Executive Suite: Mark Portnoy, Syosset

Mark Portnoy joshes that when he received his doctoral degree in philosophy he saw two career avenues open to himself: drive a taxi or work for his father. Portnoy, then in his late 20s, opted for the latter.

He signed on board with his late father, Murray Portnoy, a union organizer who switched to the management side of the table in 1964 when he founded what has become Syosset-based Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates.

Back then with the firm focused on union negotiating, "there was a lot of drama, a lot of theater," says Mark Portnoy, 65, now president. The firm has expanded, he says, to address an array of human resources issues, such as compensation, policies and compliance.

Despite that growth, it still has a family-firm feeling, he says. "It's a high-pressure business, and no one calls us when things are going great." That's one reason his 87-year-old mother, Harriette, drives in each day to answer the phone personally.

What issues are your clients facing?
"Companies are getting much more slender and have to make difficult decisions on who to retain," resulting in layoffs, and "more and more employees are instigating lawsuits." Also, "there's been a huge increase in compliance audits by government agencies . . . And companies are farming out part or all of their human resources functions."

What are some other worries you help clients address?
"The question about how to transfer knowledge from the older generation to the younger." Employers are "fearful they'll be losing important knowledge and skills. Also, telecommuting and other forms of workplace flexibility are becoming more common." The employer has to address employee "rights and obligations" and ways to safeguard its own data.

What's your biggest headache?
"Marketing is very difficult. There aren't a lot of companies like ours. Clients say that 'Until I met you, I never knew such companies existed.' Some people think we're a law firm -- we're not. Some think we're a union negotiator-based firm. That's not true today."

What early influences prepared you to lead this company?
"I was brought up in a home where the labor movement and work environment were a big part of family discussions." Also a background in philosophy gives a "special approach to understanding and solving problems. We learn to objectively analyze from every point of view. There's no question that influences how I do my job."

What's your favorite tool or gadget?
The BlackBerry, allowing you to carry "your whole filing cabinet with you," and to communicate by email, which "at times can be much less intrusive" than phone calls.

What's your favorite workplace perk?
At office birthday parties "I always seem to get the first piece of cake."

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

Name. Mark Portnoy, president of Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates Inc., a human resources and labor relations consulting company in Syosset

What it does. “Educate, don’t litigate” is their motto

Employees. 17 full time, three part time, in roles such as human resources consultant, attorney, support staff

Revenue. $2 million to $2.5 million