Our Team

Heidi Frye
President/Founder

Heidi Frye has spent her career impacting bottom-line business growth.  Whether working with hundreds of leaders on leadership development, directly contributing to top-line sales revenue, or helping organizations with talent acquisition, she is best known for her achievement orientation.

Heidi’s childhood nickname of “Kenmore” (affectionately coined by her two younger sisters to depict their view of her as an agitator!) still applies to her career today  – her willingness to shake things up to achieve best results! She has earned a reputation for integrity, “doing the right thing” and “telling it like it is” while delivering high-quality service, achieving results, and keeping an eye on the bottom-line. Using her Macro-Mindset™ approach to understand the business at a high-level/macro view, Heidi is able to break down necessary-but-not-often-understood-or-used concepts, theories, and techniques to help clients grow as leaders, using her Raw Leadership™ methodology. Heidi has spent over fifteen years in the fields of organizational development & executive search, and is dedicated to growing business through the development of people. Understanding people, their blind spots, and having the courage to be real are Heidi’s strong suit.

Throughout the span of her 30-year career, Heidi has learned and used best practices in coaching & mentoring, team building, training/workshops, recruiting, and sales – having achieved numerous performance awards working for Fortune 500 companies: Xerox; Boston Scientific Corporation; and EMC, as well as more entrepreneurial businesses, including MRI – Sales Consultants, and Leadership Capital Group. Heidi holds a degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University with a major in Marketing and a minor in German. Heidi is also a graduate of the Leadership University – School of Developmental Coaching, Coach2 and MLCS (Master Leadership Coaching System) ICF-certified programs, is certified in the Integrative Enneagram, and an ICF  member (International Coaching Federation – International and  Michigan chapter).

BIO

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

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Jonathan Harris
Strategic Partner – Executive Coaching & Leadership/Executive Workshops
Change2 Ltd – United Kingdom, Co-Founder

Jonathan brings experience from a highly successful career in both operational line management and Human Resource Development. With 20 years in HRD, Jonathan has had a number of different roles including Head of Human Resource Development for a FTSE 100 business. Jonathan specializes in organizational and leadership development, including executive coaching. Jonathan works with clients internationally across a range of business areas including Energy, FMCG, Retail, Manufacturing, Construction and Overseas Banking.

Jonathan has worked with organizations around the world in the areas of:

• Leadership Development
• Cultural change programs
• Executive coaching and Business mentoring
• Employer Branding
• Employee Engagement
• Talent Management

Jonathan’s strengths include his ability to operate and influence at a senior level within an organization. He has the ability to see connections from a strategic perspective and then ground them in practical applications. He combines first class facilitation and communication skills with an in-depth knowledge and practice of HRD approaches.   Open to innovation and change, Jonathan brings a creative and responsive approach to assignments. Jonathan was awarded a prestigious ‘Acorn Award’ in 1993 by the Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine. In addition to his work with Change2, Jonathan uses his creativity through his work as a professional photographer.

Christine Ware 
Strategic Partner – Executive Coaching & Leadership/Executive Workshops
Change2 Ltd – United Kingdom, Co-Founder

Christine’s experience over 19 years includes a range of Human Resource roles from Training and Development Controller to Senior HR Consultant in a number of different industries including Retail and Distribution, the Energy Industry and Financial Services Sector. Assignments and research have enabled her to work in Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA as well as the UK with a proven track record in:

• Organization design and restructure
• Cultural change programmes
• Internal consultancy
• Assessment and Development Centers

She has experience of designing and delivering competency frameworks, succession planning, performance management and career development processes in a number of differing businesses.

Christine’s strengths include a creative and enthusiastic approach, facilitation skills, a strong business focus, project management and coaching and mentoring. She has a special interest in the impact complexity science can have in business and on individuals. She has received a Directors Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Management of Change.

Valerie Atkin
Strategic Partner – Training & Workshops, Leadership Coaching
Wells Street Consulting, Founder

Valerie’s passion for training and consulting excellence requires that she tell the truth and refuse assignments that she feels are ill-fated or that others may be better suited to address. She is known as exasperatingly realistic and simple, which is to say she doesn’t complicate unnecessarily. Before founding Wells Street Consulting, she held a variety of positions including Organizational Analyst at DuPont, Manager of Development at Stauffer Chemical, National Accounts Manager at Zenger Miller, and Regional Vice President at MOHR Development. She serves as Marketing Chair on the International Enneagram Association Board of Directors and is the past President of the University of Michigan Museum of Art Friends Board. She holds a degree in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Michigan and she has a great sense of humor about everything except Michigan football.

Matt Ballema
Strategic Partner – Recruiting
Pioneer Search Group, President

Matt has been in the executive search business for over ten years and specializes in diverse industries including Energy/Power Generation, Power Transmission and Distribution, Material Handling/OEM’s and Dealers, Industrial Packaging and Financial Services/Insurance. He is currently the principal of Pioneer Search Group, LLC. With nearly 15 years of experience in executive search and placement, Matt has been involved in all aspects of recruiting. Matt has placed professionals at all levels from GM/Director/VP level to Regional Sales Managers, Sales Reps and Engineers. Matt holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science with an emphasis in Human Resources and Society from Michigan State University.

Pioneer Search Group specializes in recruiting top talent for the industries it serves by practicing traditional but proven recruiting techniques. They offer expertise in not only finding top talent, but helping organizations throughout every step of the search and hiring process, from start to finish.

Kathleen J. Wheelihan
Strategic Partner – Training, Coaching & Consulting
The Oz Group, Inc., President/CEO & Founder
Leadership * Teambuilding * Sales & Service * Communication * Coaching

Kathleen is a professional speaker and management consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in leadership, training, marketing, human resources, operations and theatre. Her experience, enthusiasm, and energetic speaking style are used to create dynamic events with practical tools and a keen concern for her clients’ success. Kathleen has worked with clients from a variety of industries including Michigan State University, Nationwide Insurance, Pfizer, Inc., Palace Sports and Entertainment, Botsford Hospital, DHL, Luxottica Retail (LensCrafters, Sears Optical), Michigan Bankers Association, Real Estate One, and the Florida Credit Union League. She earned her BBA in Management from Walsh College and is a member of the National Speakers Association and National Association of Career Women. Kathleen provides conference keynotes and breakout sessions, training workshops, comprehensive employee and leadership development series, individual/executive coaching, and training reinforcement activities focusing on people-to-people technology: leadership, teambuilding, communication, and sales and service.

Therese Marie
Strategic Partner – Executive Coaching
Executive Recovery Coach

Therese Marie is an executive coach who works with individual executives, leaders or professionals whose lives and careers have been impacted by addiction or alcoholism.

Therese Marie’s entire career history has prepared her to successfully coach executives.  Beginning with her business degree from Wayne State University in 1986 focused on industrial relations, followed by Human Resources work within the corporate sector, to founding and growing a successful boutique recruiting practice, Therese Marie is at home with corporate leaders within all business sectors.  Her formalized coaching training through Leadership University – School of Developmental Coaching in 2006, with its focus on the behavioral component of leadership and the importance of self-awareness, is complemented by ongoing one-on-one work with an executive coach, thus maintaining the same process of continuous personal and professional development practiced by her executive clients. Therese’s personal experience of career transition amidst addiction and recovery allows her to both identify with and support executive clients and business owners responsible for successfully leading people and conducting business while maintaining healthy recovery.