PROFILE:
Sherry Liikala is an Instructor in the School of Business Administration at the University of Montana. Her areas of instruction are in marketing principals, strategic management and international business.

Prior to joining the University of Montana, Sherry was a co-founder and Senior Partner in Meridian Strategies, a highly reputable market research and strategy development firm in Washington State. She conducted numerous projects for a wide range of companies from start-up ventures to Fortune 500’s, national laboratories and various local and U.S. government agencies. As such, she has developed an insightful, keen understanding of industry structure and market segments.

Sherry’s industry experience includes being the Director of Marketing for a market-leading bio-defense company, taking the business through the process of technology and product development, product launches, identifying markets and customers, executing licensing and distribution agreements both nationally and internationally, and raising venture capital during drought market conditions.

Sherry also has a rich background in banking and finance as she was an international trade negotiator for Key Bank and later for PACCAR – structuring and executing over $85 million worth of international sales of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks without loss, including transactions with Russia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America and the Pacific Rim.

Sherry’s teaching background includes being an instructor at Washington State University in the MBA program, teaching strategy and marketing and for the University’s Entrepreneurial Support Program, instructing students on business plan writing, how to conduct feasibility studies, market research, financial plans, risk management, exit strategies, and presentation skills for raising capital.

Sherry has a remarkable grasp of how to strategically apply concepts that are often taken for granted, such as segmentation, positioning, and the product life cycle, all of which are critical to developing effective strategies. She has been described by her colleagues as a creative, insightful, and strategic thinker.

Sherry earned B.A.’s in Economics and Russian Language from Oregon State University and an MBA from Washington State University in 1994.