Alumni Spotlight: Robert Sedaghatpour (Questrom ’99)

Some of the best partnerships begin with a conversation — and for Robert Sedaghatpour (Questrom’99), that’s exactly how it happened.

Rob is the founder and president of STRATCO Property Solutions, a New York-based firm specializing in energy efficiency incentives for the real estate market. With a career spanning retail leasing, property management, construction, and energy auditing, he has built a reputation as a serial entrepreneur with a knack for designing business models that solve complex regulatory challenges.

Rob partnered with Professor Chris Carter’s Strategy Implementation course, engaging a team of seven MBA students on a real, high-priority challenge: how to scale STRATCO’s proven New York model to a national level.

What followed was a four-month engagement that produced a detailed geographic growth strategy, a step-by-step execution roadmap, and — by Rob’s own account — a clear and actionable working plan now being put into motion. Early implementation is already underway, and the experience has left Rob not just a client of the program, but one of its most vocal advocates.

We interviewed Rob to hear more about the experience — and what he’d say to fellow alumni considering a partnership of their own.

What motivated you to partner with Questrom students on an action learning project?

STRATCO was engaging various consultants to address its business challenges.  While connecting with Dee Polat, Questrom’s Director of Alumni Engagement, I learned about Questrom’s client project-based courses and opportunities for companies to become involved with the program.  It was a natural fit as we wanted a fresh approach and new insights from outside of our circle. Additionally, It offered me a chance to reconnect with my school. 

Can you describe the business challenges you brought to the student team?

STRATCO previously developed and executed a business model to capture the New York State market within a few short years.  As our industry has experienced significant growth, we have started to explore ways for our company to scale on a national level.  I remember vividly the team projects we took on while at school, and in my current executive role, I value the kind of in-depth and articulate perspectives that Questrom’s student teams can deliver. We partnered with Professor Chris Carter’s Strategy Implementation class to explore potential growth models and opportunities for STRATCO. 

What surprised you most about working with the students?

I was consistently surprised by their speed in being able to diagnose and understand the challenges we were facing.  It was refreshing to listen to them and I appreciated the academic approach that is sometimes neglected in our daily work as professionals.  Additionally, many of the students have other obligations and I was impressed by their focus and ability to multitask.

How will the students’ insights influence your organization’s next steps?

Through in-depth conversations with the students, their research and analysis, and the final deliverable they provided, we were able to create a detailed roadmap for STRATCO to follow. We look forward to implementing their proposed business plan.

Would you recommend action learning to other alumni? What advice would you give?

I already am!  The students and faculty are an impressive group of diverse, multi-faceted professionals that will help you think outside of the box.  Partnering with top-tier institutions like Questrom helps a company to identify its blind spots and explore avenues for growth they may not have previously considered.  If you are committed and have a meaningful business model, you can expect a dedicated and impactful advisory practice from the Strategy Implementation team at Questrom. Like any other business relationship,  the more you put in, the higher the quality of advice you will get.

Interview by John Temps, Associate Director of Action Learning. Introduction by Dee Polat, Director of Alumni Engagement.