DECKER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President - Program Design and Delivery Read Bio
Amelia oversees the Decker program experience - management of the core curriculum, new program development, client customization, our dynamic team of Program Leaders, and scheduling. She is the resident expert for program customization, and she enjoys the challenges of tailoring programs to meet specific client needs, goals, and timeframes.
Amelia leads strategic programs and workshops and serves as an executive coach. In addition to her leadership role at Decker, Amelia loves the opportunity to have a direct impact on the communication skills of others.
Amelia's professional background is in advertising and strategic communications, working with a variety of regional and national clients on message development and communication strategy. Prior to Decker, she was director of marketing and fundraising for a countywide nonprofit in southern California.
Amelia holds an MS in Strategic Communication from the University of Kansas. She and her husband live in Asheville, North Carolina with their twin children. In her spare time, Amelia loves to cook, run and travel.
Job Titles:
- Nigerian - American Executive & Leadership Coach
- Senior Program Coach Read
Nigerian-American Executive & Leadership Coach, Andrea Nwoke, leverages her diverse experience to support executives and rising leaders in developing their authentic leadership style, building confidence and achieving powerful results. She empowers clients to find their full voice with intention, grow with definitive action, and celebrate every accomplishment. Through executive and leadership coaching, she supports teams and individuals to overcome momentum blockers, take charge of their professional development, and skillfully manage difficult situations.
As a professional opera singer, Andrea's devotion to language, nuance, and precision translated beautifully to the corporate world, where she was an indispensable presence in the C-suites of global companies such as Coach for the past decade. Andrea loves that her work with Decker gets to blend her two lives. Coaching professionals to communicate well when the pressure is on is the perfect marriage of her lifelong expertise of being center stage and the high-level intimate understanding of the demands faced on modern working professionals.
Honoring her artistic passions, Andrea serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Seagle Festival. She is a frequent guest speaker, moderator, facilitator, and panelist for various arts organizations and DEI initiatives. She is a certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Quantum Endeavors Licensed Coach, InPowered Leadership Licensed Coach, and member of the International Coaching Federation.
She resides in NYC with her aptly named and well-dressed shihpoo, Tosca. She loves to travel and aims to someday claim fluency in French and Italian. When she's not at Decker she's probably singing…..loudly.
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager
- Operations Manager Read Bio
Ariel is stoked to join the Decker team to continue empowering people with the tools they need to thrive in business. She is constantly working on her communication skills…if you have ever spent time with a 4-year-old, you will know what she means by that. You can also find her in the garden, walking around the neighborhood, or mentoring new moms.
Job Titles:
- Chairman and Co - CEO Read Bio
Ben drives the Decker vision, ensuring that we always set out to transform individuals to increase their impact. In addition to speaking and leading executive programs, he spearheads Decker's strategy and expansion efforts.
His prior experience and success in sales and sales management in the telecommunications and surgical industries validated the importance of communicating effectively, even in the most brief interactions.
Ben holds a BS in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Ben has literally been steeped in the Decker Method his entire life. Early on in his "career," he remembers being videotaped prior to his junior high book reports. In hindsight, he can certainly see the value of it, but the jury is still out on whether or not he'll subject his own three boys to do the same.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Founder
- Founder and Chairman Emeritus Read Bio
A true visionary, Bert launched Decker Communications in 1979 to transform people's lives - and that mission remains the same today. Bert's passion for communications evolved from his early career as a successful filmmaker. After turning the camera on himself, he became keenly aware of the power of video feedback and the need for communications coaching.
Since then, Bert has become a nationally recognized communications expert, appearing on the NBC TODAY Show several times, a commentator on Presidential Debates, and featured on ABC's 20/20 and dozens of other print and broadcast media. Bert is entrepreneurial to his core.
In addition to speaking and writing, he is the founder of seven companies and organizations, Chairman of the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army, and fancies himself an early adopter of all things tech.
5 time Olympic Gold Medal speed skater (record), married to speed skating executive Dave Cruikshank, mother of two, Professional Speaker, Olympic Advisor and corporate spokesperson. Milwaukee, WI.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Member of the Consulting Group
- Senior Consultant Read Bio
Bryan is driven by helping others reach their full potential. As a member of the consulting group, Bryan trains, coaches, and consults with domestic and international clients. He is known for working with C-Suite and senior executives from Fortune 100 companies, including Google, LinkedIn, Apple, Fidelity, State Street, Workday, Universal Pictures, Delta Airlines, and Cisco. He has also advised communication strategies for emerging minds at MIT University and consulted with international heads of government.
Bryan is well known for his ability to help executives create connections, whether on stage for a conference keynote or internally in the boardroom.
He is also known for bringing a creative and technical communication mindset to his work. He grew up speaking and performing on stage, where he became comfortable in front of large audiences, winning his first speech competition at 13. He moved to Los Angeles for the entertainment industry and began working with studios like Warner Brothers, Fox, and Sony Pictures shortly after. This work led to a life-changing experience working with the Peace Corps in Central America.
After his return to the US he was called to work with speakers and develop messages for large live stages and in the broadcast studio for CreativeLive, which organically started his coaching and consulting career. He has developed curriculum and coached speakers delivering to online audiences with sizes in the hundreds of thousands. His content has been seen by over 1m people worldwide.
Job Titles:
- Sales Operations Manager
- Sales Operations Manager Read Bio
Carmen comes to Decker from the SAAS start-up space with a wealth of experience in Sales Operations. She has experience in starting from scratch, building up, and expanding efficiency within Sales and Marketing organizations, and enjoys supporting the team to do what they do best.
Carmen graduated from UCLA with dual degrees in Psychology and Sociology. In her spare time, she likes to travel, snowboard, indulge in sweets, and volunteer as a first responder in music and sport events in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Job Titles:
- Client Operations Manager Read Bio
Celeste is the glue that holds the Decker office together. She works magic behind the scenes as the single point of contact for end-to-end program execution. As a result, participants experience a seamless program, helping them fully commit to honing their communication skills.
Celeste holds a BA in Speech and Communication from San Francisco State University and took her degree into the working fields of hospitality, media, and now brings her communication skills to Decker.
Job Titles:
- Partner at Principal, Coates & Associates, Inc.Read Bio
Principal, Coates & Associates, Inc. which consults in transportation, logistics and supply chains. He's held numerous leadership roles in Marketing and President for supply chain organizations. Doug is based in Carmel By The Sea, CA.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Senior Consultant
- Senior Consultant Read Bio
Eliza joined Decker ten years ago and has since coached leaders all over the world on their communication. Her passion is helping people get comfortable using their "weekend" voices in business, taking down barriers to authenticity and connection. She has a special fondness for developing leaders, having led executive development for a consulting firm in her work experience outside of Decker. She's also served as a communication coach for students at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and loves helping entrepreneurs communicate big, world-changing ideas.
Since joining Decker, Eliza has led communications programs in the U.S. and abroad for executives at Fidelity Investments, Stryker, Protiviti, McDonald's Corporation, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Google, AT&T, Charles Schwab, Lam Research, Infoblox, State Street and more.
Outside of her work life, Eliza is the associate artistic director of San Francisco musical theater company Ray of Light Theatre, where she directs full productions. She's also learning big lessons about communication every day as the mother of an active toddler. You can find her in San Francisco playgrounds and libraries every weekend.
Job Titles:
- Team Operations Manager Read Bio
Erin knew that she wanted to be a part of the Decker Team immediately after reading the core values. It was exactly what she had been looking for-a company that cares about people.
Erin graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Film Studies. As a lover of storytelling, she had always wanted to be part of an organization that used the power of storytelling to inspire people to create a positive impact and transformative change in others.
Outside of work, Erin is a huge book nerd who loves to read. As a native of western New York, Erin is a huge Buffalo Bills fan. When she's not watching the Bills, she spends her weekends in New York City writing, rock climbing, seeing movies or spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Leader & Onboarding Specialist Read Bio
Gene was six minutes into the Communicate to Influence program when he realized Decker was exactly where he wanted to be. He loves helping people become better communicators and is consistently amazed by the effectiveness of video feedback.
Gene comes to Decker with an extensive background in journalism, including more than two decades at CNN in a wide range of production and newsgathering roles. He played a lead role covering stories including the financial crisis, the Occupy Wall Street movement, the Bernard Madoff securities fraud case, Superstorm Sandy and the September 11th terror attacks.
His passion for communication extends to music, as well. A pianist, bassist and guitarist, he's recently begun composing and recording. Additionally, Gene loves hunting for the best artisanal cheeses among many other foods. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Strategic Relationships and Open Enrollments Read Bio
Decker at its core is ‘people helping people.' From clients to employees, there is a culture here that illuminates positivity and warmness which makes everything here that much more fun.
I have been in different fields of sales for over 6 years and genuinely enjoy making connections with others while watching their progress and victories.
As a wine enthusiast, and my alma mater being in the heart of wine country, I am currently enrolled at Sonoma State University again to obtain my Wine Business Management degree for fun. Football season and Christmas is where my heart resides year-round and love to travel, cook and attend music festivals and concerts.
Jenny has long been fascinated by what people say and how they say it. She is passionate about leveraging storytelling in business and loves helping Decker clients all over the world craft their messages. A former news reporter in Los Angeles, she covered gritty urban crimes, investigated the inner world of street gangs, followed high-profile celebrity trials and tracked the occasional Presidential visit. Her breaking news story about the murder of a social worker at a clinic won a statewide award and led to tighter OSHA security measures. A San Francisco native, Jenny holds a BA in Journalism with Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude honors from the University of Southern California. At Decker, Jenny also draws upon her experience working at CBS-TV and Hyatt Hotels. But it's her love for travel and chapters living in the Caribbean that gave Jenny a lifetime of stories and taught her an essential skill for Decker road trips: how to pack light.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Coach Read
Joanna is a California girl, Bay Area native, and dual citizen of the US and England. She went to Westmont College in Santa Barbara where she was amazed that she could go on a hike and swim in the ocean on the same day, and did so frequently, while majoring in communications.
As a high school student, Joanna had been a part of an organization called Young Life, where adults befriend, mentor, and create a place where young adults can have fun, be heard and be themselves. The first decade of her career Joanna worked as the director for Young Life programs in San Francisco. There was no better place to practice communication with every age, cross culturally, and strategically targeted messages for unique audiences of youth, volunteers, donors, and the board. Joanna has a MA in Christian Leadership.
In 2021, Joanna joined the Decker team to focus her love of communication and share it with leaders in the business world. She loves teaching content, meeting new people, observing company culture, and seeing the incredible impact and improvement that people make through coaching and seeing themselves on video.
Joanna loves variety and the spice of life, so she also owns and operates a mobile bar cart for private events, loves to travel, host dinner parties and game nights, and is an avid player of spikeball.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Senior Consultant Read Bio
John guides new and experienced executives as they transform their businesses through novel strategies, products, and ways of working. Underpinning his practice is a core belief that leaders-and teams-must be excellent communicators to succeed. While much of his work is with global organizations, he is equally at home with early-stage startups and pre-IPO firms as they transform their businesses and engage with new stakeholders. John has advised several European executives as they make the cultural transition to leading in North America.
Recent clients include leaders and teams at Google, Morgan Stanley, Hero Digital, Engie Impact, Digitas, Stryker, Fidelity, Newmark, Trane, GSK, JLL and others. His clients are chief executives, COOs, plus leaders of risk and compliance, sales and marketing, sustainability, HR, and high-tech product design and manufacturing. His work often begins by helping leaders identify, articulate, and deliver ground-breaking strategies, and then spreading those ideas in impactful ways.
John brings an entrepreneurial mindset to his work. He founded One Day University, an adult-education startup, which grew from two founders to 40 team members before being acquired. He launched and led two media properties for established media organizations and helped launch Hearst's first venture into online learning. In his first career, as a long-form journalist, John was published in Wired, The New York Times Magazine, Smart Business, National Geographic, and several other leading publications.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, John has served on the board of his local business incubator, advises local entrepreneurs pro bono, and coaches youth soccer.
Former Vice Chairman and Head of Global Wealth and Investment Management for Bank of America and Merrill Lynch where he lead the team through unprecedented growth and change. He currently serves as a Board member for The V Foundation for Cancer Research and for Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He's also a Senior Advisor for My Next Season a strategy consulting firm. John is based in Florida.
Job Titles:
- VP, Strategic Relationships Read
Jominee spent 20+ years in global technology sales management and executive leadership roles. She managed various territories in the US and Fortune 500 clientele worldwide. She loves the challenge of changing people's minds and perceptions. And, what she loves most about her 20+ years in tech are the meaningful relationships formed with her colleagues and friends.
This is what brought her to Decker. Building lasting relationships with clients is what matters most to Jominee when it comes to her work. She is excited to bring this aspect of her career to the Decker culture.
In her personal time, Jominee serves on the board of Boys & Girls AID, a non-profit for foster children and youths. She loves helping people and is passionate about helping kids find their forever home. Born in the Philippines and traveling at a young age, she thrives on traveling to new places, experiencing different cultures, and being a huge foodie, trying out different foods. Jominee also loves spending time entertaining friends and family and exploring the NW hiking.
During nearly three decades of public speaking, technical sales, and business ownership, Jon grew an obsession for solving an epic problem: meaningless meetings. This led him to Decker.
Jon is thrilled to join Decker's team, sharing his passion for mentoring in business, especially in the area of effective communication. He loves watching people discovering the best parts of themselves, then finding a way to share their truth clearly and powerfully.
Jon lives in Sacramento, California with his wife of twenty-eight years. When he's not working, he spends most of his time outside, working on a home project or playing in the nearest body of water. When forced to stay inside, he plays and composes music, often with the help of one of his three adult children. Jon holds a degree in music from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Strategic Client Advisor Read Bio
Jonathan leads Decker's New York office. He brings two decades of experience in designing and delivering organizational communications and performance improvement programs for some of the world's most admired companies.
Jonathan has worked extensively in the areas of strategy, innovation, leadership, business development, and brand activation. His agency affiliations have included JWT, the Involvement Practice, Bonfire Communications, and New York Consulting Partners.
In addition to his work in communications, Jonathan is an accomplished artist whose paintings and drawings have been widely exhibited, and his writing has appeared in numerous journals and literary reviews.
Job Titles:
- CEO of LQ Digital
- CEO of Lq Digital Read Bio
Katy is CEO of LQ Digital. Previously she led marketing for seven-year as the CMO and Head of Alliances for Lithium Technologies An Enterprise software executive with 20 years experience in B2B and SaaS/subscription models, her roles have included Executive Vice President for ServiceSource. Katy is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Job Titles:
- Co - CEO Read Bio
- Communication Strategist
Kelly is a communication strategist and storyteller, executive coach, keynote speaker and co-CEO of Decker Communications, Inc. She is passionate about the firm's mission to empower others to connect, influence and inspire. She works with clients to unlock the potential in their leaders and teams so they can boost their impact, lead by influence and inspire change.
Her first book, Communicate to Influence: How to Inspire Your Audience to Action was published in 2015. She has also been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Marketwatch and Marie Claire.
Every day, she leverages the skills and the past experience that she gained in consulting with the Alexander Group and in corporate communications and sales management with AT&T. Having grown up in a large Italian family, Kelly has worked hard to overcome the communications challenge of over gesturing. She's also a proud survivor of growing up with three brothers, and she uses her experience to raise her three boys.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales Enablement Read Bio
Kristen is responsible for sales enablement and operations. She has an extensive 20+ year marketing background as well and worked for numerous consumer and technology brands, including Adobe, Yahoo!, Kikkoman, and Sage|Intacct, and numerous SaaS startups in demand generation and branding roles.
Kristen has a passion for outdoor adventures, so you'll often find her running, in the mountains, skiing, camping, or traveling to new locales. Some of her favorite recent travel adventures include Machu Picchu, Everest Base Camp (Nepal), and white water rafting in the Grand Canyon. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, expanding her knowledge of wines.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Leader & Program Specialist Read Bio
As a Senior Program Leader for Decker, Linda's enthusiasm for her clients is infectious. She is honored to foster program participants' growth as leaders and communicators as they learn and apply the Decker Method.
Prior to joining Decker, Linda held leadership positions in industries ranging from not-for-profit to venture capital. Outside her life at Decker, Linda is the Communication Coach-in-Residence at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and teaches entrepreneurial communication to Stanford undergraduates. Additionally, she developed the curriculum for, and taught, Stanford's first class on presentation design and delivery skills.
Linda has an MBA from the University of Connecticut, an MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a BS in Accounting from Fairfield University. And as if that wasn't enough, she spent two years studying at the Academy of Art University. She considers herself over-educated, over-caffeinated, and at times, over-stressed.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, and reading. She lives in the SF Bay Area with her daughter.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Strategic Relationships & Customer Success Read Bio
Maura is passionate about the power of influence and was intrigued from the first time she was introduced to the Decker program and methodology in 2014. Years later, she would run into Decker again and was thrilled at the opportunity to join the team!
Maura's professional background includes 21 years in financial services. Prior to Decker, she led various teams at Fidelity Investments including a Communications Consultant team and a Customer Experience team for the business unit she supported. She was also Chair of the Women's Leadership Group, the largest employee resource group in the company, and is very committed to helping women in business.
On a personal note, Maura lives outside of Boston, MA and has one daughter. Maura and her daughter love to travel and have been blessed to take some great trips. So far, their favorite is Italy-specifically Tuscany. She looks forward to more great trips in their future.
Captivated by the transformative power of video, Maurice was intrigued by the profound contrast between the way individuals see themselves and how they are perceived by their audiences. He loves seeing leaders thrive and become more confident as they gain self-awareness and embrace more effective communication habits.
With a 25-year background in international engagements spanning public relations, corporate messaging, and academia, Maurice was the founder of MTC Consulting. The firm developed communication materials in multiple languages for U.S. multinationals in Latin America and Europe. Maurice has extensive experience in managing teams across four continents, seamlessly navigating diverse cultural landscapes to ensure efficient and impactful global communication synergies.
Maurice earned his BA in Organizational Psychology from Northeastern University and did his post-graduate work at NYU and the City University of London. He is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Enthusiastic about skiing, scuba diving, and diverse cultures, he has traversed the globe, establishing a home base in New York City.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Strategic Relationships Read Bio
Mike has over two decades of experience building high-performance teams and driving revenue growth for leading B2B technology companies, successfully scaling go-to-market strategies across the Fortune 500. He has held senior leadership roles at startups, private equity, and multinational publicly traded companies. He spent 18 years at Seagate Technology leading global GTM teams as well executive sales and marketing roles at Rapid Robotics, Flex, Enphase, and Aricent. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree from Park University and an MBA from Regis University.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Consulting Enablement Read Bio
A bay area native, Nicolette graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) with a major in visual communications. Her organization skills buttoned up with her background in the arts enhanced her career as an event planner for the past several years. Experience in event planning has strengthened her concept development and time management skills substantially. Making her a great addition to the Decker team! She assists the Senior Consultants with their scheduling and design needs.
In her spare time, Nicolette cultivates a passion for live music, fashion, and family connection. She never misses an opportunity to see her favorites perform - From her dad to local bands in her hometown, such as, The Story So Far to The Rolling Stones. You can guarantee she's styled an original outfit tailored to each event!
Former Chairman & CEO of Pacific Growth Equities. On the Advisory Board for the Western Territorial, San Francisco Metro, and Napa Salvation Army. Rick also serves on the Board of Directors for LRAD and Kopin. Rick is currently the Co-founer of Goldi Wine and based in Napa, CA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Senior Consultant Read Bio
Susan is passionate about encouraging people to lead confidently in their area of expertise. Susan truly cares about the people with whom she works, and she is committed to their transformation and success.
Prior to joining Decker, Susan worked as an Account Executive at Google Networks. Susan led a team in ad campaign management for key travel and technology clients. She brings over ten years of experience in the technology industry to Decker.
A respected leader, teacher and coach, Susan has established the foundations of two nonprofit organizations, implemented leadership processes and managed teams of over 80 people. Susan enjoys running, hiking, horseback riding and RVing with her husband and three children. She graduated Cum Laude from Hamilton College.
Job Titles:
- Director - Strategic Relationships Read Bio
Susan is passionate about helping develop, coach and train people to find "it" - that influence that will make them successful.
During her 30 years of medical sales experience with extraordinary companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Surgikos, Quest Laboratories, Hanger Orthopedics and Abbott, Susan was most passionate about sales training and professional development of her teams. When she learned about Decker, she thought, "Why haven't I been doing this all along?"
Susan graduated from UCLA with a BA in English (and she still has a fantasy of using that degree to become a food critic). Susan loves travel, hiking, yoga, biking, collecting seashells and anything spa. She never misses a sunset.
Susan Levy describes Decker as "serious fun," the idea that even professional development can be joyful and exciting. With an impressive 20-year background in consultative selling and coaching, she's passionate about providing both the education and encouragement her clients need to move their careers forward. Prior to joining our team, Susan worked as the Senior Manager, Corporate Business Development for Peet's Coffee. She held an array of management roles focused on employee engagement, leadership development, and sales training, including work as the Regional Vice President of Sales for Richardson, the Vice President of Business Solutions for IMPACT Group, and as a Facilitator and Coach at BlessingWhite. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Pecos River, facilitating change management training for Fortune 500 clients. Susan is a Certified coach and facilitator with Coaches Training Institute, ATD, Pecos River and BlessingWhite, and holds certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (the Results Model), Coaching Frameworks, the Miller Heiman Sales Process, the Richardson Sales Process, and more. Outside of work, her passion for "serious fun" often displays itself on the tennis court or glued to the TV watching grand slam tournaments.
Suzie brings her background in the theatre to her role as Program Leader. Since joining Decker in 2021, she has worked with clients in the U.S. and internationally, including AT&T, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cox, Fidelity, Google, Hilton, JPMorgan Chase, Mercedes, Pfizer, Schwab, State Farm, Sysco, Warner Media & Workday.
Before Decker, Suzie spent 20 years communicating the value of the arts to corporate, civic, and government stakeholders through fundraising, talent recruitment, and education initiatives.
Suzie was born in the U.S. but grew up in London, earning a BA in drama, and training as a professional actor before moving back to the U.S. to raise her family. She holds an MA in Liberal Arts and resides in Southern California.
When not exploring new cities to satisfy her wanderlust, she can be found in a museum, the theater, or a yoga class.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Strategic Partnerships Read Bio
As the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Terry builds relationships with Decker's most important partners and clients. He was employee #3 with the company in 1980, and he feels strongly that Decker is the preeminent communications training and consulting firm in the business.
Terry has been in sales and sales management for almost all of his 40 years in business. In addition to Decker, past positions included stints as the Director of National Ad Sales for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Vice President of Sales for SoftAd and work for such larger corporations as Continental Can and Castle and Cooke. He is one of 7 children - a graduate of the University of Notre Dame - and is proud to be a husband, father and very active in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.