JOHN KOTTER - Key Persons
Alex serves as a Marketing & BD Associate at Kotter, with the goal of creating seamless connections between the two departments, and is always striving for new ways to make Kotter more efficient. He specializes in organizing internal processes, and evaluating inbound interest in Kotter's services. Before joining Kotter, Alex graduated from Bates College and has gained experience working in Investment Banking as well as for pre-revenue tech startups.
Brittainy has achieved success serving as a trusted advisor within Kotter's consulting practice. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Development with a focus on Leadership Development from Trevecca Nazarene University. She is skilled in program management and assisting organizations in developing and scaling their strategic goals within various industries. She has experience in driving behavioral change adoption and sustainability to help transform organizations. Brittainy's focus areas are managing stakeholder relationships, accelerating organizational change through people development, and business process design and optimization. Brittainy provides creative and innovative ideas that position leaders to successfully reinvent and reimagine their strategic operations.
Brittainy lives in Nashville, TN where she continues to serve her community by volunteering at various local non-profits.
For over 15 years, David has worked with global clients to accelerate the execution of their business strategies and drive the development of their top leadership talent. As a Managing Director for Kotter, David serves as the lead consultant on a number of KI's largest client engagements and has worked across a range of industries including energy, healthcare, financial services, defense and aerospace, and non-profit. Throughout his entire career, David has focused on unleashing the potential of leaders to drive organizational transformations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from William Jewell College, and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Northern Illinois University where he received the school's top honor for excellence in graduate study.
David is based out of the Cambridge, MA office.
Deb Seidman has over 25 years' experience working to enhance the effectiveness of leaders and their organizations, enabling them to execute their business strategy. She has worked with clients across a range of industries including financial services, pharmaceuticals, technology, government, and non-profit. Throughout her career, both in corporate operating roles and as an external consultant and coach, she has partnered with clients to gain insight into business challenges and opportunities, foster collaboration within and between teams, and facilitate organizational transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Master of Arts degree in Politics from New York University. She is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator. Deb lives in New York City where she can be found at her printmaking workshop creating lithographs and woodcut prints.
Job Titles:
- CHAIRMAN
- Harvard Professor
Dr. John Kotter, renowned Harvard professor and best-selling author, has forever altered how people think about leadership and change. His four decades of empirical research and 21 books have introduced the 8-Step Process for Leading Change, the 4 Change Principles, and the dual operating system. These methodologies are the foundation of the results we deliver.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Consultant at Kotter
As a Consultant at Kotter, Emily actively engages with clients in a wide array of industries, helping to foster a productive environment for strategizing and enacting change. Prior to joining Kotter, Emily interned at JumpStart Inc., an economic development and venture capital nonprofit, and served as a graduate assistant at the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. She has also worked and interned at prominent cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Museum of the City of New York. Emily is a double alumna of Case Western Reserve University, with both a Masters in Nonprofit Organizations and a Bachelors of Arts in Economics with minors in Art History and History.
Emily is based out of Westchester County, New York.
Evan Smith has helped organizations and leaders to deliver measurable results through successful change and business growth for more than 20 years. Earlier in his career, Evan led the Quality function for a global mid-cap chemical company. He worked within the corporate Performance Management function for a U. S. regional bank during a time of restructuring, as well as a business redesign to position units to better engage and service customers within the bank's investment services arm. Evan started his career with GE in its aerospace business, working within Information Technology.
His consulting clients have included major pharmaceutical, medical devices, financial services, chemical, automotive, technology, energy, and professional services companies, among others. He's currently engaged with leaders to help set and execute strategy, identify and work with critical new assumptions, and test business models.
Evan earned his Masters in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Organization and Management. He also holds Bachelor's Degrees in Industrial & Management Systems Engineering, and in Liberal Arts, from Pennsylvania State University.
Gaurav has a passion for translating strategy into successful implementation and for developing learning-focused teams. Gaurav has worked with clients in industries as diverse as food and beverage, oil and energy, healthcare, chemicals, and finance. Gaurav draws on his extensive global (having worked in over 10 countries) and diverse functional experience in collaborating with business leaders to develop and implement effective transformation efforts. Prior to joining Kotter, Gaurav lead the operations for the European office of Stroud International, a management and operations consulting firm. Gaurav combines his passion for international development and education in serving as an executive board member for a non-profit, Medic to Medic, that sponsors medical students in Uganda and Malawi. Gaurav holds a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Middlebury College and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.
Gaëtan served as President & CEO of NB Power for ten years and was appointed President & CEO of the Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB) shortly after. He is a committed industry leader and agent of change, driven by his deep connection to customer and employee grassroots. In addition to his advisory role at Kotter, he is also a strategic advisor for the legal firm McCarthy-Tétraultand and a member of the Net Zero Advisory Body, reporting to the federal Minister of Environment.
Gaëtan earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. He was later awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the same University. Atlantic Business Magazine Hall of Fame has honored Gaetan as a five-time Atlantic Region Top 50 CEO. He was the Chairman of the Board of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO - Atlanta Region), is currently the vice-chairman for the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute board, and is a board member of Picomole and EKKO.Acadie.
Joe Ottinger has over 25 years of operating leadership and management consulting experience having worked with highly successful global 1000 and rapidly scaling middle market companies. The focus throughout his career has been on scaling companies with a focus on strategic growth, improved operational execution, leading change, and up-skilling leadership to address the demands of growth. Joe was one of the co-founders of Kotter International. Subsequently, Joe started his own management consulting and training firm focused on scaling middle market companies. Joe is an author and thought leader in the areas of business value creation, strategy execution, innovation, and leadership. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Cornell University. Joe lives in Seattle with his wife and has three grown children.
Julie has nearly ten years of experience as an organizational development and change management professional, where she has brought the vision and strategy of organizations to life by driving change adoption, boosting employee engagement, and coaching leaders at all levels. She has extensive experience in partnering with key stakeholders to plan and lead successful change management and communications efforts, improve processes, and design meaningful programs that connect employees with business goals. Julie earned an MA in social science from the University of Washington where she specialized in community resilience, and she holds a BA in International Relations from Southern Methodist University. She resides in the Seattle area.
Julie is based out of Seattle, WA.
KATHY GERSCH - Chief Commercial Officer
Kathy brings over 25 years of executive level experience to Kotter. She has led teams in strategic planning, change leadership, business development, marketing, branding, merchandising, website development, product management, business analytics, finance, operations and administration. As one of the Founding Members of Kotter, Kathy has worked across multiple industries while at Kotter to help lead their transformation efforts. She has worked in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia in sectors including Consumer Products, Manufacturing, Retail, Energy, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Aerospace, and Financial Services.
Prior to joining Kotter, Kathy was a Vice-President at Nordstrom, Chief Marketing Officer and Retail GM at Drugstore.com and Beauty.com, and an Executive Vice-President leading Marketing and Merchandising at GiftCertificates.com. In addition, Kathy led a consulting firm that focused on senior executive consulting in strategic online and offline marketing, web strategy and re-design, channel strategy, business planning, capital sourcing, new venture development, market entry strategy, mergers and acquisitions, turnaround, and general business challenges.
Kevin Waits is an experienced HR/OD Development professional with 30 years of experience in the HR field. After several decades spent working in various corporate environments, Kevin chose to focus his talents and energy on the work that he most loves - helping leaders and their teams become more effective. To support this work, Kevin became certified The Birkman Method, The Hogan Suite, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and DISC. His educational background includes a Master of Science from Georgia State University in Industrial Relations, and a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Georgia Tech with a minor in I/O Psychology. Kevin is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resources Certification Institute and a Certified Managerial Coach by the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
Kevin is based out of Atlanta, GA.
With a background working across the Finance industry, from Commercial to Investment, Laurin has advised CEO and Senior Leaders on the acquisition process, operational excellence, lending, and financial performance. Blending her financial background with her education in Marketing, Laurin brings a unique perspective to her consulting clients - focusing not just on the end result, but how to achieve lasting success. Never accused of being the shy one in the room, Laurin is excited to bring her entire self to her work here at Kotter. With a history of leadership and planning, she applies Kotter's 8 Principles to every aspect of her personal life as well.
Laurin is based out of New York.
Leadership is about setting a direction. It's about creating a vision, empowering and inspiring people to want to achieve the vision, and enabling them to do so with energy and speed through an effective strategy. In its most basic sense, leadership is about mobilizing a group of people to jump into a better future.
Leslie is a team leader focused on developing the skills and know-how of those around her. Whether working with Hollywood stars, Heads of State, or Fortune 500 CEOs, Leslie brings the same solutions-oriented focus to her engagements. With a background in advertising, as well as running her own consulting practice, Leslie's operational experience spans from on-the-ground, high-tech product launches in Cairo and Addis Ababa, to setting consistent ‘intentional culture' in a corporate office launch expansion across the United States for a leading real-estate company.
Leslie enjoys learning about new industries while leveraging her unique combination of corporate experience and human capital development expertise. As a Senior Consultant for Kotter, Leslie is focused primarily on amplifying the internal strengths of her clients by employing the Kotter methodology to maximum effect. She has worked in North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe in sectors including Advertising, High-Tech, Consumer Products, Manufacturing, Energy, Government, Cosmetics, and Real Estate.
Leslie is based out of Washington, DC and New York.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, BD Leadership Development
Maria brings many years of experience in designing and leading in-person and distance-based initiatives that help organizations integrate interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to solving complex issues. Maria is the Associate Director, BD Leadership Development at Kotter, translating Kotter research into powerful learning experiences and sustaining transformation with each client by leveraging leadership development content. As a faculty member at Harvard Medical School's multidisciplinary Global Mental Health program, Maria teaches Human Rights at the intersection of the right to health, policy, and justice to leaders from government, international, non-profit, and humanitarian organizations.
Prior to joining Kotter, Maria was the director of a legal clinical program at Harvard Law School. At Harvard, she was instrumental in the design and implementation of leadership and coaching programs, mentoring initiatives, and fellowships. She has consulted with organizations like the International Rescue Committee, Girls Inc., and several international and national government organizations. Specifically, she has designed and facilitated leadership programs for UNICEF, which continue to be used by UNICEF for staff in disaster and emergency settings. Formerly a Harvard University Fellow, Maria holds a BA in Philosophy from Elizabethtown College and a Juris Doctorate degree from IU Bloomington.
Maria is based out of Kotter's office in Cambridge, MA.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal at Kotter
Martha serves as a Principal at Kotter, where she helps clients accelerate their strategies to achieve, and exceed, the results they seek. Throughout her career, she has led cross-disciplinary programs and teams across industrial product design and engineering; brand strategy and design; UX strategy, and digital development. Martha also was a founding member, operational leader, and coach in the SPRING social impact accelerator. She brings a human-centered design approach to our work here at Kotter. Her current focus spans across change leadership, change management, and digital transformation.
Martha holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University, and a Master's Degree in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics.
Martha is based out of the Cambridge, MA office.
Naomi is also a monthly contributor to the Globe and Mail's Report on Business section and co-founder of future foHRward (futurefoHRward.com), whose mission is to engage Human Resources (HR) Leaders in driving the "future of work" agenda.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director at Kotter
As a Director at Kotter, Nick draws on his wide skill set to help organizations formulate and achieve their strategy and culture goals. Nick aids clients in surfacing the delta between organizational aspirations and reality, closing that gap together.
His career journey has been one of constant curiosity and learning. From the awe-inspiring circus to the nimble world of unicorn startups, to the process-oriented United Nations, he has tackled challenges related to telling a compelling story and envisioning a new future, scaling, sustainability, and culture transformation. His clients have ranged in size and industry, with a focus on technology and government.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He also holds a dual Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from The Fletcher School and Urban Planning, both from Tufts University.
Rachel has worked with Dr. John Kotter since before Kotter was founded. Kotter's work delivers business-changing - and often life-changing - impact across industries and across the world, which is what she finds most inspiring. In her current role, Rachel lives the mission and vision of the company by building strategic, meaningful client partnerships and bringing the Kotter brand to market. Rachel has always believed, and will always believe that together, so much more is possible.
Rachel is based out of the Cambridge, MA office.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- CEO of Kotter
Rick is the CEO of Kotter, responsible for the company's short and long term strategic direction as well as day-to-day management decisions. During his tenure, Kotter has more than doubled in size. Prior to joining Kotter, Rick had a 37-year career at EY (Ernst & Young), serving in multiple senior leadership roles and assisting Fortune 500 companies with strategy execution and operational performance improvement. For more than a decade, Rick was a Managing Partner in a highly successful $3B functional unit and $700M geographic business unit. He later led a 4-year, large-scale internal change initiative to develop and launch the firm's globally consistent talent development process, EYU, after which EY was recognized in 2009 by BusinessWeek as the "Best Place to Launch a Career." Finally, Rick was a Global Client Service Partner, responsible for all services to large, multinational clients, including overseeing the merger integration of a $7B acquisition. Rick is passionate about leadership and navigating the complexities of transformational change. Rick and his wife, Terri, are the proud parents of two grown children and two granddaughters.
Rod has over 20 years experience accelerating change and transforming organizations for some of the most recognizable brands in the world. Rod leads the Consulting Operations at Kotter and serves as lead consultant for key clients and their leadership teams. His passion is helping solve complex organizational challenges better and faster and building lasting relationships along the way.
Rod is committed to giving back to his local community. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and currently serves as its Board Chair. Rod is a graduate of the Harvard Business School General Management Program (GMP). He also earned an MBA from The University of North Carolina and his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in computer science from Clark Atlanta University.
Rod is based out of Atlanta, GA.