Professional Expertise
Vanessa Pierce is a consultant and executive coach with over twenty years of experience in organizational strategy, executive leadership, and development. She is passionate about evidence-based practice in leadership and has worked extensively with nonprofit boards and senior leaders as a consultant, coach, and facilitator.
Experience
After beginning her career as a consultant with Bain and Company, Vanessa pivoted to the social sector, working with and for nonprofit organizations around the globe.
Vanessa’s consulting practice focuses on nonprofit strategy, including organizational strategy, fundraising strategy, capital campaigns, and board development. She enjoys helping organizations of all sizes maximize impact, and leverages coaching alongside consulting to support implementation of strategy and organizational change.
As a coach, Vanessa often works with leaders who are navigating critical career moments and transitions. In addition to working with individual leaders across a range of industries, Vanessa is an experienced team facilitator. Leveraging her extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising operations, she believes in helping organizations find sustainable approaches to pursue their mission and vision while simultaneously encouraging their employees to thrive.
For organizations, Vanessa believes that coaching can maximize talent potential, improve employee performance, increase productivity and engagement, and reduce turnover. For individuals, she enjoys coaching to help accelerate development, improve well-being and balance, enhance communication skills, and help people develop strategic thinking, executive presence, and an authentic leadership style. For teams, her coaching focuses on increasing collaboration and inclusivity, establishing psychological safety, improving group conflict resolution skills, and developing a shared vision.
Vanessa’s research interests include the role of empathy in leadership, sustainable leadership practices, and training for executive coaches.
Client Sectors
- the arts
- economic empowerment
- education
- healthcare
- legal
- marketing
- nonprofit
- pharma
- social services
Education
- Certified Executive Coach, International Coaching Federation (ACC)
- M.S. – Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting, New York University
- Graduate Certificate – Fundraising Management, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
- B.A. – Psychology, Southern Methodist University