Dr. Robert (Bob) J. Brown is CEO & Founder of B&C International, a global business management consulting firm headquartered in High Point, NC. He is also founder of the International BookSmart Foundation, a nonprofit that to date has shipped over 5 million books, countless teachers’ supplies and opened over 300 libraries on the continent of Africa.

Dr. Brown, a trusted advisor to the most influential individuals, corporations and movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, was born on February 26, 1935 in High Point, North Carolina. He entered the field of law enforcement in 1956, serving first as a police officer for the City of High Point and then as a highly regarded federal agent with the U.S. Department of the Treasury focusing on federal narcotics cases. In 1960, Dr. Brown left the Bureau to return to High Point NC and open B&C Associates a public relations company.

As a pioneer in crisis management, multi-cultural communication and race relations, Dr. Brown advised, traveled with, and raised money for the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; was a member of the corporate plans board of Carl Byoir & Associates (the largest public relations firm in the world at the time), and was a close friend and confidant to the Mandela family. Early in his PR career he was contracted by F.W. Woolworth Corporation, A&P Supermarkets, Wrangler, Sara Lee, SC Johnson and Kimberly-Clark, to handle corporate communications and race relations during pivotal moments of the civil rights movement.

In the political arena, Dr. Brown worked as the Director of Information and Research for the young Democrats of New York City in the presidential campaign of Senator John F Kennedy. In 1964, he assisted in the election of Robert F. Kennedy into the United States Senate and also assisted in his presidential bid. In 1968, he took a leave of absence from B&C Associates to serve as Special Assistant to President Richard Nixon after helping him win 21% of the African-American vote during his campaign (a level unmatched by the Republican Party to date). While in that position, his responsibilities included community relations, civil rights, emergency preparedness, small towns, and day care. Dr. Brown has since been applauded for using his ability to marry great strategies with an ability to develop relationships, and has been credited with starting and developing the U. S. Minority Enterprise Program and initiating the U. S. Government Black College Program through Executive Order by President Richard Nixon.

In 1980, Dr. Brown founded B&C International (BCI), Inc. which is now one of the oldest and most widely respected minority-owned strategy and business management consulting firms. BCI one of the world’s leaders in addressing critical issues, identifying high value opportunities, and implementing sustainable process innovations through communication, cultural, and operational advancements.

Proclaimed by The Washington Post as a “World Class Power Broker”, Dr. Brown has a long legacy of service & counsel to corporate, educational, and civic organizations. He currently serves as a member of the boards of AutoNation, Inc. and Blue Ridge Holdings, Inc. He has also served on the boards of the NCAA, Duke Energy, Wachovia Corporation, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and Sonoco Products Company.

As a strong supporter of youth, education, and non-violent programs, Dr. Brown serves on the boards of High Point University, Boston University, Virginia Union University, National Urban League, Horatio Alger Association, and the Richard Nixon Foundation.

Numerous colleges, universities and national organizations have honored Dr. Brown. He holds ten honorary doctorate degrees and six national achievement awards. He has also been honored as a recipient of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award, the Small Business Administration’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the United Way of Greater High Point’s 2002 Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award, The High Point Enterprise 2005 Citizen of the Year Award, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency’s 2006 Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement, the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency’s 2007 National Director’s Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the National Urban League’s 2009 Collins Award. Additionally, he is the recipient of the 2010 Executive Networking Conference Trailblazer Award, named in his honor.

Dr. Brown currently resides in High Point, North Carolina.