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In 1982 Scott took one year off, went to the IMEDE (IMD) business school In Lausanne, Switzerland and earned an MBA. ABC News offered Shuster staff postings as Bureau Chief for Africa (Johannesburg) and staff correspondent positions with Peter Jennings (in London at the time) and with Pierre Salinger in Paris, but Shuster, now more 'personally' than 'professionally' oriented -- chose to remain in Geneva with his wife. By the late 1980's, the television news industry was changing rapidly due to increased competition from cable, which fragmented network audiences and resulted in tightened purse strings and reductions in foreign coverage. Shuster left ABC News, returned with his wife to the United States, and settled in the Big Apple. After being married for 10 years, the Shusters started a family and their daughter Victoria was born in 1988. Shuster was intrigued to learn that McGraw-Hill, the owners of BusinessWeek, had started a conference development group to create annual events for the CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs of large corporations. BusinessWeek needed someone to lead the editorial development of the events as well as lead the conferencessomeone who knew business and had an ability to handle live interview situations on stage in various locations around the world. Shuster's many years of broadcast experience and a diploma in business made him the perfect candidate. Shuster joined BusinessWeek and hired a staff, creating and running the product development and editorial activities of the division for seven years internationally. Scott created the BusinessWeek CEO Summit and has chaired that event annually since 1988. "Some years we do 12 or 14 events for BusinessWeek, all for CEOs, CFOs, CIOs - all the most senior figures of world business - in the US, Western Europe, Russia, and East Asia." In 1994, faced with overwhelming demand for his services, Scott switched to a contractual relationship with McGraw-Hill, under which he left the staff, but continues to chair all their events.Scott chairs discussions with the business world's top business and political leaders before the most elite corporate audiences.
In October of 2002 he was summoned to Jordan to chair a meeting for His Majesty King Abdullah II: "What a great guy," says Scott. He has had multiple encounters with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. "I think he's really open about himself," observes Shuster of the mega-billionaire. "He doesn't have anything to prove and doesn't try to pose. I challenge him and he takes it with a smile."
One of the things Shuster learned at Channel 13 was to never again allow his work to overtake his personal life. The reassessment he started during the 18-month sabbatical in Indian Rocks Beach has continued: While reporting from Sri Lanka, Shuster began to learn about Buddhism, and for six years he was one of the official Buddhist Community hosts on America Online, conducting weekly discussions of Buddhist mentality and religious principles. WTVT was only a three-year part of Scott Shuster's journey, but it was a significant part. "I'm a classic example of why it's beneficial to develop a talent and work hard with it when you are very young, says Shuster. "I benefit every day from skills that I honed in my mid-and-late-teens. Immediately after that I landed at WVTV and WTVT for what was an enormously important period and experience in my life. "WTVT taught an extremely immature anchorboy that he could focus on being what he wanted to be and achieve that. And I was given the opportunity to mine that for all it was worth. I'm immensely grateful to Joe Loughlin for recognizing my potential when I was still in my teens, and to Hugh Smith, who allowed this young person to excel. Charlie Allen, Cy Smith, Jule McGee, Ray Blush, Andy Hardy, Leslie Schissell, Sara Golinveaux. . . these are people who, just by going about their daily work, set examples that had and still have impact in my life. I'll never forget them."
Here is a picture of Scott with his girlfriend Neon, one of New York City's best-known belly dancers. Neon owns the Stratostream and WorldDanceNewYork DVD labels, producing dance and fitness DVDs sold at Amazon.com and rented by Netflix. Just search for "belly dance" and you'll find her. To visit Scott Shuster's businessconferences.com web site, CLICK HERE To Email Scott To return to NEWS menu, CLICK HERE To return to MAIN menu, CLICK HERE
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