“I was extremely lucky to have been a part of the Saturn Launch Team - General Motor’s “clean-sheet” attempt to re-invent the small car industry in the mid 80’s. I learned first hand what immense change can be produced by a handful of crazy people committed to each other and to bringing to life a fistful of simple, ethical, and powerful ideas. I am humbled at how profoundly challenging and rewarding it was to be asked - and allowed - to bring my entire self to work each day. To be supported yet challenged by my team to build and bring a better self tomorrow, and each day after that.... I got hooked on transformational, collaborative, complex change and have spent the last 25 years learning and helping others create and deliver the impossible through high-performing teams.
25 years experience leading, participating in, or facilitating teams from plant floor to C suite. Includes all company life cycles, 6 hour ad-hoc to 3 year term teams, blue sky concept through post implementation review, start-ups to sunsetting teams, inter-company to multi-party teams within a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, consumer products, financial services, defense, IT, and academia. 13 years spent living and working in Europe. Clients have included: Champion, Chrysler, Cummins, General Motors, hp, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Rolls Royce Aerospace, Saturn, Toyota, VW, and ZF Industries. (US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe)
Passionate and life-long commitment to learning and exploring new ways to help teams collaborate, innovate, and deliver tangible results that consistently exceed expectations. Frequently asked to participate in thought leadership forums while employed at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Recognized pioneer in the creation of effective supply chain partnerships that set the standards for best practice in JIT / LEAN manufacturing environments within the automotive industry. Co-Developed a new global service offering for PwC UK to help clients consider, create, and optimize strategic partnerships.
Six years as operational and organizational transformational change consultant with PwC in the US and Europe. Change champion for the Mid-West for an internal leadership culture change moving senior partners from sole operatives to collaborative leadership teams and supporting the leaders, external change consultants, project managers, and their 26 teams.
Six years on the leading edge of start ups for General Motor’s Saturn project including multiple new facilities, IT systems, relationships, processes, and culture changes working within high-performing teams employing consensus decision making across departments, unions, companies, and geographies. Has taught Leading Organizational Change to MBA students.
Inherited a 3rd generation family business, lead a successful complete re-positioning and then eventually shut the business down providing unique, joyful, painful, first hand experience of the skills required in complex change leadership.
Pioneer in the field of Equine Assisted Leadership incorporating working with horses to make leadership skills, organizational issues, and team dynamics experiential in order to deliver exceedingly quick but lasting transformational insights to change leaders and their teams. Creator of “The Complex Change Leader Academy” and “The Leadership Corral” programs.
Credentials include: BA Materials and Logistics Management, MBA International Organizational Change, CPIM from APICS (1987-2005). Certificates received from Equine Guided Education Association, British Horse Society, Association of British Riding Schools, European Association of Horse Assisted Education. Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and ELI-MP credentials expected in June 2014.
