Ted Muendel, M.S. '69, Pursues Screenwriting After Retirement From Business World
By Tony Scott

Ted Muendel, M.S. '69. (Photo: Ted Muendel)

Ted Muendel, M.S. ’69, built a successful career in business, including the co-founding of a management consulting firm, before retiring and pursuing one of his passions: screenwriting.
 

Muendel co-founded the management consulting and executive search company Stanton Chase International in 1990.

“We started with four offices and today the company operates 74 offices in 46 countries and employs about 500 consultants,” he said. “It is ranked among the global top 10 consulting companies by several publications. My career has been one of entrepreneurship. I have created several startup businesses, all diverse, and most have been successful. I am retired now, and I look back with pride.” 
 

Muendel said he decided to try screenwriting following retirement from Stanton Chase and after having discussions with the husband of one of his employees who was a Hollywood screenplay writer.

“We talked often, and he piqued my interest,” he said. “Also, I am not the type to sit around and just play golf; I am too entrepreneurial. So, I embarked on this learning adventure to see if my perspective, seniority and experience could add value in storytelling.”

Muendel’s stories and scripts are based on historical events or are, in some cases, autobiographical. One of them, “Susquehanna,” was based on his five-times great-grandfather who died in the Revolutionary War battle the script was named for. Three of his screenplays have been awarded by the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition. 

Muendel looks at script writing as a challenge that keeps his mind sharp.

“I believe in lifelong learning, so many more experienced individuals have influenced my development as a writer,” he said. “The research that goes into historical stories makes these scripts all the more entertaining and fascinating. I use some of the skills I used in my thesis work at NIU on management training and development.”

Muendel is marketing his scripts to producers, and he is optimistic.

“It is a long and challenging process that I am learning,” he said. “However, with persistence and the goal to improve screenplay stories, I remain confident that one of my scripts will be filmed. Then my family, friends and I can truly celebrate. In short, script writing is a complex discipline, but like many endeavors in life, only determined and committed individuals will succeed.”

Muendel grew up on the East Coast, graduating from high school in New Jersey, the son of an artist mother and surgeon father. He attended Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science. 

After graduating from Lehigh, Muendel was recruited by Allegheny Ludlum Steel in Pittsburgh, at that time the largest producer of stainless steel in the U.S. They were acquiring various metal fabrication companies and bought Arnold Engineering Company in Marengo, Illinois, where Muendel was promoted for a human resources position.

“I wanted to earn an advanced degree in business, and NIU was the closest university,” he said. “I applied, was accepted and received a corporate scholarship.”

Muendel worked full-time and attended night courses for more than four years before completing his master’s degree. Since he had been promoted and transferred to positions in California and Pennsylvania, the chairman of NIU’s Department of Management at the time approved transfer credits so Muendel could graduate. 

Muendel was inducted into the Sigma Iota Epsilon business honorary and helped set up management training programs while a student at NIU. He recalled the incredible faculty at NIU and the impact of one particular professor.

“My professors were experienced in outside consulting and integrated their classes with ‘real world’ problem solving,” he said. “I will never forget one of my older professors whose name I cannot recall, he would unfortunately repeat stories about his consulting projects. We would always say, ‘Professor, you have already told us about that project several times now.’ In reply, he would say, ‘Gentlemen, always remember, repetition is emphasis.’ To this day, I have used this same expression, and the NIU memory has stayed with me ever since.” 

Muendel’s master’s degree from NIU opened many doors for him in the business world.

“First and foremost was my employment at one of the top general management consulting firms in the U.S., Theodore Barry and Associates, Los Angeles,” he said. “Without an advanced business degree, I would never have been recruited. I worked with a group of young, sharp professionals, all with advanced degrees from Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and others. My NIU preparation enabled me to successfully complete assignments and I received several promotions during my four years there.”

Further, his years as a consultant gave him a wealth of experience.

“Consulting projects exposed me to some of the most fascinating and challenging business problems facing Fortune 500 western corporations in aerospace, consumer products, entertainment, health care, lumber products, underground copper mining and related industries,” he said. “The experience was like an advanced MBA on steroids.”

Muendel has served on many boards for universities, corporations and nonprofit organizations, including the prestigious business council for the United Nations. Smart CEO Magazine honored him as a CEO of the Year in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 

Muendel is grateful to NIU for the experience he had and for the lessons that have carried him throughout his successful career.

“As I look back, NIU has contributed many unique benefits to my success, and I remain both loyal and appreciative of what the university did to advance my career and life,” he said. “Go Huskies!”