Bios

Gail’s work encompasses a broad range of consulting with senior executives about the human side of strategy. Besides providing in-depth assessments and coaching for business leaders, Gail helps organizations to build team effectiveness, develop future leaders, and manage the increasing pace of change. She combines her extensive experience and skill as a psychologist with her keen understanding of the challenges of the business environment to design powerful interventions that enable her clients to improve both engagement and effectiveness in their organizations.

Before founding Gail Golden Consulting, LLC, Gail was a consultant at an international management consulting firm, providing executive assessments, coaching, change management, team building, and programs for high-potential leaders. Previously, she was chief psychologist of Golden Psychology Services in London, Ontario. As the founder and leader of GPS, she supervised a team of mental health professionals who provided a wide range of services including psychological assessment, treatment, and consulting to organizations.

Gail received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Chicago, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University, and her MBA from The University of Western Ontario. She is a registered psychologist in Illinois.

Gail has extensive experience as a university teacher, public speaker, and media commentator. She has been quoted in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Today’s Chicago Woman, and numerous other publications. She has developed and led workshops in the corporate setting on giving meaningful feedback, developing managers’ coaching skills, managing conflict, communication skills, and building high performance teams. Her areas of special interest include: women and power, influencing without authority, and building a healthy workplace.

Gail Golden, MBA, Ph.D.

Marlene Ho

Marlene Ho is an Associate at Gail Golden Consulting, LLC. As a graduate of North Park University with a BA in Psychology, Marlene has developed an interest and expertise in organizational psychology. While in school, she managed special events and raised community awareness for several not-for-profit organizations in the Chicago area. As she continued her event planning career in the hospitality industry, she identified the important principle, “Valued Employees = Satisfied Guests,” resulting in increased sales and improved loyalty. This inspired her to develop programs to improve employee satisfaction in the workplace.

Marlene brings to her work at Gail Golden Consulting her interest in the psychology of work, her organizational skills, and her language abilities in English, Taiwanese, Spanish, and Mandarin. In additional to providing administrative support, she manages projects and partners in research initiatives.

Outside of work, Marlene spends time nurturing her passions in music, culinary arts, and personal relationships. Nothing gives her greater joy than inspiring and encouraging children and young people to pursue their dreams, especially in the field of music.

Marlene Ho

John Blattner, Ph.D.

John Blattner, Ph.D., is an affiliate of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC. John is a Senior Consultant with PAS International, Inc., a consulting firm established in 1995. He specializes in executive coaching, organizational assessment, executive performance and strategic planning for national and international organizations.

For the past 30 years, John has assisted individuals and organizations to manage change and develop their individual and organizational strengths. He works with CEO’s, Presidents and Senior Executives to help them develop as leaders. He has helped hundreds of individuals across functional areas including Finance, Sales & Marketing, Operations, and HR. John’s areas of coaching specialty include: communication skills, delegation, conflict resolution, effective supervision, stress management, dealing with problem employees, and goal setting.

At the organizational level, John consults on strategic planning and development. He provides workshops and seminars at all levels of the organization. He helps companies with climate and culture transformation. John consults with organizations on managing employees with performance issues. He has designed and executed professional development programs for large organizations including 3M, Grainger, General Mills, Advocate Health Care, and DSM (Netherlands).

John is a frequent speaker, author, and television commentator. He is a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. from the Fielding Graduate University. He has served in numerous leadership roles for the Illinois Psychological Association, including President, as well the Executive Board for The Society of Consulting Psychology (Division 13) of the American Psychological Association.

John Blattner, Ph.D.

Jim Kelly, M.S, ACC

Jim Kelly, M.S., ACC, is an affiliate of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC.  Jim is the founder of Real Leaders Lead Executive Coaching, based in Chicago. He spent over 35 years in business, working his way from receiving room clerk to President & CEO.  He has hired, trained and led over 500 people during his career and has also lobbied successfully in the US Senate. Jim has started two companies, one of which grew to 40 retail stores. He left the business world to establish his own coaching company in 2006.  Jim has a Masters’ degree in Human Development and has taught at the University of Wisconsin.

He is a graduate of the certified professional coach training at iPEC, is as a certified emotional coach by EQ@Work, and is an associate certified coach by the International Coach Federation. Jim’s coaching emphasizes the emotional development of leaders.

Jim Kelly, M.S., ACC

Bernie Liebowitz, Ph.D., CMC

Bernie Liebowitz, Ph.D., CMC, is an affiliate of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC. Bernie is the founder of the Chicago-based management consulting firm of Liebowitz & Associates, PC. He has spent over 25 years consulting to a wide range of businesses and organizations, both privately and publicly held. His consultation includes strategic planning, organization design and development, performance management, assessment of candidates for executive positions, executive coaching and management team-building.

Bernie earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Chicago in 1965 in Psychology. He has published many articles in professional journals and has been quoted in various popular magazines publications including The Wall Street Journal, Money, INC, Crain’s Chicago Business, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times, and USA TODAY. He is certified as a Management Consultant (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants. Bernie has taught organizational behavior at the Adler School of Professional Psychology and is currently teaching at Argosy University.

Bernie Liebowitz, Ph.D., CMC

Michael Seitchik, Ed.D.

Michael Seitchik, Ed.D., is an affiliate of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC. Michael is President of Michael Seitchik, LLC. He has been designing and delivering executive education, executive coaching and executive team dynamics programs to leading companies throughout the world for over twenty-five years. He has coached over 800 executives across a wide variety of companies and industries. His international experience includes developing programs for companies in Canada, China, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom.

Michael has created a unique and powerful approach to executive education and development that has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Financial Times, USA Today, The Globe & Mail and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He has used this approach in developing customized executive education programs for AB InBev, Ace Hardware, American Red Cross, ARAMARK, BOC, CR Bard, Best Buy, Darden Restaurants, Dentsply, Emera, ITW, Kraft, Lennox International, McCormick & Company, Merck, Northern Trust, Pepsi Bottling Group, Pharmacia, Singapore Government, Steelcase, Swisscom, US Foodservice and Vulcan Materials Company. Michael also employed his unique approach to design a program for senior executives who are being prepared for a potential CEO or COO position in their firms.

Prior to founding Michael Seitchik, LLC, Michael was Managing Director of Executive Education Services at RHR International and, previously, the Director of Program Development at the Wharton School’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education. His program, Managing with Ambiguous Authority, was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the three most innovative executive education programs in the world. Michael earned his doctorate in adult education and organizational development from Temple University.

Michael Seitchik, Ed.D.