Supporting mission-driven leaders and organizations

A leadership expert who is committed to helping develop the capacities needed today and for the road ahead

Meet Heather

Executive Coach | LD/OD Consultant | Career Transition Coach

For 20 years, I’ve been working intimately with senior leaders: to grow their leadership, to spark learning in their organizations and to design the next chapter in their careers. The most important thing to know is that I will care deeply about your success and I will be committed to doing all I can to support it.

Leaders need an increased capacity to deal with change, connect effectively with others and get results. It takes intentional learning and development based on best practices. My depth and variety of experience allow me to drop into just about any leadership situation, quickly grasp what’s happening and offer creative, strategic recommendations.

I am both a systems thinker and someone who dives deep to help leaders develop greater capacity. A strong background in marketing and communications gives me a keen sense of how to frame things and communicate effectively. My approach to all of my work is highly adaptive, iterative and strategic.

I build trusted partnerships quickly and collaborate with a wonderful bench of expert specialists who I’ve come to know well and trust. I’m extraordinarily lucky to work with leaders I adore and collaborate with experts I respect.

Leadership Coach

Research shows that executive coaching is one of the most effective ways to create behavioral change. I help managers and leaders grow in ways that support the development of their careers and their organizations.

LD/OD Consultant

Behaviors drive culture, and they can be learned. I serve as a strategic and resourceful LD/OD partner for mission-driven organizations that don’t have someone in a full-time internal organizational development or leadership development role.

Career Transition Coach

There are always possibilities beyond imagination. I help senior leaders to chart new directions that are more attuned to who they are and what’s most important to them.

Background

I hold an MBA from the Yale School of Management and bring 20 years of experience coaching executives and developing learning programs at organizations that include Bain & Company, Hello Sunshine, Fastly, Genentech, Lucasfilm, The Hewlett Foundation, and The Packard Foundation.

For 16 years, I was a co-founder of Next Step Partners, a leading Bay Area leadership development firm, where I coached executives, designed and led leadership development programs and worked with teams in a wide variety of organizations, including Fortune 50s, growth stage companies and philanthropies. Technology, financial services, entertainment, real estate—I’ve worked in many industries.

Prior to joining the leadership development field, I had hands-on business experience running marketing for Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and I co-founded the non-profit Net Impact.

Something I share with all of my clients is a deep caring about making a positive contribution to human beings (and that can happen in either non-profit or for-profit environments). It’s a great privilege to not only support an individual’s growth, but to witness the ripple effect of the influence they have on those whose lives they touch. To that end, I’ve also mentored coaches throughout my career and have served as an Adjunct Faculty member with the New Ventures West Professional Coaching Certification program.

Heather Corcoran

Ethical Standards | International Coach Federation Member

To learn more, download an informative summary on my leadership coaching and consulting services including:

Specialization + Expertise
Client Roles Served
Industry Experience
Coaching Certifications + Education

Core Expertise

Organizational Leadership

Leading Leaders

New Managers

Team Building

Developing Others

Influence and Collaboration

Conflict Management

Communication

Career Transition

Certification | Education

New Ventures West Integral Coach

CTI Certified Professional Co-Active Coach

ICF Professional Certified Coach

Immunity to Change Certified Coach

Crucial Conversations

Leadership Circle

Hogan

Myers-Briggs

Emotional + Social Competency Inventory

Integrative Enneagram

CCL Benchmarks

Education

BA | McGill University

MBA | Yale School of Management

Industry Experience

Fortune 50 to Growth Stage Companies in:

Technology

Insurance

Financial Services

Entertainment

Real Estate

Private Equity

Retail

Consumer Products

Biotech

Nonprofits and Philanthropy focused on:

Climate Change and the Environment

Children and Families

The Arts

Education

Health

Science

Global Development

Client Roles Served

CEOs

Presidents

Founders

Executive Directors

VPs

Directors

Other Senior Leaders

Core Expertise

Organizational Leadership
Leading Leaders
New Managers
Team Building
Developing Others
Influence and Collaboration
Conflict Management
Communication
Career Transition

Certification | Education

New Ventures West Integral Coach
CTI Certified Professional Co
Active Coach
ICF Professional Certified Coach
Immunity to Change Certified Coach
Crucial Conversations
Leadership Circle
Hogan
Myers-Briggs
Emotional + Social Competency Inventory
Integrative Enneagram
CCL Benchmarks

Education

BA | McGill University
MBA | Yale School of Management

Industry Experience

Fortune 50 to Growth Stage Companies in:
Technology
Insurance
Financial Services
Entertainment
Real Estate
Private Equity
Retail
Consumer Products
Biotech

Nonprofits and Philanthropy focused on:
Climate Change and the Environment
Children and Families
The Arts
Education
Health
Science
Global Development

Client Roles Served

CEOs
Presidents
Founders
Executive Directors
VPs
Directors
Other Senior Leaders

Some recent clients I've worked with

Some recent clients I have worked with

"I wanted to create a culture and workplace that I wanted to live in. Heather has helped me keep my focus on creating solutions that serve me and the business, particularly while working through some of the more challenging issues that face any executive."

“I wanted to thank you for these resources and all the support and guidance you have provided over the years, especially this particularly tough one. There were so many critical junctures this year where the guidance you gave not only got me through to the next day, or the next important event, but helped me enable this year to be one of transformation. That wouldn’t have been possible without your help in enabling me to transition from a really tactical existence (accomplish this, accomplish that) to thinking more about how to love the journey and make sure it is the journey that is bringing satisfaction. I am truly grateful.”

"Heather understands the needs of a time-starved executive and looks for the right solution that will both support me and make the best use of my time. The result is we get to better answers faster.”

“The biggest impact of working with Heather is that I have greater clarity and confidence in myself as a leader. Everything was so applicable – and I saw results immediately. I’ve been able to build greater trust within my team and create a greater clarity of mission and purpose. I appreciated the opportunity to look up from the weeds and see the horizon, to rethink how I am doing things, implement new ideas, and think more strategically about my organization. The personal support was also invaluable, because being a leader can feel very lonely at times.”

“Heather has done so much individual coaching — she has sensitivity to the leader, personality, dynamics. She really cares about people and the mission of organizations. This is not just a business to her. ”

“The work we did together has been so incredibly meaningful and noticed by the people who work with me. It was very validating for me to see (and eye opening!) The feedback I received was positive about people feeling I am being more present, more proactive and empowering, and the team feeling good, strong and ready to run forward. I have started down a path that feels true to my values and also the values of those around me and it was very gratifying to hear that it’s…working”

Supporting mission-driven leaders and organizations

Some recent clients I've worked with

Some recent clients I have worked with

Ready to address your leadership challenge?

Leadership Perspectives

What Inspires Leaders to Lead With Spirit?

On Creativity, Joy and Inspiration for Leaders

What My Mother-In-Law, Sandra Day O’Connor, taught me about leadership

Lessons in Leadership and Teamwork from the Thai Cave Rescue