Harrison Monarth
CEO and Founder
Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author, Harrison Monarth coaches C-suite leaders, senior executives, high potential managers and other top professionals on effective leadership and positive behavior change for professional and organizational success. He helps leaders at all levels develop a powerful personal brand and authentic executive presence. With Harrison’s coaching, leaders from various sectors develop increased self-awareness, overcome “derailer” behaviors, enhance personal effectiveness, develop new leadership skills and competencies and communicate with confidence and competence.
His approach incorporates the latest research in effective leadership, interpersonal communication, and behavioral sciences. “Working with leaders who are willing to learn and evolve and who are actively engaged in their personal development is incredibly rewarding.”
Harrison’s client list covers organizations such as General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, MetLife, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco Systems, GE and Standard & Poor’s among others, as well as start-up entrepreneurs, political candidates and Members of Congress.
Harrison’s latest book, the second edition of Executive Presence–the Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO (McGraw-Hill 2019), is a critically acclaimed guide that helps readers develop self-awareness, influence and a powerful personal brand in life and at work. His other books include Breakthrough Communication: A Powerful 4-Step Process For Overcoming Resistance and Getting Results (McGraw-Hill 2014), which provides a way to look at communication in new and insightful ways. It teaches readers how they can get on decision-makers’ radar, powerfully influence the agenda, infuse meaning that resonates, and spark the desired actions. Other books include The New York Times best seller The Confident Speaker (McGraw-Hill 2007), and 360 Degrees of Influence (McGraw-Hill 2012), which Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, Jeffrey Pfeffer said is “…must reading for everyone who needs to build their personal brand and sell themselves”.
Harrison is a contributor at Harvard Business Review, FORTUNE and Entrepreneur.com.
Patricia Figueroa
An executive coach, specializing in emotionally intelligent leadership, and based in Latin America, Patricia Figueroa works with GuruMaker’s Spanish-speaking clients, including CEOs and other senior-level executives from around the globe, on negotiating and influencing skills, conflict management, and managing their personal power.
Patricia’s coaching philosophy is based on her belief that certain character traits and competencies are core to one’s overall success, specifically those related to emotional intelligence, e.g. self-awareness, self-management, empathy, relationship management, as well as adaptability, resilience, stress management, achievement orientation, and others, all of which can be learned, developed and measured. She also applies insights from the field of neuroscience to the behavioral change strategies she teaches, to help clients improve their overall leadership performance.
Patricia has worked with clients spanning a variety of industries, including biotechnology, financial services, health care, manufacturing, education, and the farming sector. Select clients include ECO Electric Construction Company, MOBI Design furniture manufacturers, MARIO RAMOS Jewelers, Regeneron, European Association of Dermatology and Venereology, CAPTAR, CAMSA, SuKarne, Government.
Patricia has conducted hundreds of conferences, training sessions, and organizational workshops on Emotional Intelligence specifically, and leadership effectiveness in general, in Latin America, and virtually to a global audience.
Patricia holds a Master’s in Education and Bachelor’s in Finance from the Monterrey Institute of Technology, where she has also taught graduate courses in leadership. She is certified in various assessment instruments, including Hogan Assessments and ESCI.
Heather Walker, Ph.D.
As an executive coach, Dr. Heather Walker helps clients understand the factors that contribute to and detract from their professional effectiveness. Leaders working with Heather can expect encouragement and professional insight as they consider the next move in their career. She enjoys working with high performers who have achieved a certain degree of success, but who may be entering a pivotal point in their careers where go-to strategies are becoming less effective. She works best with those who are interested in increasing their executive presence to become more influential at work. She takes a strengths-based approach and believes that we all have the ability to improve our circumstances in meaningful ways. Heather helps each client identify what uniquely differentiates them in the workplace and what they can do to enhance their effectiveness with others. Her executive coaching style opens clients’ up to new possibilities and encourages meaningful change.
Heather’s executive coaching style includes appreciative inquiry, validated assessments and/or 360-degree feedback instruments to give clients candid feedback on areas such as leadership style, emotional intelligence, work priorities, and communication patterns. She works closely with clients to establish clear goals, action items and accountability.
Heather uses her experiences as an organizational psychologist, manager, faculty member, and HR leader to provide practical guidance that is tailored to each client’s needs as well as personal goals. With her guidance, leaders learn strategies for engaging others for impact, for fostering inclusiveness, and for creating a psychologically safe work environment where employees feel empowered to perform at their full potential. Heather has personal experience leading small to large teams of high performers and experienced professionals. She has also personally designed and led enterprise-wide change initiatives; this range of experience helps her connect with clients at every level—from front-line supervisors to the C-suite.
Specializing in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Heather is an alumna of Saint Louis University. She is certified to administer leadership, 360-degree feedback, and personality assessments that raise her clients’ awareness of their personal strengths and opportunities for improvement. She serves as a faculty mentor and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Saint Louis University, teaching a master’s level course in Contemporary Organizational Leadership.
Jon Freda, Ph.D.
Dr. Jon Freda has been working in the fields of executive education and psychology for 30 years. Jon has spent the majority of the last 15 years coaching, training and consulting. He has developed and facilitated over 200 training programs on executive presence, effective communication/assertiveness, interpersonal dynamics, and strategic storytelling for executives; coached hundreds of managers and executives on issues related to emotional intelligence, particularly self & organizational awareness, leadership presence, and relationship management.
A skilled workshop leader, executive coach and licensed psychologist with a strong film and theater background, Jon uses improvisational acting techniques to help GuruMaker clients alter their leadership behavior and communication style. His approach is to connect clients emotionally and intellectually to their stories and messages to effectively manage interpersonal dynamics and project executive presence and leadership. Dr. Freda combines both, psychological insights, and specific creative methods in his coaching and corporate workshops.
Jon has worked with executive clients from the private, public and non-profit sectors for over 30 years, spanning a variety of industries, from IT, high-tech and telecommunications, to financial services, health care, manufacturing, defense and aerospace, and the energy sector. Select clients include GE, McGraw-Hill Financial, Hewlett Packard, U.S. Air Force, Electronic Arts, General Motors, Baker-Hughes, PepsiCo and Deloitte Consulting.
Jon is also an award winning film, TV, and stage actor, and screen writer. He is currently best known for his role as Rocco in Luc Besson’s The Family with Robert De Niro and Michele Pfeiffer, and Off-Broadway in his solo show, Imagine Dat, as Jimmy Durante. Other film and TV credits include The Blacklist, Law & Order SVU, Nikki & Sara Live, The Joe Buck Show, plus numerous local and regional theatre credits.
Jon received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational psychology from SUNY Binghamton, and a post-doctoral Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Windsor, Ontario.
Michael Collins
Michaels Collins is a veteran presentation-skills coach and actor, bringing his storytelling expertise to GuruMaker School of Professional Speaking. His approach is to fully understand client needs and help identify and tell the stories that represent the client’s core values and business objectives. At GuruMaker, Michael has improved the communications skills of our diverse clientele, from medal-winning Olympians to forensic accountants to world-renowned surgeons.
Michael is known for his ability to establish trust with his clients, making them feel at ease as they are guided through exercises ranging from personal stories to business pitches to high-level town hall talks. His coaching philosophy is not unlike improv itself: to meet people where they are, to support and build on ideas and to be present in the moment. Michael is a long-time performer and instructor, graduating from the renowned Second City Conservatory in Chicago. Michael has performed on stage and in front of the camera in Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver, and was a host for Outside Television.
Leila Sbitani
Leila Sbitani is a TV Host, Actress and Media Coach with over 20 years of experience working on camera. Leila has been working as a media coach for over 15 years training corporate executives, TV hosts/spokespersons, influencers, celebrities, experts and anyone looking to master their media message and be their best on camera.
Her approach focuses on authentic communication, confidence building, brand messaging, and connecting to one’s audience with a credible and engaging media presence. Leila has coached talent that have appeared on various news outlets and networks, including The Dr. Oz Show, The Today Show, VHI, BET, FX, NBC and CBS among other major media outlets.
Leila has worked on camera as a TV Host and correspondent for a wide variety of shows and networks including Entertainment Tonight, E! Style, WE, Metro TV, Oxygen, Nick@Nite, TV Land and many more. She also has extensive experience as an actress in TV, film, theater, commercials, voice-overs and corporate industrials and understands the many techniques and nuanced behaviors that enable media-facing executives convey their messages and talking points with the desired impact.
