Professional Expertise

For the last fourteen years, David has coached successful executives and emerging leaders globally. He brings to each client the informed perspective of having been a senior operating executive prior to becoming a coach.

David’s clients are often at key inflection points: needing to scale their leadership; pre- and post-CxO succession; looking to strengthen their Board impact; improving engagement of their teams; enhancing influence and communication; onboarding/changing roles; and, improving effectiveness and results. His clients appreciate his candor, good humor, and ability to quickly grasp their unique organizational needs and challenges.

David’s own leadership experience comes from managing a range of corporate functions and P&L’s including as founder and builder of a $20 billion (in assets) services/technology start-up within a larger enterprise. His rigorous and contemporary coaching skills developed from completion of Georgetown University’s leadership coaching program, and from continued investment in techniques and tools designed for today’s organizations and leaders.

His clients include those who work in biotechnology and pharma, defense, energy, enterprise, SaaS, IoT and personal technology, entertainment, executive search, financial services, food, foundations, government, healthcare, health plans, health systems and hospitals, hospitality, insurance, law, manufacturing, medical devices and technology, marketing/advertising, NGOs, nonprofit, private equity, professional services, real estate, retail, telecom, travel, utilities, and venture capital. Client locations include the US, Africa, Australia, Canada, China, EMEA, and Malaysia.

Recent Coaching Assignments

• CEO of a multibillion-dollar commercial real estate firm to design and execute his succession plan in collaboration with the Board
• President of a billion dollar, founder-led public medical device company as a candidate for CEO succession. Client was chosen and is now CEO. Coaching continued to onboard him into CEO role
• General Counsel of a large nonprofit Health Plan to build greater followership and effectiveness, and collaboration with her legal team
• State Secretary of Education to work effectively with stakeholders and to synchronize and enhance results of executive team by building on already-impressive strategic and leadership strengths
• Multiple Private Equity Portfolio leaders to more effectively influence and lead in embedded functions in portfolio companies
• Multiple Private Equity deal team heads to enhance management and leadership skills with junior staff, and to build greater rapport (more rapidly) with management teams
• CEO/Founder of an entrepreneurial healthcare staffing and audit firm to improve business results and leadership team effectiveness
• CFO of a global healthcare professional services/consulting organization to reduce doing things himself, develop a more strategic partnership with his CEO, and a more scalable team of direct reports
• Chief Medical Officer of a 14-hospital health system to upgrade leadership on quality initiatives, and adopt a more scalable leadership style
• CRO of a recently post-IPO SaaS company to build stronger collaboration and followership with millennial colleagues and adjacent teams
• President of a $350 million founder-led public technology and professional services firm to prepare for CEO succession
• SVP of a multibillion-dollar commercial real estate firm to get to readiness for taking on the President role
• President of a $2 billion division of a public technology company to develop stronger followership, paint a more strategic and engaging vision for employees, and be more effective with the Board
• President of multiple operating companies of a Fortune 20 health and financial services organization to prepare to succeed as CEO
• Private Equity portfolio company VP to transition to President of a national restaurant chain, where she’s taken on responsibility for over 800 company-owned and franchised stores
• Senior Director of Marketing, responsible for Go To Market of a global technology company to enhance her influence at senior-most levels, and upgrade her team’s performance
• CFO of a large pharma company to build strengths after outside CEO was hired; to prepare him to be selected as successor to that CEO
• Chief Revenue Officer of a post-IPO customer-engagement technology firm in the energy/utility sector to scale his team in a high-growth situation
• VP of Transmission Operations at a regional energy utility to build stronger influencing skills at the senior team table
• Multiple Presidents at a Fortune 50 global food company to enhance delegation, decrease intimidation, and leverage team to deliver results
• Partner at a global law firm to maximize cross-firm collaboration
• Executive team (team coaching) of a Canadian manufacturing company to upgrade trust and teamwork. Identified areas for development and facilitated team-building offsite meetings
• Head of Commercial at an aerospace materials company to develop a more collegial and collaborative approach with her direct leader
• Regional Director of Production, and HSE head for an upstream energy company to advance to next level of her leadership. Promotion followed

Education and Professional Affiliations

• BFA, New York University
• Certified Leadership Coach, Leadership Executive Coaching Program, Georgetown University
• FINRA/NASD Series 7, 24, and 63 securities licenses (inactive)
• Completed Miller Heiman Institutional Sales training
• Experienced in PriceWaterhouse Change Integration and System Management methodologies
• Certified in The Leadership Circle Profile, Hogan Assessment System, MBTI, Emotional Intelligence in Action, and other tools