C-Suite Advisory
Boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams partner with EDC to secure independent, objective advisors. We work with leaders to help them assess, grow, and develop their skills. At EDC, our C-suite Advisory is rooted in proven leadership science and decades of experience working with some of the world’s most well-known brands.
CASE
STUDY
What happens when a new CEO is not working well with his team? Learn how a long-term advisory relationship transformed a CEO’s efficacy.
THE CHALLENGE
A shaky start for a new CEO
One of our clients put a new CEO in place. The CEO was a seasoned executive but new to the company and was surprised at some of the resistance he was facing from his organization. After about one year in the role, he needed some honest feedback on his leadership.
We began a coaching relationship with him and started by conducting a 360 feedback review. EDC gained the trust of the leadership team and was able to provide the CEO with some very candid, and at times tough feedback. With coaching, the CEO realized that many of the things that had made him successful previously were now getting in his way.
THE SOLUTION
A longtime advising relationship at the highest levels
Our client's industry was experiencing unprecedented changes and upheaval. Fundamental shifts in consumer buying habits and the COVID-19 pandemic required this company to rethink every one of their processes and, as a result, the leadership was under a great deal of stress.
Our advising relationship with the CEO helped him feel like he had an independent and trusted resource in his corner for the various challenges he and his team faced.
One-on-One Coaching
Following his first 360 review, we worked with the CEO individually to develop areas he needed to adjust or adapt, and assessed what was needed to support his team as they led significant change in their organization. This began a long-term coaching relationship with the CEO that also included developing the leadership team to be more aligned and prepared to lead through a transformation.
Leadership Development and Culture Change
Once the CEO felt more connected to and supported by his team, he recognized that the company culture as a whole needed to transform. We worked with him and his team to strategically align the organization and build up the capabilities they needed in their senior leaders. For example, even though the executive team was exhibiting new cultural norms, their reports were still experiencing the profound stresses of their changing industry and the work required to navigate a new organizational design. The CEO and his team asked EDC to work with the top 400 leaders to help them come together and better manage and lead their transformation.
THE IMPACT
A cultural transformation and a legacy of modernization
Overall, the CEO was committed to leaving a good legacy and building up the next generation of leaders for his company. He and his team were able to modernize many of the company’s core processes and technological infrastructure while developing their key leaders. Ultimately, the work resulted in leaders who were more prepared to drive change and an executive leadership team that’s less siloed, more integrated and more cooperative across functions.
While the industry is still facing upheaval, the leaders at this organization, thanks to the work they’ve done with EDC, have the tools to name the issue and work problems together, rather than tearing each other apart.
Meet the Team
James Brooks
James specializes in helping companies find, assess and develop world-class leaders and a robust talent pipeline. He has consulted with some of the world’s largest and most admired companies, including AbbVie, BlackRock, Cisco Systems, Morgan Stanley, Nike, the NBA, and Johnson & Johnson. James has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational psychology from DePaul University where the focus of his graduate research was on 360-degree feedback and behavioral change.
Adam Ortiz
Dr. Adam Ortiz is particularly known for his work assessing executives and assisting them to develop core leadership, self-management, and communication skills. His perspective has evolved over the last 20 years through working with leaders across a wide range of Fortune 500 companies including American Express, Bank of America, BlackRock, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Thomson Reuters, and Time Warner. Adam received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas. He is a licensed Psychologist in the state of Minnesota.
Organizational perspective.
Individual attention.
Stacey Philpot
For over 20 years, Dr. Stacey Philpot has advised some of the world’s most admired companies on how to use leadership development to accelerate growth and increase their competitive advantage. Her work has helped companies such as Apple, Bristol Myers Squibb, General Mills, Harley Davidson, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, Nike, PayPal, and Time Warner. Stacey received her doctorate in Organizational Psychology from Rutgers University. Her doctoral research explored how early family experiences influence women’s career expectations and selection of work roles.