Our Team

What We Do

For more than 25 years, we have coached business owners to transform their businesses and lives into world-class, inspiring operations – and we can do the same for you. Most business leaders ultimately realize that employees who feel motivated and supported will perform at their highest level, yet not all of those leaders know how to create a proactive environment within their organization.

Our Team

Chris Steely

Managing Director

Rated as one of the most effective business consultants and coaches in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Indonesia, and across the United States and Canada since 2003, Chris’s capacity to facilitate and build businesses is proven, as is his talent for creating a relaxed, team-oriented rapport, while getting teams actively engaged and experiencing optimal performance dynamics.  Chris has been called “The Unconventional Facilitator”; doing it differently, inspiring power, passion and possibilities.

Chris has over 25 years of business experience, specializing in Strategic Planning, Team Building, Diversity & Inclusion, and Change Management, bringing decades of leadership, business development, and team-building experience. Chris’ background includes international management consulting, business ownership, corporate VP in the Technology sector, service as an active duty United States Marine Corps logistics officer, and NCAA national rowing championship and coach.

Chris earned his MBA from Boston University, BS in Marketing from the University of Central Florida,  and a secondary diploma from Culver Military Academy. He holds numerous business coaching certifications, and is a certified Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner.

Guy is a CEO Advisor based in San Diego, CA, with over 30 years of experience as a CEO and President generating industry leading growth and shareholder value for manufacturing businesses, with revenues up to $300 million.

He has extensive industry experience supplying critical components in a variety of markets, including Medical Device, Clean Tech, Aerospace, Energy, On- & Off-Highway Equipment, Industrial Equipment, Automotive and Diesel Engine.  Guy’s experience is with a wide variety of strategic challenges and opportunities, under private equity, family office, private, public and foreign ownership. Guy has an MBA from USC and a BSME from UC Davis.

 

 

 

Guy Cassidy

Senior Consultant

David Thatcher

Senior Consultant

David is based in San Diego, CA, and known as an experienced, entrepreneurial technology executive focused on developing effective company strategies in sales, products and marketing to most efficiently promote growth and long-term success. David has vast experience in fundraising, M&A and operations.  He has held a number of significant roles in his career, including positions as CFO, COO and CEO, in both private and public technologies companies.

David has a BS in Accounting from San Diego State University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Wendy Haines brings more than 15 years of experience to her transformational coaching and facilitation. She is certified with the International Coaching Federation and is also Certified Somatic Coach. Wendy has a passion to create positive impact in the world and has been described as a visionary leader who calls out the best in people with a gift for bringing possibility to life.

Since 2003, as Founder of Illumine Education, Wendy has created and facilitated workshops empowering people in the arenas of personal and organizational success. Whether her clients are top-level executives or entrepreneurs, they praise the impact of Wendy’s inspiring and unique brand of leadership and authenticity.

Originally an actor and producer by profession, Wendy’s passion for cultivating Gender Partnership is informed by her time in the entertainment industry. Driven to be a part of the solution, Wendy Founded the organization, iWe – Inclusion for Women in the (Entertainment) Industry. This grassroots organization is unifying organizations and individuals working for gender parity across the industry.

Wendy’s work with us is a natural extension of her extensive experience and care for making a difference for individuals and organizations.

Wendy has faced the challenge of a life-threatening illness and can attest to overcoming it through embracing it as an opportunity to learn and grow. As an avid athlete, and as her personal commitment to wholeness, she has taught martial arts, holding a blackbelt in Shotokan Karate, participated for three years in the 575-mile California AIDS (bicycle) Ride, and placed in the top ten in her first-ever triathlon.

Wendy Haines

Senior Consultant

Vanessa Hall

International Ambassador For Trust

Vanessa Hall founded and leads the world’s only International Movement of Trust. Her business experience has seen Vanessa move from a career in risk management and compliance in the financial services industry, to a respected advisor improving what she calls the 3 R’s of trust – Results, Retention and Relationships, through strategies to build and restore trust in organizations, homes and communities.

Her personal experiences left Vanessa doubting if there was anyone in the world she could trust. It was a combination of her business and personal experiences, coupled with an epiphany brought about by her son, that ignited an unstoppable passion and a clear, God given mission that has seen Vanessa dedicate her life to teaching, advising, coaching, speaking, and writing to raise a new awareness to the power and fragile nature of trust through her uniquely simple but powerful model of trust.

Lisa is a COO/CFO and Investor Relations (IRO) advisor based in Phoenix, AZ with over 30 years of experience in life sciences/biotech/MedTech, private equity and venture capital, as well as with family offices and non-profits. Lisa has also helped a number of EU and US-based life sciences companies on a fractional basis with their investor relations and project management of the fundraising process (seed through crossover rounds), as well as other senior financial and operational consulting engagements.

Over her career, Lisa has held several significant C-suite roles including, Managing Director in PWC’s Asset Management Advisory Group, COO / CFO of Global Private Equity for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Controller for KKR & Co. and CFO/IRO for Meditrust, as well as C-Suite roles at CareMatrix and PhyMatrix, as well as CFO/IRO roles at several venture backed privately held life sciences and tech companies.  Lisa has an MBA from Bentley University.

Lisa Stone

Senior Consultant

Mike Flores

Senior Consultant

After graduating from UCLA, Mike Flores worked for 15 years in the university setting as Instructor, Coach and Director of Development at five universities, including UCLA, the University of Hawaii and the University of Arizona.

For the last 20 years, he has owned his own company with a focus on leadership/executive coaching, and facilitation services. He has provided leadership consulting to leaders of local universities, community colleges, local non-profit organizations and leaders of $100M+ organizations. Additionally,  Mike also has a long history of community involvement, sitting on over 12 non-profit Boards.

Besides graduating from UCLA, he is also a graduate of Coaches Training International (CTI), and he has completed his hours for certification as an Executive Coach.  He also is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Mike also has an athletic background, he was a starting QB at UCLA and coached Division I college football for 10 years, including a UCLA Rose Bowl Championship Team.

Gordon McWilliam

Senior Consultant

Gordon’s corporate and entrepreneurial background in marketing, sales, operations and day to day management gives him the unique ability to bring his knowledge and innovation to a broad spectrum of businesses. His willingness to listen and analyze a problem before finding a solution is key to working with his clients and is a significant strength. As a lifelong learner, Gordon has always been able to stay ahead of the curve by bringing fresh ideas and innovative solutions to the status quo.

While consulting with companies around the world, Gordon is able to teach his clients how to take advantage of the significant opportunities in the marketplace and avoid the mistakes that so often cause businesses to grow slowly or in many cases fade away. Consulting, coaching and collaborating with organization to achieve their maximum growth provides his greatest satisfaction.