Upstate economic development leader and business owner Sam Konduros, 52, has been a part of landing multiple economic development projects for the region, including BMW, CU-ICAR and Southwest Airlines. He sat down with UBJ to talk about his role as executive director of Greenville Health System’s Research Development Corporation and being part of something even bigger.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Alexandria, Va., while my father worked in Washington, D.C. for Sen. Olin D. Johnson. He was recruited back to South Carolina to serve on the staff for Gov. Robert McNair. I grew up in the Columbia area and I graduated from Lexington High School.
Did you father’s career in law influence your choices?
I knew there was a chance I would go to law school after watching my father help found a law firm, but I have a real creative side and wanted to study architecture. At Clemson University I started as an architecture major. I did well, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I felt law school was a good platform for multiple opportunities.
How did you know that you wanted to pursue economic development?
I went to work for the Department of Commerce and I absolutely fell in love with economic development. I felt very privileged to be a young man, from a state that I loved, getting the chance to recruit some of the largest companies in the world into South Carolina. [I] ended up having an unusually engaged role at a relatively young age.
What is a memorable moment from your time with the Dept. of Commerce?
My classic “Forrest Gump” moment was when we were recruiting BMW and two executives quietly flew in to have the final meeting of the minds session with Gov. Carroll Campbell and our commerce secretary. And I picked them up from the airport and took them to the Governor’s Mansion. I sat at the other end of the mansion while they did the famous deal on the napkin. It’s like an urban legend, but it’s true how they made the decision that day—literally signed a napkin. I drove them back, but we got stuck in traffic. I ended up having an engaging conversation about what just happened. That was kind of a magical moment. I had no idea then the impact that the decision that day had on our state, our region and on my life.
How did you come back to Greenville?
I worked with a BMW supplier [Alfmeier] and liken it to the dog that chased the car, caught it and then didn’t know what to do with it. I had worked with Alfmeier on a site study and their CEO offered me head of U.S. operations at a dinner meeting. That is brought me to Greenville in 1994.
What did you learn in that challenging environment?
As a young man [at 30], I became so acutely aware of what I didn’t know and that I needed some experts around me quickly. It forced me to become a pretty fearless delegator and forced me to get comfortable with the idea that I needed to hire the best and the brightest people and surround myself with people who knew more than me in certain areas, people who I could learn from as well as them learning from me. Suddenly I was in charge of a seven-day a week operation, many people and a complex product – so you grow up quickly.
What part of economic development appeals to you?
I like to build things. I think after about five years and something becomes more steady, other people enjoy the tweaking process and fine tuning. I seem to gravitate to more of the heavy lifting on the front end and the creative portion.
What is new about your work with the Research Development Corporation?
It has pushed me to learn a lot more about healthcare and industry innovation. It’s like being in a brand new career with an exciting learning curve. It allows me to exercise a lot of the muscles that fit well with my career and experience: innovation, economic development, public-private partnerships and building relationships with industry. It’s a natural outflow of what I’ve done at every part of my career. This role has unlimited opportunities for growth.
Describe a challenge that you faced.
In 2010, my wife, Aphrodite, and I both had health issues. She went through a breast cancer diagnosis and I also had health problems. That was a very pivotal time and ‘transformative’ is not an understatement. While she was wrapping up radiation treatment, I had a preliminary cancer diagnosis that turned out to not be cancer, all while I was business development director for the Cancer Research Institute at GHS. I think I needed to be slowed down by all of that. In some ways, I think the challenges we went through either saved what you could call the second half of our lives, or definitely made it sweeter. Any sense of entitlement vanished, you just reach a point that you know life is a gift—good health is a gift. It was more important than any of the cool projects I worked on if you get down to what really impacts you.
How do you unwind?
We have a place at Seabrook Island. We go kayaking in the tidal creeks and take the dogs on the beach. I also ride my BMW R1100 RSL motorcycle. I took it on an 8,000-mile, cross-country trip during a career transition. You’re really thinking about the road, temperature and how the air feels—it’s the same as going down a mountain on skis. I call it ‘God time.’
Is there a time when you were sure you would fail?
The fear of failure has been fuel in my life. I was sure I was not going to pass the bar exam—that was one sleepless night.
What is good advice you have received?
From David Martin, he has really helped me get comfortable with this idea of not being overly focused on yourself and your own needs–striving to be more of an instrument to be used and part of a bigger plan. Also Todd Mitchell, who could call me out during a very stressful time at Alfmeier. He told I was usually an encourager, but that day was a discourager. I always want to encourage those around me – that echoes still.
What advice do you give?
The more indispensible you try to make yourself, often the more dispensable you become. The more willing you are to open yourself up and share all the information and knowledge you have – not controlling it and overprotecting it – the more indispensible you become. If you’re willing to help others succeed it makes you more magnetic, more approachable, more trusting, and people want to be around that.
What keeps you up at night?
My wheels are turning rapidly these days during one of those major launch phases. When you’re doing something new like this [Innovations in Medical Economic Development, or IMED], you’re assembling the airplane while flying it. It’s not driven by stress, but the multitude of initiatives that are going on.
Who is a mentor?
Dr. Chris Przirembel. He worked with SK Strategies and now is a coworker [with RDC]. My dad has had a profound impact on me and we are closer than ever. Also a group of friends that I met through church and we have a group called Iron Men who come together every two weeks or so. They are very transparent about their lives and talk about how to integrate faith into work. My wife is my partner in life.
You have never practiced law; how has your law degree helped in your career?
I keep up my license but have never practiced law. It helps when reading legal documents and I sometimes will sketch out memorandum of understandings or joint development agreements for a lot of our collaborations and will hand that framework over to general counsels.
Tell us about starting your own business.
I knew at some point I had to take the shot at being my own board of directors and starting my own company. Standing in the surf in my favorite spot at 40 years old…I was comfortable at Upstate Alliance, but made the decision to start SK Strategies. I got to delve more into my creative side because I got to help with things like recalibrating a company’s mission statement and changing brand architecture. Kent Manufacturing was a great client and I helped them transition into Kentwool.
