Throughout three decades of consulting experience, I’ve operated at the intersection of institutions, society, and change. Experience has taught me that looking at interconnected management functions is vital to tackling communications and leadership issues from the inside out.

 

This includes focusing on workplace culture and trust, organizational development, and building strong relationships with advisors, boards, and other allies. For me, the key step is always identifying the pulse of stakeholders—customers, employees, communities, investors, government entities, and, importantly, adversaries—and crafting strategies to help organizations thrive.

My interest in the dynamics between private business and public needs is rooted in my upbringing, with two socially conscious educators as parents. This led me to public relations graduate school in Boston and a prized position as an intern to Edward Bernays, the father of public relations.

 

From there, I rose to leadership roles in consulting firms across Southern California, Richmond, VA, and Atlanta, where I’ve served as strategist, president, managing partner, and owner. When I’m not advising leaders, I have the pleasure of teaching future leaders as an adjunct instructor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.