I’ve always been fascinated by how people work together to solve large, complex problems and follow uncharted paths to success—especially human-centered results that change the world as we know it.

Early on, I asked questions no one else did about opportunity and making big changes in the world, redefining what’s possible. As a researcher, practitioner, and consultant, I discovered how leaders and organizations do just that, attaining my Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at Harvard University and garnering experience advising and coaching many leaders across industries in the over 20 years since. 

Now, I advise game-changing senior leaders who innovate beyond the constraints that limit others—conscious, resilient executives centered around people and profit, who want to create impact and legacy in addition to executing the business strategy. A behavioral scientist with deep business understanding, I do this within the context of executive, team, and organizational effectiveness.

MY APPROACH

Transformation is a dynamic, organic, living experience involving real people. Sustainable, long-lasting impact is only achieved when the leader recognizes that all aspects layer and relate, and creates an environment aligned with change.

Two anchors make this possible: the science of transformation and the art of awareness, particularly of our interconnection. Everything is interconnected: leaders and teams, businesses and communities, mind and body, the professional and the personal. The inner work of self-awareness leads to the high-quality decisions and strategies that define the best leaders.

I learned this firsthand as a change agent. Like many leaders, I lived above the shoulders, which had served me incredibly well—until I hit a wall in my effectiveness. To advance not only myself as a leader but the organizational change I was trying to affect on a large scale, something had to shift. My breakthrough moment happened when I dove deep into self-awareness practices that allowed me to bring greater, more aligned energy to my work.

By offering these tools to my clients, integrating the art of awareness with the science of transformation during key periods of transition, I witnessed their performance enhance and accelerate, and their organizations shift into impactful social and economic outcomes.

As a core member of Spencer Stuart’s Leadership Advisory Services, I’ve advised investor-backed and executive senior leaders in financial services, private equity, consumer, technology, industrial, and nonprofit arenas where my clients strive to fundamentally alter the landscape. 

Areas of expertise: 

  • leadership development and coaching 
  • leader transition and acceleration
  • senior team effectiveness
  • merger integration
  • organizational transformation and change
  • women of color in executive leadership

Before Spencer Stuart, I headed Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures’ venture platform, introducing unique ideas and new directions in a portfolio of founding teams heading high-growth, technology-enabled businesses.

In previous senior roles at Northwestern Mutual, I focused on organizational effectiveness. At a key time in company history, I drew on my deep knowledge of organizational dynamics to harness “people power” and drive sweeping change in business performance and digital transformation that helped revitalize the brand.

Previously, I worked at Johnson Controls, developing partnerships with small and medium-sized businesses to tackle new needs and demands in the global supply chain, including the growing call to embrace sustainability and inclusion.

My rigorous course of study and research center around the interplay of leadership, collaboration, and organizational performance. Degrees and certifications earned include: 

  • Ph.D., Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School
  • A.M., Sociology, Harvard University
  • MBA, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College
  • BA, Economics and International Studies, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

     

Certifications and Affiliations 

Leadership Coaching and Assessment 

  • International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited coach 
  • Fellow with the Institute of Coaching at McLean/Harvard Medical School
  • Growth Edge Coach at Cultivating Leadership
  • Utilizing the Enneagram for Transformation Certification at the Maine Enneagram Center for Transformation 
  • Hogan Assessment Certification at Hogan Assessments
  • Team Diagnostic Survey Advanced Practitioner – 6 Team Conditions
     

Change and Organizational Effectiveness Certifications

  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College
  • Prosci Certified Change Practitioner at Prosci
  • Strategic Workforce Planning Certification at Human Capital Institute

I champion educational equity, diverse leadership, and workforce and economic development in my community, serving in roles including: 

  • Wisconsin School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board
  • University of Wisconsin Athletics Equity Diversity Council
  • Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association Opportunity and Performance Network