Amanda Bell , Ph.D.

Leadership Consultant

Amanda (Mandy) is an expert in assessing top candidates for high-impact leadership roles, executive coaching for emerging or transitioning leaders, and training teams to be more effective amid disruption or change. She is currently focused on projects related to CEO succession planning, team effectiveness during mergers and acquisitions, and family business leadership planning. As a coach, she aims to push leaders to be creative in taking advantage of their unique circumstances and believes giving difficult feedback is a gift. She applies her knowledge and skills to helping leaders strategically define their goals in a way that is both personally motivating and in line with the business.

Mandy’s perspective on leadership and organizational dynamics is informed by 10 years of applied psychological research. Her work emphasizes employee health and recovery from stress, and the trickle-down effects of leaders’ behaviors on teams and organizations. She complements this research background with undergraduate teaching and lab management. She has shared her findings and thought leadership with the community in various blogs and academic journals, including an article published in Stress and Health and a blog published in Psychology Today, cited in Fast Company.

Mandy is an avid equestrian, having trained and competed in Dressage for over 25 years. She enjoys spending her evenings cooking vegetarian dinners with her husband and son, while competing in Jeopardy (and occasionally Wheel of Fortune over dessert).

Amelia McCullough

Client Service Coordinator

 Amelia joined Vantage in 2021 as Executive Assistant to Partner David Sowinski. Five months in, she moved into her current role as Client Service Coordinator for a top client and now manages a cadre of the Vantage clientele.

Amelia holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Anthropology and Animal Science, which have taken her around the world. This has also cultivated a unique skill set that has proven valuable across a few different careers. She has directed a laboratory in Belize, learned how to read Mayan hieroglyphs, and even transported archaeological remains across international lines. She has also office managed for a company that sold yeast to commercial breweries. Able to run tasting events and industry talks, the brewing industry is still her favorite customer of all time.

Outside of the office, Amelia loves traveling, honing her cooking techniques, and appreciating her husband’s brewing and cocktail-making skills. In cold weather, her favorite activities are board gaming and visiting museums. 

Beau River , Psy.D.

PARTNER

Beau is passionate about helping organizations promote human development in a way that drives business growth. This is a core tenet of his work, from helping design and implement competency models and leadership development programs to supporting long-term succession planning and due diligence as part of M&A. His coaching is fundamentally focused on bringing the best out of people by accelerating the development of individuals and their teams. His professional experience reflects his appreciation of diversity, with clients from the middle market to family-owned/privately-operated companies and Fortune 500 organizations. He has supported leaders across functional disciplines and worked in a range of industries. Specifically, in his work with multiple signature private equity firms, Beau has created insight and alignment throughout the due diligence process to ensure effective execution of the investment thesis.

His primary areas of interest and expertise include executive assessment, leadership coaching and HiPo development, and facilitating high-performance teams to enhance collaboration and collective success. He also has extensive experience evaluating the governance and overall fiduciary effectiveness of corporate boards. As a Partner at Vantage, he is committed to building transformative relationships with clients based on mutual trust and a deep understanding of their business needs.

As an adjunct faculty member, Beau has taught executive coaching and supported women’s leadership executive education at Northwestern University, as well as worked with the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business students to hone their executive skillsets. He has presented his research on high-potential leaders at conferences hosted by the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Society of Consulting Psychology, and SHRM. He frequently publishes his insights and is a regular contributor to Forbes in the area of leadership strategy. In his spare time, Beau enjoys yoga, biking, and building Legos with his sons, Theo and Wynnie.

Carl Robinson , Ph.D.

Founding Partner

Carl has been with Vantage for 35 years, and served as Managing Partner from 1999 to 2015. Licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in 1985, Carl has spent the better part of his career assisting a broad range of businesses in the management of change and developing effective leadership strategies. Recently, he has focused on accelerating the development of emerging executives, particularly aspiring CEOs and other key talent. He has considerable experience working with both privately-held firms and public corporations across diverse fields, including manufacturing, financial institutions, and health care. He also heads the firm’s family business practice.

Carl completed his B.A., Magna Cum Laude, at the University of Colorado in 1975, and received both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago in 1980 and 1982, respectively. He has authored a number of articles and has frequently been interviewed by various business publications, including The Wall Street Journal. He is a highly regarded public speaker with an engaging and dynamic style, and he held a 16-year faculty appointment at Northwestern University, where he was the recipient of the Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Carl resides in Chicago, Illinois with his wife Karen. They have two grown children who live on opposite coasts, which gives Carl plenty of reasons to indulge his passion for travel. For work and pleasure, he has crisscrossed the globe numerous times.

Danielle Klene

Leadership Consultant

Danielle joined Vantage in 2011 and returned to Vantage in September of 2022. Her strong background in human capital and program management will be used to build out leadership development + team development programming. She brings energy to helping leaders, and the people they serve, achieve their potential and foster inclusive and engaging cultures. 

Before re-joining Vantage, Danielle worked across several industries, both internally and externally. She has extensive consulting experience in organizational development and human capital management from her time at Deloitte, covering financial services, healthcare, and retail clients. Her most recent position was as a Director in Operations at McDonald’s, managing the 1- and 3-year strategy and governance of all US-restaurant-based initiatives. In her work, she has led and built virtual and hybrid teams and hosted many different workshops on decision rights and organizational strategies. Her exposure and experience here give her a unique perspective on the challenges and needs of leaders and teams today. 

Danielle graduated from Northwestern University and is PROSCI Change Management, Professional Scrum Master, and Agile Leader (CAL) certified. Danielle is passionate about coaching and leadership development and volunteers with several organizations that allow her to mentor women early in their careers. She can otherwise be found with her nose in a good book, her ear to a new artist, or her eyes over a new recipe.

David Binkley

Senior Advisor

David joined Vantage Leadership in September 2019 after 30 plus years of Fortune 150 Global Public Company experience, including the past 15 years as Chief Human Resources Officer at the Whirlpool Corporation.

David has partnered with Boards, CEOs, CHROs and Senior Leaders to accelerate leadership talent to drive business results. Throughout his career, he has served in various HR leadership positions in Europe and Asia, as well as North America. David has significant experiences in advising and assisting Boards and CEOs in managing CEO & C-Suite succession.

David has a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan University, attended Michigan State’s graduate school of Human Resources and Labor Relations, and the General Manager program at INSEAD. In addition to his passion for Strategic Talent Management, David enjoys travel and recently completed his professional certification as a Sushi Chef.

David Sowinski , Ph.D.

Partner

Dave joined Vantage in 2002 and advises clients in the areas of leadership assessment, executive coaching, and succession management. He helps organizations avoid costly hiring mistakes and build management teams that drive exceptional performance. His areas of expertise include individual and team assessment and coaching, high potential development, succession management, and assisting organizations in building stronger internal talent management capability. His passion lies in helping leaders prepare for greater responsibility and adapt to changing business environments. He is adept at tailoring his consulting approach to suit the individual needs of each client.

Dave completed his undergraduate degree from The University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from The Illinois Institute of Technology. He has presented at conferences and published in the areas of organizational culture, leadership development, statistical methods, and employee selection. Dave has supported organizations across a number of industries including financial services, biotech/pharma, energy/mining, retail, higher education, health care, and manufacturing.

Dave lives in Chicago and is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An ardent Green Bay Packers fan, he loves to travel, be outdoors whenever possible, and spend time with his family. He and his wife have two highly energetic sons.

Duncan Ferguson , M.A.

Senior Advisor

Duncan Ferguson joined Vantage in 2013 as the Managing Director for Client Services. Duncan brings broad corporate human resources experience to Vantage, having held a variety of senior leadership roles with both BP-Amoco and GATX. Prior to joining Vantage, Duncan was Managing Director at BPI Group, a global HR consulting firm. Duncan’s role at Vantage is diverse and includes executive coaching, leadership development consulting, marketing, social media, and relationship management. Duncan’s also provides connections, insights, advice, and assistance to his extensive HR professional network.

Based on his unique experiences, Duncan has developed an avid interest and contemporary perspective on the changing relationship between companies and their employees. To that end, Duncan has been doing research on what it means to be a “Best Boss” and how this impacts organizational leadership, engagement, performance and retention.

Duncan received his Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State’s College of Social Science and his M.A. degree from Michigan State University’s School of Human Resources and Labor Relations (SHRLR). He actively gives back to his alma mater, where he is the President of the SHRLR Alumni Relations Board, an Advisory Board member for MSU’s College Employment Research Institute, and a founding member of Chicago Spartan Leaders. He has twice been a guest on WGN Radio and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Investment Daily, Chicago Tribune, and Benefits Online.

Duncan and his spouse, Linda, live in suburban Chicago. They are the proud parents of Ryan and Brendan who have successfully launched their careers in Colorado and California, giving their parents great places to visit.

Eileen Linnabery , Ph.D.

PRACTICE LEADER, NEW PRODUCTS FOR CLIENT SUCCESS

Eileen’s passion for utilizing psychological principles to enhance the human capital competitive advantage of organizations brought her to Vantage in 2014. She began her career building and operating assessment centers for development and selection, and has worked to assess and develop leaders in a variety of industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, oil and gas, entertainment, and banking. She enjoys focusing on helping leaders transition from being stellar individual contributors to leading others. Her goal is to assist individuals in developing a better understanding of themselves as leaders, and to help them reframe how they approach their work

She received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tulane University and then went on to pursue a Master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from The University of West Florida. She recently completed her Ph.D. in the same field from DePaul University where she focused on the impact leaders have on their employees’ work-life balance.

Originally from Florida, moving to Chicago has been one of life’s toughest challenges! Eileen enjoys experiencing all the city has to offer, including live opera and orchestra performances, food truck festivals, and the lakefront bike path. In her spare time she volunteers as a performance management and training specialist through Taproot Organization, a non-profit that connects professionals with other non-profits that could benefit from their expertise.

Ellen Micotto

Accounting & Administrative Assistant

Joining the firm back in 1988, Ellen has over 25 years of experience with Vantage and is an integral part of its history. She has been involved in administrative support throughout all of the firm’s initiatives and practice areas. As well as serving as an Assistant to one of the firm’s partners, Ellen is the point of contact for 360 degree instruments, including the Leadership Effectiveness Analysis and the High Performance Teams Survey.

Before joining Vantage, Ellen worked in both the Retail and Financial Services industries in middle management and account manager roles. Ellen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Governors State University.

Outside of the office, Ellen is very involved with local community theater activities both on and off the stage. She also enjoys Bunco games with friends, scouring vintage clothing shops for costumes, and weekend walking excursions with like-minded enthusiasts.

Elly Hagan

Executive Assistant

Elly joined the Vantage team in 2022 as an Executive Assistant to Partner Jacqueline Ackerman. She grew up in Ann Arbor, MI, and holds a B.S. in Advertising Management from Michigan State University. Most recently, Elly oversaw marketing and designed and implemented organization systems at a start-up. Here at Vantage, she is dedicated to translating those skills into ensuring her Partner stays on track and organized.

In her free time, Elly likes to go on walks along the river, read outside, and try new DIYs; she also loves spending time with her friends, family, and pets.

Hannah Baker

Executive Assistant

Hannah joined Vantage in the Spring of 2022 to support Founding Partner Carl Robinson. She has experience working in a variety of professions, including makeup artistry, childcare, and fitness. Her favorite part of the job is working with people – learning their stories, what motivates them, and how they have cultivated a life and profession they love. Hannah is grateful to work for a company that is helping to shape business leaders all over the globe, in hopes of leaving the world a little bit better for the next generation.

Outside of the office, Hannah enjoys teaching at Studio Lagree, walking her mini Sheepadoodle Margot, singing show tunes, and perfecting her bake on her French macarons.

Jacqueline Ackerman , Ph.D.

PARTNER

Jacqueline joined Vantage in 2002 and became a Partner in 2013. She is passionate about developing effective people strategies and putting into effect practices that enable organizations to embrace a talent mindset and realize its benefits. Her core areas of expertise include team assessment and development, individual assessment and coaching, succession and talent management, and the design and implementation of leadership development programs.

Jacqueline works with both privately held firms and public corporations, across diverse industries including utilities, mining, education, manufacturing and healthcare. She has authored articles, and presents at conferences in the areas of talent management and leadership development. She was instrumental in developing Vantage’s High Performance Team tool and manages the HPT practice area.

Jacqueline has a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Science with honors in Psychology from Purdue University. She is a member of several professional associations and was named 2013’s Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women.

Jacqueline lives in Chicago with her growing family. Outside of her work, she enjoys running, reading novels, and traveling.

Jasmin Martinez , Ph.D

Leadership Consultant

Jasmin joined Vantage in 2017 through its Intern Program, where she assisted in the quality control of client deliverables, data management, and assessment preparation. As a consultant, Jasmin continues to hone her skills in individual assessment, client feedback administration, and leadership development. In both roles, she has enjoyed leveraging her research background through data analysis and interpretation. She also has experience consulting with nonprofit organizations to create team engagement plans.

Jasmin holds undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Psychology from Aurora University. She also earned her Master’s and Doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Northern Illinois University. During this journey, she has had the pleasure of instructing undergraduate classes in psychology as well as conducting research presented at various conferences. Jasmin is passionate about research that focuses on women’s experiences in the workplace, workgroup dynamics, and diversity and inclusion.

Outside of work and studies, Jasmin enjoys writing, catching stand-up comedy with her husband, and training to run a half-marathon.

Kathrina Dubnicek

Chief Administrative Officer

As Vantage’s Chief Administrative Officer, Kathrina is proud to be a part of the leadership team that develops, executes, and integrates firm-wide strategy initiatives in order to meet objectives for company growth and stability, maintain high customer service expectations, and ensure internal employee morale and development.

Kathrina originally joined Vantage in 2010 as the Finance and Administration Manager, and was responsible for executing the firm’s bookkeeping, office management, and payroll functions. As the firm grew, Kathrina’s role shifted to the Director of Finance and HR, with oversight for all human resources, benefits, and financial operations within the firm, including managing a growing team of administrative professionals, project managers, and marketing functions.  

Prior to Vantage, Kathrina worked in project, program, and office management in a variety of industries, including Film, TV & Video, Intellectual Property Law, and On and Off-Broadway Theater.  

Kathrina earned her B.A. in Communications from DePauw University in Greencastle IN, and after having lived in both New York and Los Angeles, is happy to call the Midwest home. She currently lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family and can occasionally be found singing in a band while raising money for cancer research, traveling with her family, going to the theatre, or listening to music and meditating. 

Keith Goudy , Ph.D.

MANAGING PARTNER

Today’s executives face unprecedented challenges and demands on their time, energy and focus. Consequently, we require extraordinary leaders to address the unrelenting speed, complexity and scale inherent in today’s ultra- competitive business landscape and to, ultimately, connect us to our purpose.

Keith joined Vantage Leadership Consulting in 1997 and has devoted his career to partnering with organizations to select and develop the best leaders and enabling teams to achieve their potential.  He has served as the firm’s Managing Partner for the past five years.

Keith works with privately held firms as well as public corporations, representing diverse industries and scale of organization. He is passionate about helping executives make decisions about who to add to their teams and how to get those teams to identify an inspirational vision, a common purpose and a shared fate so that whole becomes more than the sum of its parts. He advises Boards and C-Suites on Succession and coaches senior leaders to take on new, big challenges. He serves on a Strategy Board Committee for Make-A-Wish in Illinois and is involved with other not for profit groups in Chicago.

Keith completed his undergraduate education at Pennsylvania State University and received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from DePaul University in Chicago. He has authored many articles and has been interviewed numerous times by the Wall Street Journal and other publications and outlets.

Keith likes to spend time with his family and hopes his two young, wonderful children will learn to enjoy skiing out west, riding bikes, playing tennis and learning piano and guitar. He loves music and literature, landscaping, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lacey Savage , Psy.D.

Leadership Consultant

Effective leadership requires courage, skill, and the ability to navigate uncertainty while leaning into creating the future for your organization to succeed. Lacey joined Vantage in 2022, and she supports C-suite executives, management teams, and high-level leaders to develop their natural capabilities and lead effectively through organizational and societal change. She advises clients in the areas of leadership assessment, executive coaching, high-performing teams, and organizational culture.

Lacey’s background as a Clinical and Organizational Psychologist provides a full toolkit for partnering with leaders to encourage leadership growth in support of team member and client retention, internal leadership development, and enhancing organizational culture. Her training in behavioral science gives her a unique lens in developing people and high-performing teams to create environments and leadership capabilities that help people thrive and flourish in their work.

Lacey completed her undergraduate education at Asbury University and received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. She has authored several articles and publications, and she enjoys partnering with leaders to support their growth in leadership abilities, leading high-performing teams, and achieving desired results.

Lacey lives in Manitou Springs, Colorado. She loves music, traveling, gardening, the outdoors whenever possible, and connecting with family and friends.

Lauren Banks

Executive Assistant

Lauren joined Vantage in 2019 as the Executive Assistant to Dr. Keith Goudy.  Previously she worked as a Special Projects Assistant and an Executive Assistant to a Commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

Lauren graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015 with a B.S. in Chemistry, and is graduating from Roosevelt University with her Masters in Biomedical Science in May 2019.

In her spare time, Lauren enjoys traveling adventures, scouring the city for new restaurants, getting lost in a good book, and enjoying the company of family and friends.

Mary Flis

Executive Assistant

Mary joined Vantage in 2022 as Executive Assistant to Partner Dave Sowinski. Previously she worked in Client Services in the Business and Private Aviation industry, managing a region of maintenance contracts at Jet Support Services, Inc. based out of Chicago. 

Mary graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and has spent many years sharing her love of dance as an early-childhood ballet instructor. 

In her spare time, Mary enjoys exploring restaurants around Chicago, cheering on her Spartans in football and basketball, and has recently joined the Associate Board for Make-A-Wish Illinois and is in the process of becoming a Wish Granter. 

Mary Sullivan

Research Associate

Mary joined the Vantage team in 2022 as a Research Associate. She grew up on the south side of Chicago and completed her undergraduate degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before Vantage, Mary worked as an Associate Producer at an experiential marketing agency, where she developed her project management and coordination skills. She is in her final year of her master’s program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Mary is passionate about music and loves spending her time going to concerts and playing her guitar, piano, and ukulele. You can find her running on the lakeshore trail in the summer and inside a yoga studio in the winter. She loves her Midwest sports teams and is an avid White Sox, Bears, and Badgers fan.

Melissa Regester , Ph.D.

RESEARCH & DATA SCIENCE LEAD

Melissa joined Vantage in 2016 through its intern program and is now the Research and Data Science Lead, where she brings an analytical approach to leveraging data, client deliverables, and research projects.

Melissa is also the lead graduate student on ground-breaking, NASA-funded research that models team dynamics for long-distance space exploration such as Mission to Mars. In 2018 and 2020, Melissa was awarded the Illinois Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship, which supports graduate students who research space-related topics. In 2018, she was also recognized as a 24 Under 24 Leader and Innovator in STEAM and Space.

Raised in Florida, Melissa attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She is also a graduate of DePaul University, where she obtained both a Master’s degree with distinction and her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Melissa’s research interests include team composition and relationship development between team members over time.

Beyond work, Melissa volunteers with the Jewish United Fund (JUF) and at Chicago Lights Tutoring. She is a director on the executive board for the Hornik Family Foundation, which funds agencies and projects that benefit communities in need. Melissa is also an active member of the Junior League of Chicago.

Michael J. Baker , M.S.

Client Partner, Executive Coach

Michael joined Vantage in 2015 and brings a wealth of leadership development experience to the firm. Prior to joining Vantage, he was the SVP, Regional Director of Talent Development for Lee Hecht Harrison in the Midwest for almost 10 years and was primarily responsible for leading complex, talent- development initiatives for Fortune 500 companies. Michael currently leads Vantage’s Talent Development practice and is highly involved in Selection and Assessment, Board Evaluation, Executive Coaching, Team Effectiveness, and Leadership Development.

Michael has worked with leadership teams in a wide range of industries including:  healthcare, financial services, advertising, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, transportation and utilities.  He has delivered strategic planning, team building, coaching, and change management initiatives to small, privately held businesses through Fortune 5, global organizations.  He has also provided executive coaching to a large number of leaders, including Presidents, Vice Presidents and Directors, who wanted to become more effective in their roles and working with others.

Michael has an MS in Management and Organization Behavior from Benedictine University.  He is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and is certified in a number of behavioral assessments and leadership development solutions.

Michael lives in Wheaton, IL, and likes to spend his free time with his wife and their two teenagers—which involves a lot of time watching soccer and lacrosse games.

Michael P. Tobin , Ph.D.

SENIOR ADVISOR

Mike consults with organizations globally to build their capability in strategic talent management, and assists with issues around succession planning and leadership development. He has developed a methodology for assessing world class talent, and has deep experience in the assessment and coaching of CEO candidates. His Strategic Leadership Model and Top Talent Indicators are cornerstones of the firm’s approach.

Mike obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from The School of Management at Boston College and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Syracuse University. He completed his doctoral studies at Loyola University of Chicago, earning his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 1986. Mike worked for several years as a psychotherapist in the Chicagoland area before joining Vantage in 1994.

Mike spends his free time with his church, his friends and his large family. For amusement, he writes and directs rock and roll plays! And as a result of his frequent consulting in Italy, he has become a hopeless risotto snob.

Paige Brouillette

Executive Assistant

Paige Brouillette joined Vantage in November 2020 as an Associate, providing administrative and project management support. Previously, she worked as an administrative assistant at Walker Sands. Paige loves being a team player. Whenever you need help with a task or word of support, she’s your gal!

Paige graduated from Western Kentucky University with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Performance Arts Administration. She has worked in different areas of performing such as film, TV, and musical theater.

In her spare time, Paige loves cooking, making playlists, winning board games, and practicing yoga. She is originally from Nashville, Tennessee.

Patricia Thompson , Ph.D.

Leadership Consultant

Patricia Thompson is passionate about helping her clients to flourish by cultivating talent, making well-informed hiring decisions, and developing a positive organizational culture. She has been consulting to organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across North America for over 15 years. Patricia also enjoys educating others about how to apply psychological principles to achieve greater success. As such, she has taught courses and facilitated seminars at the Wharton Business School, the University of Toronto, Emory University, Spelman College, and Georgia State University, while her online courses on leadership, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness have been taken by over 20,000 students. Her advice has also been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Wharton Business Radio, Inc., Time, ABC News Radio, and a host of other media outlets.

Originally from Alberta, Canada, Dr. Thompson completed her B.A. in Sociology at the University of Toronto. She then went on to earn her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University. As part of her training, she completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Pennsylvania and her postdoctoral fellowship through Emory University’s School of Medicine. As a coach, she takes a collaborative and behaviorally-based approach to help her clients to create lasting change.

In her free time, Patricia enjoys playing tennis and classical piano, working out, reading, meditating, and spending time with her family.

Paul Goetz , Ph.D

Leadership Consultant

Paul is particularly adept at helping executives to manage strategic priorities, identify the cultural implications of people issues, and maintain balance through the ups and downs of organizational churn. This results in executives who are better prepared to effectively navigate the political environments they face, develop greater alignment across peers, and motivate their teams to achieve exceptional results. With a background as a Clinical Professor of Psychology on Northwestern’s Heart Transplant team, Paul knows what it is like to make decisions that impact people’s lives. With a unique understanding of the critical responsibilities of leadership, Paul brings insight and a craftsman’s touch to deepening leaders’ perspectives in a way that results in stellar organizational outcomes.

In terms of process, Paul leverages his behaviorally-based background to inform his collaborative coaching approach so that his clients experience tangible and sustainable results. He aims to thoroughly understand his clients’ goals and create meaningful, consistent improvement on mutually agreed-upon coaching targets. While creating target goals is essential for change, Paul takes the perspective that enhancing a leadership skillset is an ongoing evolution throughout one’s career.

In addition to coaching, Paul specializes in executive assessment and development. He has consulted in a variety of disciplines and organizational levels in the areas of energy, health care, medical devices, high-end commercial audio, financial services, manufacturing, and the QSR area.

Paul is originally from North Dakota and lives with his wife, son, and dog in Chicago, IL. In his spare time, he enjoys building furniture, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Rachelle Pacchini , aPHR

Client Service Coordinator

Rachelle joined Vantage Leadership Consulting in November 2015 to assist with general administration. Since then, she has also taken on the role of assistant to and project manager for Michael Baker, Practice Leader of Talent Development.

Rachelle graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Psychology and Criminology, Law, and Justice. She received her aPHR (Associate Professional in Human Resources) certification in 2021. Prior to Vantage Leadership Consulting, Rachelle was a manager at Peet’s Coffee and Tea for several years.

Rachelle enjoys going running, spending time with her dog, and cooking. Although she had lived in the city for six years, she now resides in a quiet suburb of Chicago.

Richard McGourty , Ph.D.

Senior Advisor

Over the last thirty years, Rich has consulted with organizations in a wide range of industries, including business, government, health care/human services and higher education. Rich strives to help individuals and organizations address the pressing needs of their business while taking into consideration the “shadow side” of organizational life – the knotty cultural and personnel matters which, if neglected, can undercut the best of plans.

His work areas include executive and management assessment and development; helping senior managers and teams formulate strategy; trouble-shooting with boards, teams, and organizations that are experiencing problems; and facilitating the development of high performance teams.

Richard received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago and is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of Illinois. He has published several articles on talent and leadership development, and is an accomplished speaker, having presented at various conferences and client events.

Rich has also co-authored Power Beyond Measure as part of a fifteen-year, ongoing initiative to institute county and state-level public health programs for high-risk pregnancies and high-risk children. Rich was the first Board chair for The Children’s Research Triangle, a non-profit organization focused on research and treatment of high-risk children. He has taught at Loyola University in Chicago and at St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN. He also served as an honorary visiting fellow at the University of York in England.

Sara Nelson , M.B.A.

Marketing Director

Sara joined Vantage in 2022 as the Marketing Director. In this role, she facilitates new client acquisition efforts, helps drive client engagement, and manages the evolution of the Vantage Leadership brand.

Sara brings more than thirty years of experience in cultivating brands, advancing go-to-market strategies, expanding awareness, and increasing sales. Prior to Vantage, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at Mercer Advisors, Vice President of Marketing at Trust Company of America, and head of marketing at a start-up financial services firm. Sara earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Executive Leadership from Santa Clara University.

Sara has enjoyed giving back to her communities by accepting volunteer positions at nonprofit schools that provide educational opportunities for gifted children with learning disabilities. She also recently started a local small business that focused on helping lower-income individuals and families purchase their first homes.

Sara lives in Bayfield, Wisconsin. In her spare time, Sara loves movies, fine art, papercrafts, sailing on Lake Superior, and most of all, spending time with her two sons.

Sasha Leviyev , M.A.

Research Associate

Sasha joined Vantage in 2021 through the internship program. Originally from Uzbekistan, Sasha’s family immigrated to Queens, New York in 1997, and in 2007, to Phoenix, AZ. Since that time, he has graduated from the honors programs at both Paradise Valley Community College and Arizona State University (2019), with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in communication. Sasha has also been a licensed barber since 2013, working at his dad’s barbershop in Scottsdale with his two brothers.

In 2021, Sasha graduated from Claremont Graduate University with an MA in Positive Organizational Psychology & Evaluation, where he became passionate about organizational culture, leadership, and teams.

In his free time, Sasha reads both non-fiction and fiction books, watches basketball, and hopelessly roots for his fantasy football team. He also loves watching anything Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David, and spending time with close family and friends.

Shelby Hoult , Ph.D.

Leadership Consultant

Shelby has over 15 years of experience in applied research and consulting. Her expertise in project strategy and orchestration and cross-functional team facilitation make her an indispensable asset to her clients. She has partnered with HR, Marketing, and Operational leads on program evaluations of high-profile organizational initiatives; job analysis and profiling, significant data mining and analytic projects; large scale initiative implementation; development and implementation of employee and customer measurement systems; and the validation of employee selection systems. She has also conducted extensive work in the area of organizational health and safety, specializing in the measurement of employee perceptions and their impact on organizational outcomes. Her clients have included McDonald’s Corporation, Activision, Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar, Inc., Chevron Corporation, and United Airlines.

Shelby has authored numerous papers and has presented at national conferences for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Petroleum Institute. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from DePaul University and has her B.A. from Millikin University.

Stephanie Grady Clay

Director of HR, Learning & Development

Steph joined Vantage in 2017 as a member of the admin team, and now currently serves as Director of HR, Learning & Development. Originally an executive assistant to Michael Tobin, she developed a passion for operations and culture, taking on more internal committee responsibilities and project management opportunities. These days, she gets to lean into her education roots and find creative and innovative solutions towards operational and cultural excellence, working to ensure her colleagues have the best possible employee experience.

Holding a B.A. in Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Emerson College in Boston, Steph has spent the better part of the last fifteen years translating these foundations into the business realm through office management, event planning, training, and just generally acting as a “jack of all trades” administrator for organizations.

Prior to Vantage, Steph spent time in Nashville working in logistics, in Boston managing an education department for a mid-sized professional theater, and around Chicago working in various administrative positions in Tourism. She would tell you her (not lucrative but very rewarding) side hustle is directing theatre for schools around the ‘burbs.

In her spare time, Steph loves movies, baking, travel adventures, spending time with her growing family, working on home-enhancement projects with her live-in handy man, and helping kids with emotional development through playmaking.