Company History:

Bill and Pam Fischbach developed the Symphony concept in 2004 to enable business people to profit from their contacts and expertise where such contacts and expertise fall outside recognized types of intellectual property.  Prior to starting Symphony, Bill Fischbach had spend more than a decade building an extensive and highly successful Executive Benefits insurance practice in Kansas City, and had a significant portion of the Fortune 100 clients for full service implementation, administration and design of private deferred compensation plans.   Pam Fischbach was also a highly successful insurance professional, and together the Fischbachs network of senior level relationships was legendary, as were their successes.

Much of the success of that activity was due to the powerful and influential “finders network” that was developed to introduce the Fischbachs to high level corporate clients with a warm referral from a trusted associate. Symphony is leveraging that network and building it out in the same successful manner. 

Management:

William F. Fischbach, Chairman and CEO

As Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Symphony Global companies, Bill Fischbach is guiding the Symphony Global group of companies to produce quality deal-flow and connectivity for the Symphony’s clients and partners.  In 1981 Bill started an insurance practice, focused on Executive Benefits, in Kansas City which he worked in for more than 15 years.  During his tenure in Kansas City, Bill excelled at networking with other financial professionals to build one of the largest Executive Benefit practices in the country, Compensation Designs.  He was awarded numerous industry and company awards during his years in that industry, including the #1 Agent in Kansas City award at age 28.  Continuing upon the tradition and heritage of achievement in the insurance industry, Bill has been highly successful in deploying the same business strategies across multiple markets and has built an extensive national and international network.

Bill is a native of Missouri, born and raised in the St. Louis area where he was privileged to be involved with Boy Scouts of America where he earned their highest designation: The Eagle Scout.  As a young man he was a multitalented musician and played with such artists as Ray Charles to Sammy Hagar and everyone in between.  He also played in many of his own successful bands throughout the Midwest.  In addition to his musical background, Bill was a tremendous athlete who earned a college scholarship in football at University of Missouri, but was unable to attend due to the sudden death of his father at Bill’s age 18.  He still holds football and basketball records in the state of Missouri’s Gateway Conference.

Bill’s family had owned and operated several restaurants and a catering business in St. Charles, MO as well as numerous rental properties.  Growing up he spent many hours working in all those businesses.  After the death of his father, Bill went on to attend a St. Louis junior college earning an AA in the food service industry.  Upon graduation, Bill went on to work for General Mills Corp. as the youngest Red Lobster General Manager in their history. 

Bill currently resides in Branson with his wife and partner Pam.

Pamela D. Fischbach, Secretary and Treasurer

Pam is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and a UC Berkeley graduate (class of 1980).  After graduation she entered the insurance and financial services field, with focus on Estate Planning serving the greater Bay Area with offices in Marin County.  During her 15 year career in that field, Pam earned the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations.

Pam married Bill in 1993 and relocated to Missouri in 1994.  During the last few years, Pam has been a support to Bill in building the Symphony City Companies, both the vision and the network.  Pam has extensive experience in fact finding and financial evaluation which is a critical component for building Symphony.

Cassidy Houston Hurst, Executive Vice President

Cassidy Hurst provides operations and systems management for the Symphony group of companies.  Mr. Hurst graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Finance degree in 1997. After Graduation he began working for the Arkansas State Bank Department under Commissioner Bill Ford where he performed safety and soundness examinations of State chartered banks. 

Mr. Hurst went on to work for the Wal-Mart architectural team where he performed various duties ranging from overseeing drafting and distribution of plans on Wal-Mart Supercenters, Wal-Mart Remodel Projects, New Stores and eventually Puerto Rico Projects.  He was a member of the CSI Construction Specification Institute where he drafted Wal-Mart New Store division and International Projects.  Mr. Hurst has also performed various real estate tasks from acquisition, finance, sales and leasing on other developments located in Northwest Arkansas.  Mr. Hurst has been a multi-million dollar producer in for Hull and Company Commercial real estate and is the managing member for Millennium Realty which engages in Real Estate sales, management, consulting, and investment. 

Lawrence J. Bracco, President, Symphony West

Heading up the recently opened West Coast operation, Lawrence J. Bracco is results-oriented Senior Executive with extensive experience in strategic planning, brand marketing, financial management, broadcast media production and development and operations administration for the electronic media, consumer products, and electronic retailing industries. 

Bracco’s current assignments with Symphony include the Chief Marketing Officer of CEO America, Inc., marketer of CREDITZ®, the world’s first true digital currency. CEOA is an emerging public corporation which has developed the transaction and marketing engine for the digital economy and a cornerstone client of Symphony.

Prior, he was CMO for The Venture Alliance (TVA) of Newport Beach, CA, a provider of a patented methodology for screening, accelerating, and funding companies that minimizes risk and maximizes value for entrepreneurs. Bracco has a depth of experience in direct marketing, as Vice President of Production and Operations/Executive Producer for USA Direct, a subsidiary of Fingerhut Companies, where he oversaw production on several infomercial projects, including Bissell Vacuums, Body by Jake’s Ab Machine, and Cinema Secrets make-up.  These programs generated more than $150 Million for USA Direct over two years.  Bracco also served as Chief Operating Officer of TVN Shopping (formerly the Panda Shopping Network), where he oversaw all operations while retooling the programming, sales, marketing, and merchandising into an integrated e-commerce business for this 24-hour television home shopping network. Bracco was COO and a Board Member for MarketVision Direct (MKTV.BB), where he guided this small, public company through a series of strategic changes, from a direct response television (DRTV) agency to a developer of Internet domain, including Television.com, Telephone.com, CityRocks.com, and Sportsfan.com. 

In 1993 he co-founded and was CEO for Mommy and Me® Enterprises, a consumer lifestyle brand that provides products, information and activities to parents who want to spend more meaningful time with their children.  He was the leader in building the brand to the point where, in March 2002, it was acquired by a major media-licensing company in a multi-million dollar deal.  Prior to that, he was the co-creator and VP Production & Operations for International Telemusica, the first music and entertainment channel targeting the US Hispanic market.  The service was launched in 1990 and aired on UNIVISION in the US, IMEVISION in Mexico and 17 countries internationally for more than 2 years. Bracco has also written, produced and/or directed dozens of direct response television commercial campaigns. His expertise in direct marketing and business development has generated $100’s of millions of dollars in product sales and by a wide range of major corporations such as K-Tel International, Fingerhut Companies, Guthy-Renker Television and Saban Entertainment.  He also has received several RIAA Platinum Sales Awards for his efforts in marketing music compilations on television worldwide.

Bracco is a graduate of Illinois State University (ISU) with a BS in Mass Communications, and also attended the ISU Graduate School of Business.  He resides with his family in Pacific Palisades, CA.

Charles Weber, Strategic Advisor, SYMPHONY WEST

For the past 28 years, Charles J. Weber (Charlie) has been a successful key executive in the Entertainment and Communications Industries. During this time, he has also been Chairman and CEO of Weber Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm providing professional management, consulting, business development, and financial services; specializing in strategic alliances in the multimedia, technology, location based entertainment, licensing, medical, broadcasting, entertainment, communications and Internet fields. 

Mr. Weber has been instrumental in securing public and private corporate financing, domestic and international distribution, mergers and acquisitions and the production and financing of motion pictures He has also served in an executive role for Fortune 500, real estate, and entertainment companies and has executive produced a number of feature films.  Mr. Weber has been President, CEO and/or COO of the following companies:  

LucasFilm, Ltd:  As President and Chief Executive Officer of George Lucas’ company, Mr. Weber was responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations, including international operations, financing, negotiations, production, licensing, merchandising, Industrial Light and Magic, and THX.  He was also involved in the making of:  The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and More American Graffiti.
Embassy Communications:  As President and Chief Operating Officer of Norman Lear’s and Jerry Perenchio’s company, Mr. Weber was involved in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, television and motion picture production, international and domestic distribution, cable operations, pay television services and Hispanic broadcasting.  He was also involved in the making of Blade Runner.
Entertainment Company of America (ECA): President and Chief Executive Officer.  Through ECA’s early involvement in the development of interactive in-flight systems, ECA developed the distribution, programming, and technical expertise to support in-flight audio/video games, merchandising, communications, and gaming requirements on aircraft.
CanWest International Corp:  As President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Weber’s primary responsibility was the development and acquisition of companies and strategic investments to add to CanWest Global Communications Corporation’s television interests outside of Canada. Mr. Weber was instrumental in the acquisition and investigation of broadcast properties in Eastern Europe, South America, and the Far East.

Prior to his involvement in the entertainment industry, Mr. Weber had extensive experience in real estate and with Fortune 500 companies. Before relocating to Los Angeles, Mr. Weber worked for the Celanese Corporation and General Motors Overseas Operations in New York City.

Mr. Weber is a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.    Mr. Weber is a graduate of Manhattan College; where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Hofstra University.  He is married and has four children.  Mr. Weber is also very active in various industry and non-profit organizations, including serving as a Member of the Board for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Betty Clooney Foundation for the Brain Injured, Park Century School and Crossroads School. 

Timothy S. Davis, J.D., Ph.D., Outside Legal Counsel

Timothy Davis is a native of Branson, Missouri.  He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Oxford University in England.  Tim practiced law in Toronto and New York City before returning to Missouri in 2004.

He is the author of numerous articles in law and economics.  His recent book, Ricardo's Macroeconomics: Money, Trade Cycles and Growth, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2005.

Michael D. Chesser, Strategic Advisor - Real Estate, Chesser Real Estate Group, Inc.

Mr. Chesser founded Apartment Income Investors, Inc. (“Aii”) in 1994, and recently expanded his business under the corporate entity, Chesser Real Estate Group, Inc. Under Mr. Chesser’s guidance, Aii has real estate endeavors in 10 states and Mexico and two debt placement funds. Mr. Chesser manages his personal portfolio and Aii’s portfolio, that together, are valued in excess of $180 million and total investment of $250 million over the life of Aii and The Chesser Group, Inc. Mr. Chesser is a California Licensed Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Chesser later established his own CPA firm, and then later sold it to a larger competitor. During his accounting career, he has assisted businesses of all types in the setting and attainment of financial goals. With 15 years of experience in the public and private accounting arena, he has worked with operators in the real estate, manufacturing, professional services, and restaurant industries, to name a few. He believes that organization, planning, the setting of goals, and consistent progress toward those goals, will ensure the best opportunity for business success.

Mr. Chesser is a graduate of Wichita State University, with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting emphasis. He continues his professional education with the California Society of CPA’s and other organizations as prescribed by the State Board of Accountancy. Mr. Chesser now lives with his wife, Pearly, and three children in Camarillo, CA.