I work with Bay Area hyper-growth companies and their investors to create the conditions for exceptional performance ‒ through strategic talent consulting, coaching, and executive assessments to align the human capital of the company with its strategic goals.

Organizational performance is complex, and getting outside advice and help can make all the difference. The dynamic within executive teams, the organizational structure, business processes, and the culture that define an organization also determine its ability to perform. With strategic talent consulting, I provide essential insight into these performance factors.

Making accurate assessments of what executives have done in the past, and what they are capable of doing in the future, is integral to any critical talent decision. My ability to assess CEOs and other leaders with accuracy and capture the nuances in their capability and style enables boards and senior leaders to make fully informed talent decisions.

I provide coaching to executives to help them bring the optimum mindset, behaviors, and management tools to their work. For every leader, there is a tension between what they currently achieve, and what they are truly capable of. My role is to facilitate their growth in directions that enable their companies to deliver exceptional results to their customers and investors. Where appropriate, I’ve designed and led workshops for groups of managers to help accelerate their career progress.

My experience comes from eight years atHeidrick & Struggles, a global leadership advisory firm where I led the Private Equity Talent Advisory Practice and the Onboarding Practice, and conducted over 300 executive assessments for clients across nearly every major industry and in all functions.

Over the course of my career I have had the privilege of working with the leadership of over thirty companies, investing firms, and organizations:

Global 1000

• Alpha Natural Resources
• Bell Canada
• BHP Billiton
• BMC Software
• CBRE
• Deutsche Bank
• Dover Corporation
• Estee Lauder Companies
• Fannie Mae
• Grubb & Ellis
• HP (now HP and HPE)
• Ingredion
• M&T Bank
• Pfizer
• SAP
• Stryker
• Xcel Energy
• Xerox

Partner Firms

I work with the following firms and people when I need to deliver projects on a larger scale.

Gaines Consulting

I owe a debt of gratitude to several leadership professionals who have taken an interest in my success and guided my development over the last twenty years, particularly Stephen A. Miles, Carolyn Vavrek, Niko Canner, Marshall Goldsmith, Cynthia Luna, Michelle Nasir, Stewart Hirsch, and Melinda Stephenson.