Title: Co-founder
Company: SkillMaker, Inc.
Location: Carolina Beach, North Carolina, United States
Les Cowie, co-founder at SkillMaker, Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in accelerated human development.
With over 50 years of experience as an entrepreneur, Mr. Cowie co-founded SkillMaker Inc. in 2023. Through this company, he has introduced innovative new technology that trains workers in various professions using headsets. Mr. Cowie developed scripts to teach high school students how to work as mechanics. His method has been praised for reducing training periods from as long as two years down to 25 days.
Concurrently with his work at SkillMaker, Mr. Cowie has operated as the chief executive officer of Les Cowie Consulting since 2010. Prior to founding SkillMaker, he served as the president and chief executive officer of Promising People Enterprises LLC, where he established himself as a thought leader in the field of virtual reality training experiences. Mr. Cowie gained experience in the business world as the executive director of sales and marketing at Amano Cincinnati Inc. and as the vice president of business development at Worldwide Brands Inc., where he helped grow the company’s gross annual revenue from $2 million to $12 million. His extensive work history includes executive roles in marketing and sales with PRE-Solutions Inc., First Horizon Merchant Services, Incat Inc., IVI Checkmate Inc. and GMD Inc., among others.
Mr. Cowie’s early career features wide-ranging consulting positions in South Africa, where he first created his “7 Steps” training program before immigrating to the United States in 1984. This methodology was notably laid out in his 2017 book, “7 Steps for Employees To Be Successful Quickly.” Mr. Cowie has utilized his expertise in learning systems to work with major corporations such as Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz and IBM. His Electrical Helper Program created a new standard for training in the electrical industry, lowering expected training times for new employees from eight months to 15 days. Mr. Cowie has written several other books sharing his knowledge in business and employee development, including “Getting More With Less: When Business Conditions Have the CEO in a Squeeze,” published in 2018.
Mr. Cowie’s successful career is built on a solid academic foundation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, psychology and industrial training from Rhodes University in 1965. To stay updated on the latest trends in his field, Mr. Cowie maintains membership in such industry-related organizations as the Society of Human Resource Management and the Association of Talent Development. He credits his accomplishments to his faith, his passion for his work and the satisfaction he gains from helping others learn and succeed.
Beyond his professional life, Mr. Cowie contributes to his community as a church volunteer and a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Looking ahead, he plans to continue growing SkillMaker, with a particular focus on the development of new artificial intelligence additions. Mr. Cowie believes that artificial intelligence (AI)has the potential to offer the next substantial leap in professional development, allowing corporate training officers to be more efficient and employees who are new to an occupation to enhance their skills more smoothly. He recognizes both the opportunities and challenges of advancing AI and intends to be at the forefront of addressing both.
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