Topchik, Gary S. 1949-

PERSONAL:

Born June 19, 1949, in New York, NY; son of Martin (a milliner) and Lee (a legal secretary) Topchik; partner of Leonard H. Bloom (an attorney). Ethnicity: "American." Education: Hunter College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1971; Cornell University, M.B.A., 1976. Politics: "Moderate." Hobbies and other interests: All sports, especially tennis and swimming.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—SilverStar Enterprises, P.O. Box 433, Beverly Hills, CA 90213. Agent—Adrienne Hickey, American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. E-mail—gsilstar@aol.com.

CAREER:

Marmon Group, Chicago, IL, director of training, 1980-83; Purolator Courier, Basking Ridge, NJ, director of training, 1983-86; Center for Management, New York, NY, project director, 1986-90; SilverStar Enterprises, Beverly Hills, CA, chief executive officer, 1990—. Presenter of leadership and management seminars in the United States and elsewhere.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Distinguished service award for service to the community from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, 2002; named consultant of the year, Information Technology Directors' Forum, 2003.

WRITINGS:

(With Mary L. Stewart) Equity Checking: Managing Assumptions to Achieve Organizational Success, Barrington Press, 1999.

Managing Workplace Negativity, Amacom (New York, NY), 2001.

The Accidental Manager, Amacom (New York, NY), 2004.

The First-Time Manager, 5th edition, Amacom (New York, NY), 2005.

Author of over fifty journal articles.

SIDELIGHTS:

Gary S. Topchik told CA: "My motivation for writing is to allow managers and leaders of organizations to develop the skills needed to successfully manage their people. I have been influenced by all of the great managers I have observed and worked with.

"When writing a book or article, I spend two hours a day doing it, depending on the length and complexity of the assignment. I try to write during the same two hours each and every day.

"I have been inspired by those who give me positive feedback from the leadership and management seminars that I conduct around the world."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

HR Magazine, November, 2000, review of Managing Workplace Negativity, p. 180.

ONLINE

SilverStar Enterprises Online,http://www.silverstarenterprises.com (April 19, 2006).