ABOUT
Empower. Elevate. Excel.
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Our Executive Leadership Coaching Program is dedicated to empowering visionary leaders to reach their fullest potential, elevating their capabilities to drive transformative change, and enabling them to excel in both their professional and personal growth.
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Our mission is to provide world-class coaching and mentorship to executives and senior leaders, equipping them with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to lead with unwavering purpose, integrity, and resilience. Our executive leadership coaches will personalize a coaching plan to help you develop and exceed your potential. By tailoring to your strengths and weaknesses we will enhance your communication skills, decision making, and strategic thinking.
Our diverse team of subject matter experts have an extensive background in building successful leaders. With a broad range of backgrounds and experience, our team will guide you through all of your challenges to promote your own personal growth.
Through personalized coaching sessions, cutting-edge assessments, and tailored development plans, we partner with our clients to identify and leverage their unique strengths, address areas of growth, and navigate complex leadership challenges. Our experienced and compassionate coaches serve as trusted allies, offering valuable perspectives and guiding leaders to overcome obstacles, expand their emotional intelligence, and refine their communication and decision-making skills.
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We are committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and adaptability, where leaders are encouraged to embrace change, think strategically, and push the boundaries of what's possible. Our program cultivates a supportive community of like-minded leaders who collaborate, learn from each other's experiences, and collectively elevate the standard of leadership in their organizations and industries.
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Empower. Elevate. Excel. This is our pledge to every leader who joins us on this transformative journey of leadership excellence.
OUR TEAM
Bill Kwon
Founder and CEO
Executive Leadership Coach
Bill Kwon is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and serves as Global Alumni Ambassador for Executive Education. Bill also serves as an Executive Leadership Coach for Harvard Business School in their Owners and Presidents Management and Advanced Management Programs. In addition, he is Vice President of the Harvard Club of Sarasota and a Trustee of the Ivy Club of Sarasota.
Bill has served as an adjunct professor of retirement planning and strategy at Bradley University at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and the University of South Florida’s Lifelong Learning Academy. In 1998 Bill received the 40 leaders under 40 award from Peoria, IL Interbusiness Issues and in 2008 Fortune magazine has described Bill as the “embodiment of the American Dream” in a cover story.
Matt George
Executive Leadership Coach
Matt George is a Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Coach, Consultant, Author, Television Host, and Public Speaker. Matt has a Program Management degree from the University of Illinois and was a President/CEO from his first job out of college until his recent transition after 31 years in business. As the Former CEO of the Children’s Home of Illinois, Matt draws from years of frontline experience, running a 35-million-dollar company with over 450 employees, to handling some of the toughest cases in business and social service.
Matt is also a popular TV Host, hosting his own weekly half-hour television show, “Business Forward”, and author of the #1 Amazon Bestselling Book “Nonprofit Game Plan: The Proven Strategy for Nonprofit Success”. His commitment to the community has earned him numerous awards including Presidential recognition as the finalist of the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, 2006 Inter Business 40 Leader Under 40, Outstanding Citizen in Champaign, IL and Man of the Year for the Leukemia Society.
Cathy Kwon
President and COO
Cathy Kwon, a Boston, Massachusetts native, comes from a marketing and management background with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College. With years of experience in the medical marketing field, and now nonprofit marketing, she brings a unique perspective with creative and critical thinking. Cathy is currently a licensed REALTOR (R) and does project based consulting. She also serves as a founding board member of Impact Central Illinois, a 501(c)3 nonprofit women’s collective giving organization.
Paul Joseph
Paul Joseph is an Executive Leadership Coach with extensive experience developing and executing turnaround strategies. During his 33 years as a senior executive at Caterpillar he had leadership roles in corporate strategic planning, logistics, information technology, industrial automation, aerospace and defense. He retired as the President of Caterpillar Logistics for North and South America, and Asia Pacific. Paul is an active investor and executive coach for several Tech and MedTech startups. He helps recruit, build and coach strong leadership teams, develops effective growth strategies and raises capital for growth.
Paul has an Executive MBA from the University of Illinois where he stood first in his class. A Master of Engineering degree in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Science degree from The George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology. He has held leadership roles in several non-profit organizations. He was the Chairman of the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Peoria.
Gary R. Dylewski
General Dylewski is President and CEO of Patriot Solutions Intl, providing government and commercial clients with executable solutions including training, engineering services and energy security. General Dylewski also serves as Senior Mentor, National Security Space Institute and Consultant, INL (Idaho National Lab), focusing on advanced nuclear energy capabilities and their applicability to national security requirements. Prior to founding Patriot, he was Vice President for URS Federal Services, Science and Engineering Technology Group, focusing primarily on the DoD and NASA markets. He also spent two years as the Director, Strategic Initiatives for Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions.
Before entering the corporate world, General Dylewski spent 27 years in the Air Force in a variety of assignments. The general served as the Air Force Aide to Presidents Reagan and Bush. He commanded the 90th Fighter Squadron and served as Joint Director of Operations for Alaskan Command at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. He also served as the Commandant of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; commanded the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; and the Space Warfare Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. He was assigned as Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, before finishing his career as the Commander 9th Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force, Southwest Asia, and Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander (DCFACC), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
Jay Black
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Jay Black is a high-impact C-level executive with a trademark for ingeniously reviving and strengthening brands with a focus on not just expanding market awareness but ensuring long-term brand equity and profitable growth.
As an advocate for the interests of the companies and stakeholders he serves, he is passionate about realizing results and achieving beyond expectations. He has built a success story on seizing market opportunities, advancing team performance, and tackling complex challenges brand challenges.
Providing strategic leadership as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Maui Jim, the premium/luxury sunglass manufacturer recently acquired by luxury group Kering for $1.7B, Jay drove record sales and international growth for 10 years-doubling the company’s valuation since 2013.
Jay also originated the “Expand the Brand” initiative, growing the consumer base and retail footprint, expanding e-commerce and digital revenues streams, securing products distribution in luxury resorts, international beach clubs, yacht manufacturer trial opportunities, and apparel companies that didn’t sell sunglasses, capturing an additional $50M in annual revenue.
As VP of Marketing, Jay created a multimillion-dollar media plan for US, and Australia that earned positive results in a flat marketing budget environment and resulting in the expansion of the program to Canada with optimum sales results.
Earlier in his career Jay served as Director of Field Marketing—American Region for Beam, Inc. Prior to that, he was Sr. Director of Marketing for Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Russ Lee
Russ Lee is an alumnus of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the United States Military Academy. Russ has over 25 years of dynamic leadership experience spearheading teams ranging from 2 to over 200 individuals, while managing Profit & Loss statements exceeding $4 billion. His extensive expertise spans 15+ years within the insurance industry, covering a spectrum of pivotal roles such as Chief Underwriting Officer at Farmers Insurance, Head of Product Management at Kemper Insurance along with other key areas of responsibility to include strategy, innovation, and execution. Additionally, Russ served his country with distinction for nine years as a Captain in the United States Army. His commitment to service was recognized with the Bronze Star for exceptional leadership during his tenure as a Brigade Battle Captain in Baghdad, Iraq.
Ellie Schmidgall
Analyst
Ellie Schmidgall is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign pursing a degree in finance and data science. There she acts as vice president of membership for the Women in Finance Academy and works to create an engaging network among members. Ellie combines her technical and financial background to bring a variety of skills to the table. She has a passion for community building and innovation and utilizes this to introduce ideas from a new perspective.
Suzanne Kennard
Suzanne Kennard brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience across industries such as financial services, business services, manufacturing, and utilities, with expertise in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, Product Development, Corporate Development, and Client Management. As the founder of One of One, a leadership coaching and consulting practice, she supports professionals ranging from early-career individuals to senior global executives, including coaching participants in Harvard Business School's executive education programs. Suzanne designs and facilitates learning experiences and workshops, drawing on certifications in various leadership assessments and coaching methodologies. She holds a BA from Assumption College, an MBA from the University of Bridgeport, an MS in Finance from Fairfield University, and has completed executive programs at Michigan, Harvard, and Wharton. Actively involved in the non-profit sector, Suzanne mentors youth and supports agencies for vulnerable populations. Based in Connecticut with her husband, two adult children, and Labradors, she enjoys swimming, yoga, travel, outdoor activities, and culinary pursuits.
Barry Nelson
Barry Nelson is an executive leadership coach with over 28 years of experience building and leading organizational development consulting practices, including two recognized as Inc. 500 companies that he later expanded internationally. He has held senior roles at PDI Ninth House and Korn Ferry, where he led the integration of consulting divisions and developed innovative talent solutions before returning to his own practice, Aclarity Partners, Ltd., in 2015. Barry specializes in assessment-driven HR solutions, coaching executives, and developing award-winning assessment tools and diagnostics. A long-time executive coach at Harvard Business School, he has helped leaders address challenges and leverage strengths for greater success. Barry holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Louisville and conducted doctoral studies in Experimental/Applied Psychology at Adelphi University.