. Institutional development/program built from scratch

    Columbia University | Columbia 250

    2003 - 2004 | New York, NY

    Director of Corporate Sponsorship for Columbia's 250th anniversary. Established the corporate development program from scratch, built a pipeline of more than 100 corporate prospects, and managed relationships through university events, symposia, and performances.

  8. Public affairs/newly elected office

    New York State Senate | Office of Senator Liz Krueger

    2002 - 2003 | New York, NY

    Director of Public Affairs and Communications for a newly elected senator. Directed media relations, maintained community and government relationships, conducted confidential issue research, and helped establish the office's public-facing operations. Completed Emily's List training in campaign planning, press secretary work, and fundraising.

  9. Finance & operations/campaign into new office

    Clinton Senate Campaign, U.S. Senate Office & HillPAC

    1999 - 2002 | New York and Washington, D.C.

    Five roles of increasing responsibility across Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign, the transition into the new Senate office, and HillPAC. As Deputy Finance Director, managed a portfolio of more than 1,000 donor prospects. In the newly established Senate office, worked with the Sergeant at Arms on IT systems, constituent databases, and official Senate mailings, helping build operational infrastructure at launch. Completed U.S. Secret Service advance training through the Office of the First Lady.

Research and Academic Background

Trained to find out what is true.

My approach to operations was shaped by scientific training. That is where the habits come from: define the question, gather what is observable, resist the conclusion you were hoping for. It is also why complex technical environments have never intimidated me.

Publications and Conference Presentations

Graham, R.D., Menge, J.A., Terry, L.M., & Hall, W.G. (1998). The effects of isolated maternal cues on ultrasonic vocalizations in neonatal rats [Abstract]. Developmental Psychobiology, 32(2). Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, New Orleans.

Graham, R.D., Blandino, P., Johanson, I.B., & Terry, L.M. (1997). Repeated maternal deprivation: effects of concurrent odor exposure [Abstract]. Developmental Psychobiology, 30(3). Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, Washington, D.C.

Graham, R.D., Johanson, I.B., & Terry, L.M. (1996). Effects of cocaine on memory for odor-milk pairings in young rats [Abstract]. Developmental Psychobiology, 29(3). Presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, San Diego.

Graham, R.D., Terry, L.M., & Johanson, I.B. (1996). The Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory Manual. Florida Atlantic University.

Research

Laboratory work at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, examining neural and behavioral control of ultrasonic vocalizations and serotonin receptor knockout models. Trained in surgical procedure, behavioral testing, microscopy, histology, and statistical analysis.

Projects included Maternal-Infant Interactions in 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B Knockout Mice with Dr. Daniela Brunner; Respiratory Distress in 5-HT1A Knockout Mice with Drs. Myron Hofer, Harry Shair, and Rene Hen; Rat Pup Respiratory Behavior Correlated with Ultrasonic Production with Drs. Hofer, Michael Myers, and Susan Brunelli; and Implicit Memory Research with Dr. Martin Chodorow at Hunter College. Field studies in Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History Southwestern Research Station in Portal, AZ.

Teaching

Teaching Assistant, Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Hunter College.
Teaching Assistant, Psychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University.

Selected honors

Science Fellowship, CUNY Graduate Center. CUNY Tuition Scholarship. Outstanding Research in Psychobiology Award, Florida Atlantic University. Ellisa Pollock Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Charter member, Parliament of Owls Student Leader Honor Society.

Where the pattern started

Elected Senate President of the Florida Atlantic University Broward Student Government, overseeing an annual budget of approximately $5 million. Treasurer of the Psychology Association. Registration Coordinator for the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology annual meeting.

Beyond the Work

Different industries. Same person.

My background also includes graduate research, teaching experimental psychology and playing in a softball league in New York. Field research took me to the Chiricahua Mountains with the American Museum of Natural History. I even had a background role in an episode of Burn Notice.

Those experiences sit alongside the business and institutional work. Curiosity, careful observation and an interest in how people work together have stayed with me throughout.

Let's connect.

My professional focus is business operations, project delivery and process improvement, especially in organizations building new capabilities or navigating change.

Email Richard My Approach LinkedIn Résumé (PDF)