TURKNETT LEADERSHIP GROUP - Key Persons
Dr. Auerbach promotes culture change and behavior change with evidence-based, person-centered technologies that live at the intersection of health and high performance. Dr. Auerbach has more than 10 years of experience working with high performers in elite sport, including professional sports and Olympians, as well as elite military units like the Green Berets and high-performing executives.
Dr. Auerbach helps his clients focus on growing themselves and their leadership. Based on models of performance psychology, he leverages the science of high performance to help executives level up their leadership, build a high-performing culture, and to improve team operations.
Career Highlights
Worked in the NBA and NFL
Job Titles:
- PCC Senior Consultant & Host TLG Women in Leadership
As a certified and experienced Executive and Leadership Development Coach, Anne Quiello consults and delivers on talent development strategies aligned with each organization's talent needs. She has over 20 years of operations, customer service and organizational effectiveness experience within a major U.S. airline during which she served in several executive roles, managing pivotal industry change including mergers, bankruptcy, employee engagement in the face of union organization efforts, and building a learning organization from the ground up. Prior to coaching full-time, Anne created her own consultancy to guide clients to evaluate strategic opportunities from transforming a culture to expanding business into international markets.
Career Highlights
For Regional Manufacturer: CEO Coaching while addressing critical organizational roadblocks to positioning company for successorship.
Barbara Jacobson has been with Turknett Leadership Group since January 2018 and has really enjoyed working while raising and homeschooling their six children. She always loved the contact with clients as well as the accounting and administrative parts of being part of a small business. As her husband moved toward retirement and other interests, and the children grew up, she started looking for a way to boost income while keeping busy doing the kind of work she loves.
Turknett was a perfect fit, small enough to play several roles - bookkeeping, scheduling clients, some graphics and excel projects, as well as keeping the supply cabinets filled. Barbara loves to surprise the staff with her gift of language - French, Spanish, and a bit of German - mostly as a result of living in Europe for several years as a child. She met her husband in the orchestra in high school and music has continued to be a large part of their lives with their children and grandchildren playing and teaching music. She enjoys nothing more than settling down with a good book in the evening, usually a biography or history book.
Barbara is often the voice our TLG clients will hear and her desire to serve - whether it is a cup of coffee, lunch, a rescheduled appointment, or emails with assessment information - comes through clearly and genuinely to our clients.
When she is not at Turknett, she is likely to be working in her garden, cooking, or hiking or biking somewhere around Atlanta.
Hobbies
Hiking, Gardening, Cooking, Biking, Sewing, Knitting
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Executive
- PCC Senior Consultant
Brad Parcells is an experienced executive coach with a passion for creating effective coaching partnerships that help leaders work through current and future business challenges and become more impactful and effective leaders. He brings together an in-depth understanding of the complex environments leaders and teams face each day with human behavior insight and the ability to engage in intimate and intense conversations.
Brad draws on a variety of fields including adaptive leadership, neuroscience, innovation, psychology and adult development. Clients describe him as engaging and provoking, creative, and challenging that leads to honest and open adult development experiences. He takes a holistic view of the client and the client's situation to align culture, strategy, and leadership. Brad has 40 years of senior-level management and leadership experience working with leaders in diverse industries, most notably supply chain and logistics, consumer goods healthcare, financial institutions, insurance, commercial real estate, entertainment and media, high-tech, telecom, big pharma, manufacturing, professional services (law, accountancy and consulting) and non-profits.
Brad's blend of experience as an executive coach, corporate business and non-profit leader, and training & development facilitator has helped his clients make transformative changes in their leadership effectiveness and outcomes. Brad works with executive, senior-level and mid-level executives, high-potentials, consulting partners, law and accountancy partners, and teams. Brad has had the privilege of working with leaders at UPS, The Home Depot, AstraZeneca, Solvay, BDO, Carrier, Comcast, Avery Dennison, Beam Suntory, The Coca Cola Company, Coned Nast, Kraft Foodservice, General Electric, Kaiser Permanente, LaSalle, Lazard, PVH, UBS, RBC, LexisNexis, Oracle, Houston Methodist Hospital System, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers and Waste Management to name a few.
Career Highlights
For a Global Logistics Organization: Coached President on his transition to this role resulting in successful transition to his new leadership role
Brad is a twin, whose twin is an executive coach in the Washington, D.C area and was the inspiration to become an accredited executive coach.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Risk Management
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Senior Consultant Assessment & Development Practice
Brian Bienn joined Turknett Leadership Group as Senior Consultant, Assessment and Development Practice, in April of 2019. Through utilizing best-in-class assessments and developmental feedback with targeted coaching, Brian helps leaders enhance their impact and accelerate their readiness for more complex roles and responsibilities. Brian also supports clients through conducting robust assessments of external candidates for critical positions, helping to avoid costly hiring missteps and significantly increasing the likelihood that leaders brought on board possess the leadership competencies needed to succeed in the role and the personal attributes and character needed to fit with the organization's culture and values. At the team level, Brian works with multi-stakeholder teams that recognize the importance of establishing a collective vision, shared objectives and values, and the foundational processes to promote dialogue, manage disagreement, and continuously improve.
Career Highlights
For a Fortune 100 Consumer Products Company: Led assessment and feedback project for VP and Director level leadership assessments to determine readiness for advancement and to inform developmental planning
Dr. Frost's core passion and skill is as an educator and developer of people. After twelve dedicated years as a talent strategy consultant and consulting manager for the likes of IBM, Kenexa, and The Home Depot, he returned to academia to teach professional students the reality of their academic concepts in action within organizations. He currently serves on the faculty at the University of Georgia and as the Director of the Professional Master's Program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Dr. Frost possesses a unique depth of practical experience and technical knowledge and skills in both individual and organizational level diagnosis and development, enabling him to effectively address the diverse needs of any given situation. The true differentiator though is in his personable and authentic approach to engaging with clients and caring for their success and that of their people.
Career Highlights
Fortune 50 Technology Firm: Led a global consulting team of senior consultants in establishing a new product line of leadership assessment and development solutions
Job Titles:
- Organizational Psychologist, Strategist, Executive Coach
- Strategic Partner - Diversity Specialist
Cherry A. Collier, Ph.D. is an Organizational Psychologist, Strategist, Executive Coach, and Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging Consultant for Personality Matters, Inc. Her science-based approach and brain-based techniques, propel people, teams, and organizations to build bridges and work from the inside out to achieve their goals.
Dr. Cherry specializes in emotional intelligence, neuroscience, leadership development, and DEI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She received her Doctorate and Master of Science in Applied Social/Organizational Psychology from the University of Georgia and Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spelman College. She is the author of more than twenty-five Human Behavior related books for leaders, executives, and coaches.
Dr. Cherry is often called the DEI Whisperer because she has a unique ability to fiercely "hold the space" and be totally present which creates a psychologically safe environment that allows others all the space they need to fully express themselves. She listens to others with head, heart and hands approach so that they are heard, seen and understood.
Career Highlights
For a Social Media Conglomerate Corporation: Facilitated Managing Bias and Managing Inclusion workshops for employees on different campuses of the Facebook network
Ms. Cheatham provides a wide range of leadership and strategic coaching and consulting to entrepreneurial and nonprofit leaders and volunteers. Focus areas include leadership coaching, strategic and business planning, board development, collaboration and organizational development. She has also developed and facilitated award-winning leadership and coaching programs for entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders. Ms. Cheatham is a frequent speaker and program moderator as an expert on topics including leadership, governance, planning, and social enterprise. Ms. Cheatham is trained in peer-based coaching and is a seasoned facilitator.
Ms. Cheatham's experience includes serving as VP of Consulting at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and management consulting with Bain & Company where her work included strategic consulting for dozens of companies. Ms. Cheatham was Venture Catalyst and Director of Business Development at the Advanced Technology Development Center, a nationally recognized technology incubator affiliated with Georgia Tech where she coached entrepreneurial leaders on all aspects of their business and leadership and connected them to investors and value-add resources.
Ms. Cheatham is a leader in the community through service as an Elder at North Avenue Presbyterian Church including serving as a member of the Leadership committee where she provided support and coaching to elders and deacons. She serves on the boards of Leap Year and Atlanta Youth Tennis Educational Foundation (AYTEF).
Career Highlights
Coached entrepreneurs and C-levels on their business plans, fundraising strategy, sales strategy and leadership at Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center
Darren Jones comes to TLG with an extensive career in higher education and education technology. In his roles, he designed learning programs and leadership curricula, facilitated leadership training, and provided leadership, personal, and academic coaching to college students. Currently he facilitates cohort-based leadership development programs, Gallup Strengthfinders workshops, and Positive Intelligence (Saboteurs) workshops. Additionally, he provides executive coaching sessions for individual contributors, emerging leaders, diverse leaders, and frontline and mid/senior-level leaders at organizations in the public and private sectors.
As a coach/facilitator, Darren guarantees a dynamic and transformational learning experience while building confidence in yourself and others to take on the challenges in the workplace and beyond. He infuses energy into sessions that pull the participant into the experience. He creates a space where other feel safe to be vulnerable and open to challenging paradigms, leading to lasting change. Darren strives to help others understand that transformation is not about becoming someone new but allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of who they are and how their natural talents manifest into increased individual/team productivity.
Career Highlights
For a Liberal Arts College: Created a strength-based framework for student retention and success.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Senior Consultant
- Member of the International Leadership Association
David is an executive coach and leadership development facilitator. He brings experience from successful careers that vary from entrepreneur to engineer to educator. Since 1996, he has collaboratively supported clients globally as they develop into the leaders they choose to be. David views the coaching relationship as a collaborative partnership that combines the wisdom, skills, and experience of both parties to envision an improved state and define the steps to achieve it.
David meets people where they are. For more than 25 years, in several different countries, he has been teaching experts to listen, learn, and evolve. He firmly believes leaders are not born, they are developed. David equips leaders with the tools and training they need to develop other leaders.
Prior to focusing on human development, David founded and for 18 years directed a suite of vertically integrated corporations that included a design and manufacturing firm, wholesale distribution units, and retail locations. He drove success by creating very fast and lean operational systems while nurturing a highly performing team of people from five continents.
Career Highlights
For a Big Three Management Consulting Company: Coached military leaders across spectrum, industry, and rank
Demi has coached executives and worked with leaders and board members across diverse industries and to include healthcare, technology, retail, logistics, manufacturing, security and transportation. She has led the operations of Human Resources and People initiatives to include organizational development, change management, project management, workforce management, M&A, talent management and strategic planning. Her background has given her the experience and relatability to effectively coach leaders at many career levels. Demi has been recognized by her clients and leaders as energetic, engaging, and for creating collaborative and productive work environments that promotes the value and business objectives of organizations. In addition to quickly assessing opportunities, identifying gaps and creating roadmaps for individual and organizational success. Demi has the ability to establish frameworks aimed to improve communications across all levels during adverse and disruptive times. Demi's key focuses and areas of concentration includes workplace culture and engagement, neuropsychology, motivational drivers, measuring success through metrics, process improvement, and professional and leadership development.
Career Highlights
Consulting Firm: Coached and assessed leaders using 360's, EQ-i and Clifton Strength Finders to prepare them for promotional and executive opportunities. Led the development of a high-potential performance management model, which provided visibility to organizational leaders and the board of HiPo team members identified as bench strength. Worked with business owners and leaders to source capital for organizational growth and expansion.
Job Titles:
- CPCC, PCC, CTPC Senior Consultant
- ICF Professional Certified Coach
Denise is an ICF Professional Certified Coach with more than three decades of corporate executive and entrepreneurial experience. She helps senior-level technology leaders who are leading teams through change and complexity to remain creative, positive, and goal-oriented. Denise has worked with executives at every stage of business - from start-ups, turnarounds, high-growth companies, mature companies who are re-inventing themselves and plant closures. She brings heat and heart and a provocative, engaging style to help her clients uncover blind spots and identify opportunities for improvement. She coaches leaders to improve mindset, engagement, and translate assessment feedback to practical action plans for improved business results. Her clients appreciate her insight and humor to build trust, ramp awareness, and invite change.
Background: In her twenties, Denise was promoted to management over her peers and she experienced the toughest year of her life. This experience launched a lifelong passion to understand both the art and science of leadership. Denise has led learning and organizational development teams at the executive level with positive results. She led succession planning and key talent management efforts for financial services and technology organizations. For seventeen years, she has successfully consulted with Fortune 500 companies to engage their workforce in growing and improving the business. She creates a safe place for clients to ramp self-awareness, reflect on core values, and be "at-choice" in their professional and personal life.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Human Capital and Talent Management Executive
Dr. Barbara Reilly is a Human Capital and Talent Management Executive and Thought Leader with a track record of building partnerships across a variety of organizations and industrial settings. As a subject matter expert and business advisor to HR and business leaders, Barb brings over 20 years of progressive management/leadership experience and a proven track record of developing and executing successful HR, Talent, and Culture shift initiatives that support broad-scale organization transformations. She has coached hundreds of leaders both in the private and public sector throughout the United States and Canada.
Career Highlights
For Financial Services Firm: Team Alignment and conflict resolution, third party peacemaking with hostile executives
Job Titles:
- RCC Senior Consultant
- Senior Leadership Advisor
Dr. Bill Dickinson is a senior leadership advisor who develops enterprise-wide leadership capacity while ensuring business and performance outcomes are aligned. He is passionate about cultivating leaders who are grounded in confidence, credibility, and competence. More specifically, Bill has supported clients from across industries as they sharpen the skills and minimize the gaps that allow them to deliver meaningful and measurable results for their organizations while thriving personally. Over his 25 years as a leadership professional, Bill has also consulted for a variety of leaders as they have introduced and navigated new opportunities as well as overcome obstacles to results and relationships that sometimes derail these opportunities. Currently, Bill excels in unpacking and aligning leadership and 360 profile assessments for more impactful and agile leadership.
Career Highlights
For Automotive Company: Led all high-potential and executive leadership development efforts
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Management and Leadership Consultant, Executive Coach
Dr. Chris McCusker is a highly respected educator, management and leadership consultant, executive coach, seminar facilitator, and speaker. He is dedicated to helping clients achieve the highest level of leadership character and best in class results. Chris has an exceptional ability to challenge and inspire students, business executives, and leaders at all levels and across all sectors to learn and to grow as individuals and as team members. In today's global business environment, Dr. McCusker brings a wealth of international and multicultural understanding and experience to his clients. He is an expert in helping his clients navigate in times of crisis, disruption, and chaos.
Career Highlights
For Major Universities in the U.S. and Around the World: Taught courses in Executive Leadership, Managing Cultural Differences, Leadership and Ethics and Negotiation
Dr. Christine Mayfield has over 18 years of consulting experience in multiple industries, including financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality, transportation, and media. Her areas of focus are leadership assessment and development, organizational surveys, and employee selection processes. She has also guided organizational research efforts related to employee morale/retention, organizational culture and change, organizational trust, and sales and managerial performance.
Christine blends her keen analytical ability with strong communication to ensure that clients get the most from their data and internal research/surveys. She expertly analyzes situations and information and summarizes issues in a thorough, balanced, and user-friendly manner.
Earlier in her career, Christine spent 10 years as a consultant at Corporate Insights & Development in Atlanta where she applied her technical expertise to develop and validate assessment scales, competency models, selection processes, and performance appraisal systems. Prior to consulting, Christine was part of the employee relations team at United Parcel Service that fully in-sourced the UPS employee satisfaction and engagement survey of over 200,000 employees worldwide. She also conducted the employee survey for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Christine has assessed and provided feedback and coaching to hundreds of managers, helping them identify strengths, skill gaps, and paths to meeting priority goals. She equips and enables leaders with an eye for the future, emphasizing versatility, and constantly learning from experience. She has also facilitated team/group coaching sessions.
Christine holds a doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She received a B.S. in psychology from the College of Charleston. Christine has significant experience with multiple cognitive abilities tests as well as personality inventories and social styles indicators such as the 16PF, CPI, NEO, MBTI, FIRO-B, and the Hogan Leadership Series. She has also developed and worked with a variety of 360 feedback instruments (e.g., CCL Benchmarks and Lominger VOICES).
Christine resides in Atlanta with her young son. She enjoys writing and occasionally facilitates women's retreats. She recently expanded her focus to the faith community, working to increase congregational engagement.
Career Highlights
For a National New and Used Car Retailer - Conducted in-depth assessments (including 360 interviews) and summarized data for individual action planning for high potential leaders
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Fellow
- Professor of the Practice in Organization
Dr. Karl Kuhnert is a Professor of the Practice in Organization and Management and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Karl's research focuses on how leaders cognitively, interpersonally, and emotionally develop over the life course. Karl has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles and 13 book chapters, made over 100 conference presentations, and served on numerous editorial and review panels. He teaches leadership, organizational change, and professional ethics. Karl has been recognized with multiple awards for teaching and research. Karl and a colleague published 2016 a book entitled "The Map: Finding Your Path to Effectiveness in Leadership, Life, and Legacy" by Baxley Press.
In 2000, Karl was awarded the Hammer Award from Vice President Al Gore for outstanding contributions to the federal government. More recently, Karl facilitated a six-month leadership development program for the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in its 9 th year. The program involves all 32 colleges in the state of Georgia. The Board of Regents program in 2012 was recognized by the Society of Human Resource Management as the best leadership program in education. In 2016 he founded the I-O Psychology Professional Master's Degree Program at the University of Georgia.
Karl also regularly teaches leadership development in the Executive Education Programs at Emory, UCLA, and HEC Paris. He also teaches decision-making artificial intelligence and works globally, helping leaders apply exponential and disruptive innovation and thinking in their organizations. He has served as a consultant and executive educator with many large and small corporations, non-profit and government organizations, including United Parcel Service, The U.S. Department of Treasury, Siemens, The Jet Propulsion Lab, Cox Automotive, The Federal Reserve, Federal Home Loan Bank, The Robert Wood Foundation, Carnival Cruise Line, AECOM, Farmers Insurance, and The American Cancer Society.
Karl received his BA in psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology from Kansas State University.
Career Highlights
A professor in psychology and Program Chair of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program at the University of Georgia
He teaches organizational psychology, leadership development, and professional ethics
Karl has worked with TLG for over a decade. He has designed and implemented leadership development programs for a wide range of clients including United Parcel Service, The U.S. Department of the Treasury, USDA, the Federal Reserve, Siemens, Auto-Trader, and The American Cancer Society. Karl also teaches quarterly in the Emory Business School and UCLA's Executive Education Programs
Areas of Specialization
Leadership development
Professional ethics
Achieve higher levels of personal and organizational effectiveness
Foundation of a leadership program to help executives accelerate their development
Sought-after management consultant
Job Titles:
- Organizational Psychologist
- Senior Consultant
Dr. Lauren Harris is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist who appreciates the blend of science and practice. She has consulted in variety of industries including telecommunications, transportation, paper/pulp/hardwood, non-profit, government, and education. Her expertise lies in the areas of competency development, selection, performance management, survey design, and leadership development. She has done everything from developing and delivering structured behavioral interviews to providing feedback and goal setting around 360s to developing large-scale climate surveys for organizations.
In addition to her external consulting work, she spent time in the Learning & Development department at the United Parcel Service working on a multi-million dollar, enterprise-wide competency modeling project. Lauren is passionate about leadership development, particularly for individuals early in their career, and has presented at a number of industry conferences, as well as published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals.
Lauren holds a B.A. in Psychology from Emory University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from The University of Georgia. She is a member of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association.
Lauren also volunteers a significant amount of time consulting around talent management and board development for non-profits. She sits on the Board of Jewish Family & Career Services and serves as the Chair of the Counseling Division. In her free time, she is busy exposing her daughter and son to delicious and diverse dining experiences and documenting it in her blog: www.mylittlefoodies.com.
Career Highlights
Learning & Development department at the United Parcel Service working on a multi-million dollar, enterprise-wide competency modeling project
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Senior Consultant / Inge Simons
Dr. Michael Sessions is a licensed psychologist that has coached hundreds of senior business leaders and their teams to a greater level of success over his career. In his twenty plus years working with Turknett Leadership Group, he has developed expertise in training teams and individuals, both private sector and nonprofit, in ways of cultivating trust and constructively harnessing the creativity often embedded in conflicts that many organizations seek to avoid. In so doing, he helps them restructure and realign on a solid foundation.
By focusing on sources of motivation inherent to all people, Dr. Sessions enables executives with aligning organizations around mission and strategy. He is also well known for his ability to provide turnaround coaching and talent intervention for individuals, helping prevent the derailment of valued leaders.
Career Highlights
For a Public Utility Company: Led board directed CEO succession planning project, including executive level competency modeling as well as executive coaching with the CEO and executive team
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Senior Consultant
Dr. Patricia Thompson is a Corporate Psychologist, Management Consultant, and Speaker who is passionate about helping her clients to achieve better outcomes by cultivating talent and making smart hiring decisions. She has been consulting with CEOs and senior executives of organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across North America since 2004.
Dr. Thompson enjoys helping others to achieve greater success by drawing on the science of positive psychology. As such, she is the author of The Consummate Leader: a Holistic Guide to Inspiring Growth in Others… and in Yourself. She is well known for her ability to provide mindfulness-based stress reduction principles to enhance her leadership development engagements.
Career Highlights
For a Fortune 500 Consulting Firm: Pre-hire and developmental assessment process and developmental executive coaching
Job Titles:
- Founder of Diversity Management
Gary is an ACC credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation who brings direct personal experience as a first time CEO, long time P&L leader and executive search consultant to his clients. He is an active coach to senior executives in organizations in North America, with a particular focus on working with the C-Suite and high potential leaders. He has worked in multiple industries with a primary focus on Cleantech, Industrial, Professional Services and Financial Services.
He has been coaching CEOs and their teams for the past 10 years and resides in Austin, TX. His successful experience as a CEO gives him a unique ability to understand how company dynamics and strategy can change radically in a very short period. As a leader who has been hired for diverse and different roles, Gary is adept at helping high potential leadership candidates realize their full potential by focusing on the development of their emotional intelligence and approach to leading people. He understands the difficulties involved in assuming a new role.
Career Highlights
For an American Multinational Technology Company:
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Executive
- Senior Consultant
Inge Simons is an experienced executive coach and facilitator with a passion for creating innovative interventions to help leaders work through current and future business challenges. She brings together an in-depth understanding of the complex systems leaders and teams live in, with human insight and the capability to engage in intimate and intense conversations.
She draws on a wide variety of fields including adaptive leadership, design thinking, innovation, neuroscience, psychology, polarity management and adult development. Clients describe her as energetic, engaging, creative and challenging. Inge knows when to turn up or turn down the heat of the development experience. She takes a holistic view of the client and the client's environment to align culture, leadership and strategy. Inge held senior positions with international responsibility in global corporations for close to 20 years and worked as a member of cabinet for a secretary of state, which has exposed her to the inner workings of the political arena.
Her work experience covers complex international projects, the management of culture and change processes and includes intimate knowledge of starting up as well as integrating businesses. Inge has worked across a wide range of industries and geographies.. Originally from Belgium, she works internationally and lives with her husband and two children, Lola (16) and Louis (15) in Switzerland.
Career Highlights
For an aviation company: Helped Executive Board to set the strategic direction for 2035 and help the team take the organization through a significant organizational transformation
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Organizational Leadership Coach
Jennifer Torres is an organizational leadership coach, curriculum designer, and author with years of experience of providing executive coaching, executive selection, leadership development, and training to organizations and leaders. Jenn works with senior leaders and their organizations to implement evidence-based, innovative, sustainable solutions that address the challenges impacting all businesses across the globe. Creating a culture of workplace equilibrium results in an empowered workforce, poised to successfully navigate the highly stressful demands of modern life to create desired results through an inside out approach. Equilibrium is an evidence-based system drawing wisdom from psychology; neuroscience; neurolinguistic programming; and holistic health providing individuals with greater control and choice in their personal and professional lives. Jenn has authored several publications, including C-BOK: The Coaches' Body of Knowledge; Equilibrium Synthesizing the Extremes; The Six Disciplines of Equilibrium; The Equilibrium Assessment; and The Inside-Out Coaching Model.
Career Highlights
For a University System: Facilitated faculty training workshop equipping leaders to train the trainer and implement empowered career choice across 10 campuses, impacting 10,000+ students.
Jonathan is an energetic marketing professional who brings three years of experience to Turknett Leadership Group. Having just relocated to Georgia with his wife, he brings a strong passion for all things digital marketing and communication. He's built a diverse portfolio of both non-profit and for-profit marketing achievements and assets. Through his education and experience, Jonathan has utilized a wide range of marketing skills to meet business goals and objectives. His versatile skill set includes SEO, social media, brand reputation management, project management, data analysis, hands-on campaign development, and email marketing. Jonathan not only aims to advance his career but to make a lasting impact in the lives of others. He hopes to be an effective mentor to other marketing professionals.
Career Highlights
For an automotive aftermarket company:
Job Titles:
- Principal Consultant
- Board - Certified Neurologist
Joshua Turknett, M.D., is a board-certified neurologist who leads the firm's neuroscience and learning initiatives. Dr. Turknett has practiced in the Atlanta area for the past twelve years and is also a clinical researcher, best-selling author, musician, medical editor of the Journal of Evolution and Health, a leading voice in the ancestral health movement, and the founder of Brainjo, a company that uses the science of learning and neuroplasticity to create optimized learning systems.
Dr. Turknett received his Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience from Wesleyan University and his MD from Emory University. He completed his residency at the University of Florida Health Science Center. He is an Atlanta native and is the son of Bob and Lyn Turknett, co-founders of Turknett Leadership Group. He lives in Roswell, Georgia, with his wife and two children.
Dr. Turknett has over two decades of experience in the field of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and now brings that expertise to Turknett Leadership Group team to integrate behavioral neuroscience into TLG's existing services and to develop neuroscience-driven learning solutions based on the Brainjo Method. Dr. Turknett will lead the incorporation of the neuroscience of learning into coaching programs, assessment, and culture change processes, and will help assure that leadership development programs, whether individual, classroom-based, or web-based, result in "learning that sticks."
He is also partnering with TLG to create the Turknett Center for Elite Cognition, a new initiative to develop comprehensive programs for optimizing cognitive performance, creativity, and idea generation at both the individual and organizational levels. As artificial intelligence becomes more important and pervasive, companies that thrive will be those that maximize their collective human intelligence and uniquely human capabilities.
Job Titles:
- Creative Coordinator
- Creative Operations Manager
Karine Dieuvil is a passionate Creative Coordinator who knows how to pour into a vision to reap the fruits of its potential. They hold immense value in authentic relational management, working with teams to produce novel outcomes and data-based strategizing. They have applied these pillars to their experience working with media-industry leading firms, Fortune 500 companies, and grassroots non-profit organizations alike to develop cutting edge content that encapsulates the spirit of the organization and strategize s in alignment with long-term financial goals.
Career Highlights
For a grassroots non-profit organization: Coordinated a city-wide listening process with over a hundred volunteers in support of housing justice and developed systems of accountability and human resource management which dramatically boosted organizational engagement and recruitment.
Kathryn was born in Columbus, GA, and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Economics. She has since made Atlanta her home and lives with her husband, and Georgia Tech alum, Kelly Igou, in Horseshoe Bend in Roswell. Her son, Thomas, is also a Georgia Tech graduate in Environmental Engineering and yes, there is a big rivalry during football season!
Her volunteer loves to include ShamRockin' for a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis https://www.shamrockinforacure.com where she has volunteered for the last five years and co-chaired for two, Be the Voice against Bullying https://be-the-voice.org/ , End Human Trafficking Now https://endhtnow.com/ , and her beloved Roswell Rotary https://roswellrotary.club/ Plus helping her friends with all of their philanthropic causes!
Kathryn joined Turknett Leadership Group after attempting two years of retirement. It wasn't that she missed her former daily commute from Roswell down 400 to midtown or wasn't enjoying having more time to volunteer or spend ing time with family and friends. "I just needed more structure and to feel like I was making more of an impact. I love sitting on the beach with my book and my cocktail, but I also love to work!"
Finding Turknett Leadership Group has checked a lot of boxes for Kathy. Her new position allows her to work with social media, be involved in monthly Women in Leadership workshops https://www.turknett.com/women-in-leadership/women-in-leadership-seminar/ , join the Leadership Character Awards committee and work on the luncheon on October 9 at the Georgia Aquarium https://www.leadershipcharacterawards.org/ where Andrew Young will be honored, and even continue her role as a member of Roswell Rotary. "How lucky was I to find a fellow Rotarian boss in Bob Turknett of the Atlanta Rotary Club!"
Before joining TLG, Kathryn had a 32-year career with Georgia's Own Credit Union (formerly Georgia Telco) which included positions in many areas within the credit union. These included Marketing, Public Relations, Security, Compliance, Audit, Branch Operations, Retail Strategy, and her final role- Vice President of Member Experience. "I was very proud that Georgia's Own put an emphasis on member experience at the executive level. "
Kathryn is thrilled to take those same skills and apply them to the client experience at TLG. Turknett Leadership Group provides boutique executive leadership coaching which is the perfect niche for a member experience specialist. As well, Kathryn says she has always been a lifetime learner and voracious reader with a big interest in leadership and teams. TLG is certainly an environment where learning and reading and self-improvement are encouraged.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- PCC Senior Consultant
Keith is an executive coach, consultant, author, speaker, entrepreneur and community leader. His objective is to co-create rapid sustainable and measurable change that enable his clients to go beyond their perceived limits.
His unique approach is powered by integrating decades of practical real-world experience with research-validated methodologies. He designs and delivers customized engagements that are transformative.
Keith's personal mission statement is "To be a change agent. Equipping people with the mental, spiritual and physical tools they need to excel."
His community and non-profit leadership includes serving as Chairman of the Board, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.; Leadership Institute Committee Chair, 100 Black Men of America, Inc.; Commissioner, Housing Authority of Fulton County; former Board member, National Black MBA Association-Atlanta Chapter; Leadership Atlanta alumni-Class of 2018 and United Way of Atlanta-VIP Alumni.
Career Highlights
C-Suite experience including profit and loss responsibility, functional expertise in talent acquisition / development / retention, sales, marketing and business operations
Job Titles:
- Consultant, Not - for - Profit Practice
- Nonprofit Expert
Len Romano is a Nonprofit expert that brings over 30+ years of experience as a former CEO in all types of settings to his work as a Trusted Advisor and Nonprofit Consulting Coach. His nonprofit clients have included organizations in the following sectors: education, community service, youth-serving, housing, and membership organizations. An award-winning nonprofit executive with successful experience in maximizing the mission and impact of nonprofit organizations through staff development, strategic planning, and client/community engagement. Recognized as a turnaround expert with a track record of developing successful fundraising campaigns and securing millions to fund facilities and programs. Len is recognized as a strong leader, highly skilled in performance planning, program innovation, board development, earned revenue growth and coaching/mentoring rising stars.
Career Highlights
For a Long-Standing Non-Profit Organization - Saved organization from bankruptcy.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Co - Chair
- Life Partner
Carolyn (Lyn) Turknett with her husband Bob Turknett is Co-founder of Turknett Leadership Group. She served as President of the firm for thirty years and now serves as Co-chair and Senior Consultant. The focus of her work is character in leadership, cultural assessment and change, and executive team development.
Ms. Turknett's consulting engagements have included leadership and executive team development, organization assessment and change, and individual feedback and coaching. She is particularly interested in helping teams at all levels improve effectiveness and working relationships, and in helping organizations maximize intellectual capital and create cultures that support innovation and initiative.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Strategic Services
Marty Gupta joined the Turknett Leadership Group in December 2018 as Vice President, Strategic Services. In this role, he facilitates strategic planning with senior teams, advises executives on Business Agility, and helps teams improve alignment and effectiveness.
Marty has over 30 years of experience in strategic planning and business development both in leadership roles and as an executive advisor to Fortune 500 companies. As Managing Director of the CAP Consulting Group, a strategy and innovation consultancy, he conducted strategy conferences, implemented enterprise-wide agile innovation processes, and helped develop, launch and scale several new products and businesses.
Prior to CAP Consulting, Marty held senior positions at SAIC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and BellSouth. He also worked in corporate strategy and product development at AT&T and Xerox. Marty has developed or overseen the development of over 75 successful products and businesses.
Career Highlights
For a Global Medical Diagnostics Company: Advised President and executive team, facilitated annual strategy conference with the senior team, and coached teams pursuing strategic initiatives (new products and capabilities)
Melanie Polk has over 25 years of senior-level management and leadership experience working with leaders in diverse industries, most notably entertainment, packaged goods, beverage, retail, healthcare, high-tech, and education. Her unique blend of experience as a corporate business leader, executive coach, facilitator and qualitative researcher have helped her clients make transformative shifts. Melanie works with senior-level and mid-level executives, high-potential employees, and teams including leaders at Disney, Dropbox, Rakuten, Sephora, US Foods, Banner Health, and Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders.
Melanie is a highly effective and insightful communicator whose style is described as creative, energetic, articulate, and collaborative - with a healthy dose of humor thrown in for good measure! She believes a successful coaching engagement comes out of a trusted partnership with clients that provides the right amount of challenge as they seek some type of change or growth. She believes the answers lie within her clients and as their coach, she is there to help uncover insights, gain perspective and ensure accountability.
Career Highlights
• As an Entrepreneur: Launched Bright House Marketing in 2000, a successful marketing consultancy that works with consumer-targeted companies to develop cross-platform marketing strategies.
Miranda Troy helps individuals and teams adapt in this fast-paced world through leadership coaching, facilitated sessions and mindfulness meditation. With an educational foundation in Psychology and twenty years of experience in human resources, Miranda is always placing an emphasis on the "human".
As a HR Executive, she is known for integrating people strategies with business strategies, building leadership and management capabilities, driving effective talent development and performance development and ensuring optimal organizational alignment.
Career Highlights
(Autotrader.com) Facilitated the first cross divisional talent review process, working closely with the executive team to identify high performers with potential, succession plans for key roles, and key opportunities/training for high potential employees.
Job Titles:
- SCP Alliance Partner Talent Solutions
Nancy Cranford, former Vice President at Turknett Leadership Group, retired in 2019 and is now an Alliance Partner Talent Solutions. She has more than 35 years of combined experience in Human Resources & Loss Prevention. Nancy has a passion for helping our nation's Veterans and serves on the Board for the Veteran's Empowerment Organization (VEO), a non-profit in Atlanta that helps homeless Veterans to once again become self-sufficient members of their community. In addition to her passion for Veterans, Nancy also serves on the Advisory Board for the Hispanic Corporate Counsel of Atlanta (HCCA), and she is an active member of the organization. Nancy and her husband, a Veteran, are active members of Northpoint Community Church and serve as volunteer mentors to engaged couples and lead a Small Group. They have three grown sons and enjoy the grandkids, a family dog, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Atlanta Braves.
Career Highlights
Former Vice President at Turknett Leadership Group, retired in 2019
Nicole Collier Harp, Ph.D. is a management consultant, author, and coach. Her work is grounded in curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. This mindset frames all her engagements including coaching conversations, research and learning initiatives. She embraces human-centered design which encourages collaborative, transparent, and iterative partnerships. Nicole strives to co-create experiences that challenge old thinking and inspire lasting change.
Career Highlights
For a National Public Health Institute: Provided leadership coaching for supervisors, professional staff, and high potential employees. Led the design and implementation team for a virtual, self-paced learning experience that builds inclusive habits
Perry Anne specializes in building organizational capability by developing people toward business results. Her experience over the past two decades spans Fortune companies and non-profits.
Her corporate career began in training and instructional design and progressed to leading learning and development organizations. As a consultant her work has included competency modeling, assessing talent for senior leadership placement, executive coaching, and facilitating strategic and action planning sessions.
Perry Anne has served client organizations based in the U.S, U.K., and Australia in international development, healthcare, biotech, IT security, construction, and engineering.
Perry Anne earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of South Carolina and an M.Ed. in Human Resources and Organization Development from the University of Georgia. She completed intensive training through the College of Executive Coaching and is an advanced certified Hogan Assessment consultant. She is an authorized partner for both the DiSC and the Five Behaviors of Cohesive Team programs and is a certified Everything DiSC facilitator.
Perry Anne was a presenter at the American Society for Training and Development's 2001 national conference and at the 2015 and 2016 Georgia State University Leadership Conclave. She is a member of the Georgia chapter of the International Coach Federation (ICF), and SHRM Atlanta.
Perry Anne lives in Atlanta with her husband and their three children.
Hobbies
Recreating outdoors with my family (especially if it's on a boat that's on a lake that's in the mountains!)
Job Titles:
- Strategic Partner, Chief Storyteller
Richard Stone is a nationally recognized speaker on the power of story and its applications in business, healthcare and education. He got his start nearly 30 years ago developing story-based training programs for team building and leadership development and has been a leader in work on the healing effects of narrative reminiscence. Currently at StoryWork International, a partner of Turknett Leadership Group, Rick is focused on using the power of story to assist leaders to transform their organizations and their approach to leading, infusing their work with deeper purpose and meaning. This partnership allows for the exclusive offering of a suite of programs to serve the leadership and organizational development including The MasterStory Experience, MasterStory for Organizations, StoryCamp for Leaders, Story Envisioning, Story for Teams, and Storytelling for Non-profit Fundraising.
Career Highlights
For a Fortune 500 Company: Developed a story-based leadership development program for managers all the way up to C-Suite leaders
Job Titles:
- Co - Chairman
- Co - Founder
- Life Partner
Robert L. (Bob) Turknett co-founded Turknett Leadership Group (TLG) in 1987. He served as CEO of the firm for twenty-four years and now serves as co-chairman and senior consultant. Bob is a licensed psychologist, a trusted advisor to CEOs and boards, and a pioneer in CEO Coaching.
He is often heard saying that he really loves coaching the top person because "it enables him to get his arms around the entire organization," creating a high probability for real change. Bob has served as an executive coach to more than 1,000 executives in more than 100 companies.
Prior to founding TLG, Bob was in private practice for seven years, was a co-founder of the Georgia Psychological Health Network, and was Chief Psychologist for both Kentucky and Georgia's regional hospital systems.
Bob has served on numerous committees and the board of Atlanta Rotary. He has been a member of the American Psychological Association, the Georgia Psychological Association, the Academy of Management, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Management Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Using an individualized personal approach, Robin Mladinich guides leaders in clarifying and achieving their goals. As an award-winning coach, she has 20 years of experience in global leadership development. Her expertise is in coaching and growing high potential executives; developing leadership programs and competencies to evoke transformation; engaging and developing teams; managing interpersonal/team conflict; and developing cross-cultural competence.
Robin helps individuals and organizations to increase leadership capacity and effectiveness to produce sustainable, high-level performance. In her past leadership role as director of Georgia State University's (GSU) Executive MBA program, Robin coached a wide variety of leaders, from mid-level managers to C-suite executives across a range of industries. Robin's clients consist of Fortune 500 companies, small- and medium-sized firms, non-profits, entrepreneurs, educators and more in the USA and abroad. She has a track record of success in building strong leaders and teams, leading programs and leading others.
Robin has held leadership roles at GSU, Georgia Tech and University of Georgia as well as corporate and bilateral government positions. Robin brings a multicultural perspective that includes 4 years working in Belfast with the Northern Ireland Peace Process, directing a global program delivered on 4 continents and developing more than 20 study abroad and work programs around the globe. She is an avid international traveler having been to over 60 countries for work and pleasure.
Career Highlights
For a Fortune 500 Company: Coached high-potentials through senior executives to include 360 debrief and creating and implementing a leadership development plan.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Host Emerita of Women in Leadership
Susan B. Hitchcock is a native of Franklin, KY, a cum laude graduate of Agnes Scott College, a participant in Boston University's Leadership Institute, and a recipient of the GA Executive Women's Network Founders' Award. Susan's BellSouth corporate career included multiple lead ership positions in Network Operations and in the Management Assessment and Training organization.
For over two decades she worked with the Turknett Leadership Group as VP Client Services, Executive Director of Women's Initiatives, and currently, as an Adv isory Board member. She founded and has hosted Turknett's Women in Leadership (WIL) seminar series since 2003, having facilitated over 185 monthly programs to date. As a community advocate and volunteer, her past board service includes AWN, GEWN, Possible Woman Foundation, Literacy Volunteers, BD of Directors' Network, Global Ethical Leadership Foundation, and CEO Netweaver.
Currently, she serves on Agnes Scott's Athletic Advisory Council, is past president of the Alumnae Association, a former member of the BD of Trustees & Executive Committee, Chair of Student Affairs Committee, and is a 2017 Outstanding Alumnae Award recipient. In 2012 Susan was inducted into the Women etics Hall of Fame receiving a POW! Award for her leadership and advocacy for women's advance ment.
In 2014, Susan was an invited contributor to a book entitled "The Female Leader: Empowerment, Confidence & Passion." She also has interviewed and written "SHEro" profiles for over 60 women from various fields, is a keynote and workshop speaker, and writes monthly leadership highlights for Turknett's WIL seminars.
Career Highlights
For over two decades she worked with the Turknett Leadership Group as VP Client Services, Executive Director of Women's Initiatives, and currently, as an Advisory Board member
She founded and has hosted Turknett's Women in Leadership (WIL) seminar series since 2003, ending with #211 in December of 2020
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant, Non - Profit Practice
Tom Colligan has worked in the non-profit sector since 1976 with a diverse range of community-based, statewide, regional, national, and international organizations. He has extensive experience working with federated and membership organizations and associations, community centers, human/social service agencies, YMCAs, camping, environmental and social justice organization, arts groups, museums, affordable housing, senior services and care, and shelter organizations. He joined the Turknett leadership group in 2019 to expand TLG's range and capacity in working with nonprofits.
His skills in conducting organizational assessments and crafting plans based on the organizations' values and capacity have led to over 30 turnarounds and successful repositioning projects. He is especially skilled at working with high-level or dysfunctional boards and aligning board expectations with executive leadership expectations. Because of his work in diverse organizations, he brings a unique ability to work with diverse staff, board, community, funder and stakeholder populations and businesses.
Career Highlights
For International and National Membership Organizations: Successfully transitioned organizations with failed leadership in national and international organizations by stabilizing operations, finances and aligning selection of new executive leadership with the strategic plan
Job Titles:
- ACC VP of Leadership Development & Senior Consultant
- Executive Coach and Leadership Advisor
Tim Huff is an Executive Coach and Leadership Advisor who has a passion for helping leaders and executives at all levels tap into the greatness that exists within themselves to lead their teams at their full potential and live their lives intentionally and unapologetically. With over 26 years of high-stakes leadership experience in the U.S. Army as well as multiple Fortune 500 companies, he has a unique background that allows him to empathize with his clients' leadership challenges as he helps them in their journey of transformational change.
As a Certified Executive Coach, Tim enjoys coaching and advising individuals as well as teams in values-based leadership, effective behaviors, healthy relationships, executive presence, and high-performing team dynamics. With a strong business and Information Technology background, he understands the pressures placed on today's executives as well as the value of excellent leadership in an organization. Tim's mission is to help all leaders be at their best for their teams!
Career Highlights
For a Global Medical Supply Company: Led large-scale IT Managed Services transition for all network services and application development and support operations across 200+ applications yielding over $2M in savings