It was Brian Feuer’s first day at McKinsey & Company, and the University of Delaware alumnus was still filling out paperwork when he was called into a conference room to meet one-on-one with a “funny-looking guy” who wanted to talk about selling books online, and eventually everything from car batteries to toothbrushes.
It was the fall of 2000, just months after the dot-com bubble peaked. The man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was seeking a $5 million investment from the global management consultancy. Feuer countered with $2.5 million in cash and a $5 million equity risk premium. When that offer was accepted, Feuer pushed further, securing a warrant for an additional $5 million in stock.
After several hours, they signed a deal. “I still have the piece of paper,” Feuer said.
The anecdote opened Feuer’s Chaplin Tyler Executive Leadership Lecture during the second annual Blue Hen Innovation Fest, hosted by Horn Entrepreneurship in early December. Feuer discussed the tools and mindset required to negotiate successfully at the highest levels of business and leadership.
Feuer, a member of the Class of 1988 who majored in business administration, reconnected with UD through Dario Fuentes, director of development for the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics; Daniel Freeman, director of Horn Entrepreneurship; Neil Book, UD alumnus and a Horn Advisory Board member; and Charlie Horn, UD alumnus and founder of Horn Entrepreneurship.
Although Feuer has spent little time on campus since graduating, he expressed interest in becoming more involved with Horn Entrepreneurship. He also noted that his two teenage children are considering UD for college.
“I had a great experience and would love for my kids to have similar experiences,” Feuer said. “UD offers all the benefits of a large school but, for some reason, feels like a smaller one. The sense I get from Horn and Lerner is that if something doesn’t exist yet and a student has an idea, people are willing to help create it.”
Feuer reflected on formative classroom experiences with Donald Puglisi, MBNA America Professor Emeritus of Business. “He created real-world scenarios so students could relate to theory, and he backed everything up with academic rigor,” Feuer said. Puglisi also offered guidance following the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash. “Staying calm under pressure is a skill I still use in volatile business environments.”
Lessons From the Negotiation Table
Before the lecture, he met with students in Horn Entrepreneurship’s Siegfried Fellows program to share candid insights on leadership and learning through experience. During his two decades at McKinsey & Company, Feuer built the firm’s portfolio management group, leading special situation investments across venture capital, private equity and public markets.
“The reward for hard work and success at McKinsey is more hard work — and you better be successful,” Feuer said. He encouraged students to read people, listen carefully and learn from mistakes. “Work. Learn. Make mistakes. Own them. Wisdom comes from making a lot of mistakes.”
Feuer’s career has included negotiations with Fortune 500 CEOs and world leaders, sometimes in what he described as “scary situations with armed guards.” Although he initially aspired to become an M&A banker, his work quickly expanded into global, high-stakes negotiations. Today, Feuer advises multifamily offices, is a partner in an AI engineering company and a mergers and acquisitions firm, and directs a venture investment group.
One of the most effective strategies, Feuer told students, is simple: “I talk, ask a question or two, and then shut up and listen.” He also advised letting the other side make the first offer — and resisting the urge to accept it immediately.
When junior Jonathan Dogas, an entrepreneurship major and professional selling and sales management minor, referenced hostage negotiator Chris Voss, Feuer emphasized tone and storytelling. “Try not to make arguments,” Feuer said. “Tell a story. If you’re a good storyteller, you’ll probably be a good negotiator.”
During the discussion, junior Mackenzie Frank, an entrepreneurship major and Hen Hatch finalist, asked how investors balance confidence in an idea with confidence in the team behind it.
“Brian explained that it’s both,” Frank said. “Investors look for strong ideas, but they’re also investing in the people who will execute them. Leadership matters.”
Later that evening, Frank’s company, SafeSip, was named the top award winner in UD’s premier startup funding competition.
The Power of Preparation
In his lecture, Feuer referenced a pivotal scene from the movie Air, in which Deloris Jordan is negotiating royalties for her son Michael’s signature shoe line, illustrating how preparation and leverage can shift power dynamics.
Preparation, Feuer emphasized, is essential before any negotiation begins. He urged students to gather as much information as possible: Who is on the other side? Who makes decisions, and how? What is their organizational and national culture? Are they early in their careers, newly promoted or under pressure?
Early in his McKinsey career, Feuer embedded himself in the firm’s Moscow office for a few weeks to better understand Russian business culture. Asked about negotiations related to the war in Ukraine, Feuer suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to buy time,” noting that impatience can sometimes lead parties to concede more than intended.
Feuer also discussed how Japanese business leaders may need to consult executives not present in the room, a practice that can create strategic pauses during negotiations. Another preparation technique is role-playing scenarios multiple times, ideally with someone outside the core team who can pose difficult questions and challenge assumptions.
No matter how prepared a negotiator may be, Feuer said, both sides must be ready to walk away. “Negotiations can resume hours, days or even months later,” he said.
So, how much time should be devoted to preparation? “As much as needed,” Feuer said. “There’s no equation for that.”
Despite his experience, Feuer acknowledged that his teenage children remain formidable negotiators. “I’m a world-class negotiator,” he said, “and they still beat me.”
About the Chaplin Tyler Lecture
The Chaplin Tyler Executive Lecture Series brings leaders from business, nonprofit organizations and government to campus to share experiences and insights with students, faculty and the broader community.
Supported by the Chaplin Tyler Endowment Fund, the series honors the legacy of Chap and Elizabeth Tyler and their commitment to education and helping young people succeed in the business world.