Kaplan DeVries’ Leadership Consulting Team
Robert E. Kaplan founded the firm in 1992 and was joined by David DeVries in 1993. They continue today as general partners in the leadership consulting firm Kaplan DeVries, Inc. Scroll down the page for a complete listing of partners and consultants.
Veteran advisors, researchers and executives
We bring to the executive suite mature consulting skills and balanced judgment—especially in emotionally charged situations. Our stabilizing influence nourishes an executive’s leadership development. We aim to become nothing less than a partner in your leadership journey.
Bob Kaplan, partner, New York City, created this firm to specialize in consulting and research on executive development for individuals and teams. He began consulting to executives and conducting pioneering research on leadership development in the early 1980s at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is the author of two books and many articles, and two commercial 360° instruments: SKILLscope for Managers and, along with Rob Kaiser, the Leadership Versatility Index. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Yale University.
David DeVries, partner, Greensboro, NC, has devoted his thirty-year career to helping leaders become more effective, especially by providing them with useful feedback that serves as a powerful stimulus to ongoing learning. He joined Kaplan DeVries in 1993. From 1975 to 1990, he served in various management roles at the Center for Creative Leadership; today he remains a Senior Fellow at the Center. He has published widely on selected topics in the psychological and management literatures. His Ph.D. is in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois. He taught at John Hopkins University, where he conducted research on self-managing teams.
Denise Lyons, partner, Woodstock, VT, focuses on leadership development, team performance, organizational diagnosis and diversity. She consults to individual executives and to executive teams. She also engages in building key organizational relationships, such as CEO-COO pairs. With a doctorate in organizational psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology, Denise brings a deep understanding of organizational systems to her work with individual executives. Her research on executive development won a national award from the American Psychological Association and was published in the Journal of Consulting Psychology. Her current research interest is the role of gender in executive development.
Connie McArthur, partner, Denver, CO, entered consulting after fifteen years as a human resources executive in a Fortune-50 corporation. Her areas of consulting expertise include executive development and selection, succession planning, HR strategy development, and team development. Connie is a licensed, clinical social worker, with an M.B.A. and a certificate in international business from the University of Colorado. She has been with Kaplan DeVries since its inception.
Amy D. Webb, partner, Myrtle Beach, SC, has a successful track record in executive development and organizational change. She specializes in executive assessment and coaching for sustainable change at the individual, team, and organizational level. An Organizational Psychologist with over twenty-five years of experience, Amy currently focuses on critical transitions faced by senior executives (and high potentials) and their teams. Her professional experience has included managing a consulting practice and corporate human resource departments; conducting leadership and organizational research; and, delivering speeches and executive development programs on leadership to national and international audiences.
Rob Kaiser, partner, Greensboro, NC, is a thought-leader with over 100 publications and presentations on leadership, executive selection and development, and performance measurement. Rob also coaches individual managers and their teams; his specialty is helping high potentials prepare for the executive suite. And he provides a unique service of contract research to help organizations frame, study, and solve vexing leadership issues. For instance, he has co-designed the custom models, tools, and systems used in three major corporations to manage executive talent. Prior to joining Kaplan DeVries, Rob did a stint at the Center for Creative Leadership.
View Rob Kaiser’s Complete Biography
Claire Muhm, partner, Boston, has twenty-five years of experience as a human resources leader in multiple industries. Because she has been a member of executive teams responsible for shaping and executing strategy, navigating change and achieving operational results, she excels as a sounding board to senior executives. In addition to her professional certification as an executive coach, Claire holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University (Phi Beta Kappa), an MBA from Northeastern University, and completed the Executive Program in Business Administration at Columbia University.
Sam Manoogian, senior consultant, Greensboro, NC, specializes in executive coaching, leadership training and development, and executive assessment. He is the author of the recently released “Coaching Report for Leaders” published by Consulting Psychologist Press. At the Center for Creative Leadership, he was the Chief Assessor and served as the Director of the Awareness Program for Executive Excellence (APEX), which delivers feedback and coaching to the most senior level of corporate executives. He is a licensed, clinical psychologist. He worked previously at Bowman Gray School of Medicine in the Section of Neuropsychology; had his own private practice; and was an adjunct professor of Psychology and Counseling at Wake Forest University.
Mary Nelson, senior consultant, Chicago, focuses on helping senior executives and their teams to become more effective in their leadership. Mary has experience coaching “C-level” executives at large corporations as well as working with entrepreneurial teams navigating change. She has over twenty years of business experience including her work as a marketing director in the US and abroad for a major consumer packaged goods company. She has also owned and operated a small business and has served as a board member for entrepreneurial firms. Mary has an MBA from the University of Chicago as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She speaks passionately of the role of leadership development and the need to foster a diverse work environment and has delivered workshops and training presentations to The Conference Board, The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and numerous corporate audiences.
Sarah C. Albritton, senior consultant, Winston-Salem, NC, specializes in “Transformation Coaching” for executives and senior management teams around the globe. She has over 20 years experience in leveraging business practicality with psychological insight. A dynamic and highly-rated speaker, trainer, coach, and consultant, she has a reputation for delivering honest, targeted appraisals with respect, compassion, and a healthy dose of humor. Sarah is the co-author of I’m Not Crazy, I’m Just Not You!, an international best-seller on psychological type. She holds degrees in Economics (BA-Wake Forest University) and Educational Leadership (MS-Florida State University).
Karen Aznoian, senior consultant, New England, is an executive coach and leadership consultant who specializes in the integral development of leaders. Integral development is grounded in the theory and practice that sustainable change requires development across multiple domains of intelligence, to include cognitive, emotional, and body based intuitive development. She has over twenty years experience as a senior HR business partner to executives and leaders, helping to translate their vision into action and the achievement of sustainable results. Karen has expertise leading large scale organizational change and has a passion for working with leaders to achieve their highest level of authenticity, performance, and potential. She is degreed in Psychology and Business from Canisius College and maintains a professional coaching certification. In addition, she remains active as faculty of New Ventures West, an International Coaching Federation-accredited coaching school and is committed to the advancement of the coaching profession.
Greg Schneider, senior consultant, Milwaukee, WI, has over thirty years experience as a consultant, manager, counselor, educator, and community leader. He is a highly sought after advisor to senior leaders in organizations ranging from small software companies to large health care systems. He assists organizations with the processes of strategic planning, leadership development, team-building, and change management. Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and a Master of Science degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Darren Overfield, senior consultant, Greensboro, NC, is an executive coach and leadership development consultant with a passion for increasing the effectiveness of individual leaders, their teams, and their organizations. Darren began his corporate career with the General Electric Company (GE). He worked as a Six Sigma Black Belt and held leadership positions in information technology, e-business, and marketing within GE Capital. In addition, Darren was Director of Leadership Development at Discovery Learning, Inc. and is an adjunct staff member at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in business management from North Carolina State University.
View Darren Overfield’s Complete Biography
Bart Craig, consultant & adjunct research scientist, Raleigh, NC, focuses on the development of theory, methods, and tools for improving leaders’ effectiveness. Before joining Kaplan DeVries in 2000, Bart was a research intern at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is currently also an associate professor of industrial and organizational psychology at North Carolina State University where he teaches doctoral courses in leadership, training, and counterproductive work behavior. Bart’s research has been published in scholarly journals, books, and presented at national conferences, and he is coauthor of the Perceived Leader Integrity Scale. Bart received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and organizational psychology from Virginia Tech.
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