Working for over 16 years as a business leader in corporate America, I discovered that the key to success as a leader is to be authentic, to connect with others emotionally as well as intellectually, and to embody what you care about. As I acquired these skills, I became more influential, more creative, and happier at home and at work.
I spent the majority of my corporate career at Capital One in a variety of leadership positions in the U.S. and abroad. With an M.S. in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, I spent many years leading teams of highly trained analysts to develop solutions that produced over $85 million for the company.
While my love for the dynamic environment and for the unraveling of the complex analytical puzzles was intellectually fulfilling, it didn’t satisfy my soul. I found more meaning in the relationships with co-workers and was fascinated by the workplace dynamics, by how hard it was for people to coordinate and collaborate, and by how some leaders, even ones with the smartest ideas, struggled to motivate others. As my career progressed, I came to realize that that I found more meaning in helping people be more effective and happier, than in analyzing behavior of the masses through datasets.
Over time, I evolved my career from being an analytical executive to being a trusted coach and leadership consultant for executives and their teams. In my last role inside the corporate world, I was the head of HR for a newly acquired online brokerage business, where I developed and led strategies to integrate corporate cultures, improve team collaboration, and deepen the executives’ leadership skills.
Today, as an entrepreneur, I work directly with leaders as a coach and consultant, and I partner with best-in-class organizations, including the Strozzi Institute and Synthesis, LLC to deliver leadership development programs.
On the farm…
I am very fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful places I know. Together with my husband, our two children, cats, goats, chickens, honey bees, and countless other wild creatures, we call a 7-acre homestead on Vashon Island in Washington State home.
Living among the lush evergreens on this small island in the Puget Sound, I take great pleasure in the bounty of my permaculture experiments, in foraging for chanterelles and berries, and in building fairy houses under the cedars with my young daughter.