Randy Altschuler
Encyclopedia
Randolph "Randy" Brody Altschuler (born December 8, 1970) is a businessman and politician on Long Island
, New York
. He was the Republican Party and Conservative Party candidate for Congress in New York's 1st Congressional District in 2010.
in 1989. He attended Princeton University
, working his way through school as a short order cook and campus security guard. He graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.
) in German Studies and Literature, earning High Honors. In 1994, Altschuler studied at the University of Vienna
as a Fulbright Scholar. In 1998, Altschuler graduated from Harvard Business School
earning a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction.
and served as an assistant to the Chief Executive Officer for Deutsche Bank
North America, focusing on both strategic and management issues. After getting his MBA, Altschuler worked in private equity at The Blackstone Group. He is the co-founder (in 2001) and Executive Chairman of CloudBlue, an electronics recycling
company based in Alpharetta, Georgia
.
started OfficeTiger, a business process outsourcing
company (BPO) that performs back office support services for American companies. As of July 2005, Business Week magazine reported that OfficeTiger was the only successful startup in India’s outsourcing industry owned and managed by U.S. entrepreneurs.
With RR Donnelley's acquisition of OfficeTiger from Altschuler and Sigelman in March 2006 for $250 million, and its combination by Donnelly with another Donnelley acquisition, Astron BPO, by September 2006, OfficeTiger expanded to 29 offices and 42 client locations across nine countries and employed 4,000 people in India, 4,000 in Europe, 1,000 in Sri Lanka, 750 in the United States, and 300 in the Philippines. Altschuler has claimed OfficeTiger is not a traditional outsourcing company, but rather one whose overseas employees "enhance the services and jobs that Americans are doing here domestically." Later in the interview, he contends, "You want the professionals here doing different kinds of things than he or she is doing today. Office Tiger allows them to take some of the more traditional tasks and outsource that offshore." However, later in the same interview, Altschuler admitted some companies use OfficeTiger to "cut costs and save money by shipping jobs off shore."
(e-waste), recycling company Cloud Blue Technologies, which is based in, Norcross Georgia, having moved there in 2011 from Alpharetta GA. Altschuler serves as the company’s executive chairman and works out of their Port Jefferson, NY offices. The company also has facilities in Indianapolis, IN; Minneapolis, MN; Pine Brook, NJ; Providence, RI; Chandler, AZ; Tampa, FL; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Hayward, CA; Raleigh, NC; Carolina, PR; and London, UK. The USA discards 30 million computers each year. An estimated 70% of heavy metals in US landfills comes from discarded electronics.
Cloud blue operates by disassembling electronic goods at one of its US facilities, reselling what it can, then exporting some of the remaining components for further processing.
In May 2011 the company announced plans to open new facilities in Texas, California and Puerto Rico, and to expand existing plants in TX, CA, and IL.
On August 11, 2009, Altschuler filed to run for U.S. Congress from New York's 1st congressional district against four-term incumbent Democrat
Timothy Bishop. Altschuler won the September 14, 2010, Republican primary over George Demos
, a former Securities and Exchange Commission prosecutor, and Christopher Nixon Cox
, a grandson of Richard Nixon
, receiving 45.07% of the vote. Demos received 30.32%, while Cox received 24.61%.
In the general election, Altschuler was endorsed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 presidential contender Mitt Romney
, Former New York Governor George Pataki
, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor
, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, Long Island Congressman Peter T. King, The New York Post
, Dan Senor
, John Faso
, The Conservative Party of New York State, the American Conservative Union
, John LeBoutillier
, and numerous other local elected officials. In the days leading up to the primary, Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh
commented on the race calling Altschuler “a guy who was a Green Party pro-choice Republican in New Jersey before they shipped him out to Suffolk County to run.”
Altschuler faced incumbent Tim Bishop in the November 2, 2010 general election. On Election Day Bishop was reported to have a 3,400 vote lead but after the electronic voting machines were reread at the board of elections, Altschulter was reported with a 392 vote lead, with approximately 11,000 absentee ballots left to be counted. After most absentee ballots were tabulated, Bishop had a 263 vote lead, at which point Altschuler conceded defeat to Bishop and ended his campaign on December 8 -- 36 days after the election. It was the last Congressional race decided in the United States. Altschuler lost the election by 593 votes.
Altschuler invested $2.2 million of his own money in the campaign.
position to succeed Steve Levy
, he announced in May 2011 that he would run for Congress again in 2012.
, a candidate in for another New York congressional seat who uses the same consultant on some issues.
They have a young son, Noah, and a baby girl, Sasha. The family lives in St. James, New York
on Long Island
, where they moved in 2007 so Cheryl could open a medical practice in the area.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was the Republican Party and Conservative Party candidate for Congress in New York's 1st Congressional District in 2010.
Early life and education
Altschuler was born and raised in New York City by a single mother, Sheila Brody, and graduated from Hunter College High SchoolHunter College High School
Hunter College High School is a New York City secondary school for intellectually gifted students located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. It is administered by Hunter College, a senior college of the City University of New York. Although it is not operated by the New York City Department of...
in 1989. He attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, working his way through school as a short order cook and campus security guard. He graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
) in German Studies and Literature, earning High Honors. In 1994, Altschuler studied at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
as a Fulbright Scholar. In 1998, Altschuler graduated from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
earning a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction.
Business career
He worked as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & JenretteDonaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette or DLJ is a defunct U.S. investment bank founded by William H. Donaldson, Richard Jenrette and Dan Lufkin in 1959. Its businesses included securities underwriting; sales and trading; investment and merchant banking; financial advisory services; investment research;...
and served as an assistant to the Chief Executive Officer for Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
North America, focusing on both strategic and management issues. After getting his MBA, Altschuler worked in private equity at The Blackstone Group. He is the co-founder (in 2001) and Executive Chairman of CloudBlue, an electronics recycling
Computer recycling
Computer recycling or electronic recycling is the recycling or reuse of computers or other electronics. It includes both finding another use for materials , and having systems dismantled in a manner that allows for the safe extraction of the constituent materials for reuse in other...
company based in Alpharetta, Georgia
Alpharetta, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...
.
Office Tiger
In 1999, Altschuler and Princeton classmate Joseph SigelmanJoseph Sigelman
Joseph Sigelman is Chairman and a Director of the Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company , or AG&P. AG&P is the largest fabrication company based in Southeast Asia. It fabricates modular units for petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, offshore platforms, LNG facilities, mining processing and...
started OfficeTiger, a business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions to a third-party service provider. Originally, this was associated with manufacturing firms, such as Coca Cola that outsourced large segments...
company (BPO) that performs back office support services for American companies. As of July 2005, Business Week magazine reported that OfficeTiger was the only successful startup in India’s outsourcing industry owned and managed by U.S. entrepreneurs.
With RR Donnelley's acquisition of OfficeTiger from Altschuler and Sigelman in March 2006 for $250 million, and its combination by Donnelly with another Donnelley acquisition, Astron BPO, by September 2006, OfficeTiger expanded to 29 offices and 42 client locations across nine countries and employed 4,000 people in India, 4,000 in Europe, 1,000 in Sri Lanka, 750 in the United States, and 300 in the Philippines. Altschuler has claimed OfficeTiger is not a traditional outsourcing company, but rather one whose overseas employees "enhance the services and jobs that Americans are doing here domestically." Later in the interview, he contends, "You want the professionals here doing different kinds of things than he or she is doing today. Office Tiger allows them to take some of the more traditional tasks and outsource that offshore." However, later in the same interview, Altschuler admitted some companies use OfficeTiger to "cut costs and save money by shipping jobs off shore."
Cloud Blue
In 2001 he co-founded an electronic wasteElectronic waste
Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. There is a lack of consensus as to whether the term should apply to resale, reuse, and refurbishing industries, or only to product that cannot be used for its...
(e-waste), recycling company Cloud Blue Technologies, which is based in, Norcross Georgia, having moved there in 2011 from Alpharetta GA. Altschuler serves as the company’s executive chairman and works out of their Port Jefferson, NY offices. The company also has facilities in Indianapolis, IN; Minneapolis, MN; Pine Brook, NJ; Providence, RI; Chandler, AZ; Tampa, FL; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Hayward, CA; Raleigh, NC; Carolina, PR; and London, UK. The USA discards 30 million computers each year. An estimated 70% of heavy metals in US landfills comes from discarded electronics.
Cloud blue operates by disassembling electronic goods at one of its US facilities, reselling what it can, then exporting some of the remaining components for further processing.
In May 2011 the company announced plans to open new facilities in Texas, California and Puerto Rico, and to expand existing plants in TX, CA, and IL.
2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
On August 11, 2009, Altschuler filed to run for U.S. Congress from New York's 1st congressional district against four-term incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Timothy Bishop. Altschuler won the September 14, 2010, Republican primary over George Demos
George Demos
George Demos is a former Securities and Exchange Commission prosecutor, and a former candidate for the Republican nomination for New York's 1st congressional district in New York State's Long Island.-Early life:...
, a former Securities and Exchange Commission prosecutor, and Christopher Nixon Cox
Christopher Nixon Cox
Christopher Nixon Cox is a politician in New York and is the grandson of Richard Nixon.-Early life:Christopher Nixon Cox was born and raised in New York, and currently lives in Manhattan....
, a grandson of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, receiving 45.07% of the vote. Demos received 30.32%, while Cox received 24.61%.
In the general election, Altschuler was endorsed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 presidential contender Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, Former New York Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he became House Majority Leader when the 112th Congress convened on January 3, 2011...
, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, Long Island Congressman Peter T. King, The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, Dan Senor
Dan Senor
Daniel Samuel Senor, known as Dan Senor , is a founding partner of Rosemont Capital LLC, and Rosemont Solebury Capital Management. He is also a Fox News contributor and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal among other publications...
, John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
, The Conservative Party of New York State, the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, John LeBoutillier
John LeBoutillier
John LeBoutillier is an American political columnist, pundit, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.-Education:...
, and numerous other local elected officials. In the days leading up to the primary, Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
commented on the race calling Altschuler “a guy who was a Green Party pro-choice Republican in New Jersey before they shipped him out to Suffolk County to run.”
Altschuler faced incumbent Tim Bishop in the November 2, 2010 general election. On Election Day Bishop was reported to have a 3,400 vote lead but after the electronic voting machines were reread at the board of elections, Altschulter was reported with a 392 vote lead, with approximately 11,000 absentee ballots left to be counted. After most absentee ballots were tabulated, Bishop had a 263 vote lead, at which point Altschuler conceded defeat to Bishop and ended his campaign on December 8 -- 36 days after the election. It was the last Congressional race decided in the United States. Altschuler lost the election by 593 votes.
Altschuler invested $2.2 million of his own money in the campaign.
2012 U.S. Congressional campaign
Ending speculation that he would run for the Suffolk County ExecutiveCounty executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
position to succeed Steve Levy
Steve Levy
Steve Levy is a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
, he announced in May 2011 that he would run for Congress again in 2012.
Plagiarism Controversy
In August 2010, Altschuler was accused of stealing another candidate's press releases, given the identical releases from Altschuler and Doug HoffmanDoug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
, a candidate in for another New York congressional seat who uses the same consultant on some issues.
Personal life
Randy Altschuler is married to Cheryl Sladkin, a professional ballet dancer turned pediatrician. She was a classmate from Princeton, where they met. Cheryl was born in Thailand to Donald Sladkin a (currently) retired CIA employee, and Yumei Sladkin, a Taiwan born businesswoman who owns three retail shops in the Washington DC area.They have a young son, Noah, and a baby girl, Sasha. The family lives in St. James, New York
St. James, New York
St. James is a census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 13,268 at the 2000 census. St. James is part of the Town of Smithtown, New York, located on the North Shore of Long Island. The zip code is 11780....
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where they moved in 2007 so Cheryl could open a medical practice in the area.
External links
- CloudBlue official business site
- Randy Altschuler for Congress official campaign site
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- OfficeTiger profile at eBusinessForum, March 22, 2006