Bio
I have always been intensely interested in human nature. My particular interest is how people work together—how people can potentially collaborate to get things done. Whether with sports teams or in industry, I’ve been amazed by what becomes possible when a collection of people are motivated and in sync.
I have also been a student of leadership – from personal experience, from the great leaders I have had the privilege to work with over the years, and through formal education. I received a BA from Indiana University, and a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, both in psychology.
I have found sports to be one of the greatest teachers of leadership. Throughout my youth, I played competitive basketball and tennis. And I continue to enjoy sports, mostly as spectator these days
For 30+ years I have consulted to organizations of all kinds and sizes—from well known businesses like GE, HP, to the U.S. Army, and to small private schools and start-ups that no one has ever heard of. I’ve run large, complex culture change initiatives and work design projects; guided strategic planning; and done a great deal of executive team building. I’ve served on the faculty of corporate colleges teaching leadership development at Georgia Power Company and 3Com.
I’ve worked closely with a great many leaders—sometimes in formal settings and other times on long walks and talks. I’ve witnessed the dilemmas they’ve faced, and how they have dealt with them. I’ve listened carefully, asked the important questions and told them the truth as I saw it.
For the past decade I have had a long-term relationship with two companies — working closely with the CEO and executive teams —consulting as they navigated through turbulent seasons of growth, crises and change. These are examples of the long term, trusting relationships that are possible.
On the personal front, I make my home in the hills north of San Francisco. My wife and I have grown sons, who have been good enough to give us beautiful grandchildren. I enjoy playing guitar, singing and writing songs in my free time.
More Testimonials
Through my career, I’ve been fortunate to have access to leadership development programs and executive coaching. Only one stands out as having legitimately made me a better leader and person over the long haul. I literally have drawn on Ken’s perspectives every day for over fifteen years and shared them with team members across organizations. There is no higher recommendation I can provide than for Ken Macher.
Dave Schroeder, EVP
Caliber Home Loans
Like every executive in our company, my calendar is too full. Yet I will do anything to make my meetings with Ken. They are among the most important talks I have, both professionally and personally.
Lisa Jehl,
EVP,
Commercial Credit Risk Executive,
First Tennessee Bank
Ken has been my sounding board and consultant as we’ve faced critical issues within our system. An extensive [and expensive] consulting firm analysis had not helped. Ken helped me and other key executives truthfully identify the core issues, and talk constructively about them. We made significant breakthroughs and moved toward common solutions. He made a major difference in the prospects for our organization.
Ed Carlson, COO
Holy Cross Health Systems Corp
We engaged Ken as we were forming a new executive team with our new CEO. We needed cohesive, high performance leadership to respond quickly to a financial crisis. Ken was recommended to us for what was originally a short term assignment. More than ten years later he continues to consult to many of our senior leaders. He also serves as a trusted advisor to me and the CEO on matters of team performance, culture and leadership. Ken is most effective at building trust, listening and synthesizing information from multiple sources into meaningful personal and organizational recommendations. He is so integrated into our organization he seems more colleague and friend than consultant. I value his deep insights and perspectives on people which have led to many “Aha” moments.
John Daniel,
Chief Human Resources Officer,
First Horizon Bank
What stands out with Ken is his integrity.
Gary Jewkes,
Senior Vice President
Glasrock Home Health Care
Ken has a unique understanding of business dynamics and combines that with the best listening skills of anyone I have ever met. He has been a key element in helping members of our management team. In the process, we developed a close friendship that continues to today.
Parkes Dibble,
Senior Vice President
DecisionOne Mortgage
I hired Ken as we were planning our future. It was a time of great uncertainty and stress. Many of our managers were pessimistic about taking time with an executive coach. It has turned out to be one of the most positive things we have ever done.
Roy Davis,
Head of Engineering,
Georgia Power Company
Ken brought expertise, yes, but more than that. He became a real friend, who helped me and the entire management team both professionally and personally. I never saw him miss a thing. He was tough when he needed to be; at the same time he made everyone so comfortable that we were able to deal with some very difficult issues–like the future of our own jobs–head on.
Jim Maynor,
President
First Union Home Equity Corp.
Ken Macher has been an integral part of helping to strengthen our leadership team—individually and as a group. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with him for over eight years. His greatest strength is understanding people, and his ability to help me see the root issue in complex situations.
Stan Stout,
Director of Human Resources
Dun and Bradstreet Software
Ken Macher has shown me that an executive’s job is to ask the right questions. We were successful when we engaged Ken, but have consistently broken our own performance records during the time he has worked with us. I attribute a significant amount of that success to our work with him.
Doug Crisp,
Senior Vice President
Consumer Credit Division
Wachovia/First Union
Partial Client List
American Hospital Association
American Society of Association Executives
Amoco Production Company
AT&T
Avon Products
BellSouth
Blue Cross Blue Shield
BP Oil
3Com Corporation
Computer World
Contel Corporation
DecisionOne Mortgage
Department of Energy
Digital Equipment
Dun and Bradstreet Software
Equitable Life Assurance Society
Federal Computer Week (International Data Group)
First Horizon Corporation
First Union National Bank
GE
Georgia Department of Education
Georgia Health Care Association
Georgia Power Company
Glasrock Home Health Care
Good Samaritan Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital
Hewlett Packard
Hillsborough County, Florida
Kaiser Permanente
Ketchum Public Relations
Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Mohasco Corporation
National Home Builders
New Leaf Distribution Company
N.Y. State Department of Social Services
Optiworld
P.C. World (International Data Group)
Pinellas County, Florida
Rockwell International
Rohm and Haas
SciCor (Corning)
Salt River Project
Shell Oil Manufacturing
Southern Company Services
Toledo Hospital
Trinity Health
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. State Department
United Telephone of Florida
Wachovia Bank (Wells Fargo)
Warner Records
Whole Foods
Winona
Memorial Hospital