Michael E. Labanowski worked with Microsoft Corporation for over nine years. He has held various positions with Microsoft in five states covering retail, major chain accounts, corporate accounts, product management and as a Corporate Account Manager in the Mid-Atlantic District, located in Washington, DC. While in DC, Michael first covered a six state geographic territory, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. From six states, Michael helped to establish a new District office in Wilmington, DE, split the Mid-Atlantic District into two corporate account teams, and hired the core team of corporate account resources in all states. As a Corporate Account Manager, Michael was responsible for a team of corporate account resources, managing a twenty million dollar business, targeting specific commercial accounts within the states of Maryland and DC. The principal effort of the corporate account team was to form strategic relationships for the purpose of information exchange, workstation orientation, defining computing goals and setting strategies; short and long term. Michael moved twelve times in five states in nine years with Microsoft.
In 1993 Michael retired from Microsoft Corporation to establish MELCO Enterprises, a Management, Service and Consulting organization chartered to expand the knowledge and experience of firms in several fields and topics. Included are the fields of computer sales and technology, rental property and asset management in the topics of computer technology deployment, client/server technology, Internet usability, sales force development, account management methodologies, sales force motivation, distribution channel development, sales training, human resources, financial management, manufactured housing community management, property infrastructure review and service maintenance. Michael paralleled his efforts and worked with his father, Sylvester E. Labanowski, in managing a diverse property management company until his father’s passing in December 2006, when he then created the Sylvester E. and Michael E. Labanowski Family Fund. Earlier in Michael’s life his partnership with his father included construction, appliance repair, antiques, furniture repairs, commodity recycling, buying and selling of raw furs and gold and silver.
Michael was born in Troy, New York and he holds a degree in Business and Accounting. He has held other various positions in the computing industry, hardware, and software, with several other companies. Michael has received training in Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Neil Rackham’s SPIN Selling and Major Account Sales Strategies, Allan Cohen’s Influence without Authority, communication and presentation skills, managing sales people, successful selling strategies, manufactured housing management, client/server technology, fundamentals of system architecture, the art of negotiation, and the science of mutual funds. Michael is, or was a member, of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Let’s Go Red! and an investor in the Capital District Community Loan Fund (Albany, NY). Michael is also an advisor of the Michael E. and Sylvester E. Labanowski Family Fund managed by the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, the Michael E. Labanowski Family Fund managed by Fidelity Charitable and the Michael E. Labanowski and April Critelli Family Fund managed by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay for the purposes of charitable giving.
In 2013 Michael moved to Odessa, FL, in the county of Hillsborough (Tampa, FL). Although he sold his core IT consulting business in New York, he continues to provide IT consulting along with his various other consulting skill sets. He has stepped up his “Pay it Forward” initiative by volunteering at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa, Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School, Egypt Lake Elementary School, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and Honor Flight of West Central Florida, Inc. among other worthy causes. Michael also partnered to start an adult baseball company called HARDBALL 360 which provides baseball tournament coordination, management and promotion (www.HARDBALL360.com). Michael continues to be active in Philanthropic efforts and various Entrepreneurial ventures.