“ ... a personal and professional journey which has had drastic impact.”
"Over the past three years I have had the privilege and honor of having Michael McDermott as my personal coach. Over this period, Michael has taken me through a personal and professional journey which has had a drastic impact on how I work with senior management and peers throughout the company, my ability to manage my direct reports more effectively and, most importantly, I have seen tremendous improvements on my relationships with family and friends. The overall result is that I am a happy and more effective person. Looking back, I would recommend to anyone interested in personal development to get a personal coach, especially Michael McDermott.”
— Ken G. Office Head, Global Hedge Fund, London
“... your non-judgmental style was most liberating.”
"First, and foremost, your kind, gentle, and supportive approach was most helpful. More specifically, as someone who tends easily toward self-criticism, your non-judgmental style was most liberating. It gave me room to open up and share, to look within, and to admit weaknesses without a fear of being criticized. It is one of your greatest strengths.
"Probably one of the most useful aspects to our sessions was giving me a pause in the week to reflect upon what I do. In this work setting and just by personal style, I am often on the go. Stopping and giving voice to what's working and what's not, what I want to do and what's not getting done was very constructive. In terms of your approach, I often found it helpful to hear what I had said reiterated and understood though your lens and understanding of the situation. While you didn't have specific answers to solutions, you talked about the issues in ways that helped me to have a different vantage point. I liked that solutions were often generated by me, but I also found your more direct way of teaching (which was probably more like mentoring) to be the most helpful for me..."
"Overall, I really enjoyed it and always felt energized at the end of our calls. It dovetailed nicely with my annual evaluation and provided thoughtful ways for me to do my job more effectively.”
— Lynn P. Director, Health Services Industry, VT
“The experience was truly remarkable.”
"I feel compelled to share the exceptional professional experience I had with executive coach Mike McDermott. I am a sales executive with a leading global consumer products company who is in the midst of a career transition unlike any I have experienced before. Mike and I worked together for over six months on really getting a deep understanding of “me” and what and how I want to do things. The experience was truly remarkable. Not only did I get a clear understanding of my values and strengths, but Mike provided a highly positive environment, which was exactly what I needed during a difficult time."
"Having worked with executive coaches before, both for myself and employees of mine, I have what I feel is an appropriate perspective on strengths and weaknesses for coaching. Mike’s systematic, authentic and personal approach is unlike anything I had experienced before. He used assessment tools that forced more comprehensive thinking about me. He coupled that with personal examples that provided context to make the discussions real and transferable. He pushed me to make tangible goals with clear accountability and commitment to deliver. His professional experience and extensive training coupled with his personal approach made the exercise highly productive."
— Brett B. Head of Sales, Fortune 100 Global Consumer Products Company, IL
"I was looking for help with the 'what's next' conversation, but got so much more ..."
“I started working with Michael after the investment bank I worked for vaporized in the great meltdown of 2008. I was looking for help with the "what's next" conversation, but got so much more: a new way of looking at myself, a recognition that my own beliefs are far more limiting than any environmental constraints, and a realization that I can change those beliefs to lead a happier and more fulfilling life. Moreover, I gained tools that I carry with me to 'adjust course' as I move forward. Do I have all the answers to my transition question? No. Do I have the ability to deal with it? Undoubtedly. Thanks, Michael.”
— Judy A. COO, Fixed Income, Global Investment Bank, London
"Your insight has and continues to be extremely beneficial in the development of both my professional and personal life."
“Thank you for the opportunity to work with you over the past six months in your role as an executive coach. Your insight has and continues to be extremely beneficial in the development of both my professional and personal life. While I feel that one of my strengths has been the ability to anticipate change and that I view it as opportunity, it has also become clear that it was having a greater impact on me than I had perceived."
— Paul M. US Sales Manager, Global Investment Bank, NY
"I was confident, happy and feeling empowered about who I was and what I could do for myself and my clients."
“I came to Michael for help determining my next step. As a personal business owner I needed to reinvigorate my practice and feel fulfilled at the same time. We worked together for a month, and in that time I felt transformed into someone capable of anything I set my mind to. I was confident, happy and feeling empowered about who I was and what I could do for myself and my clients. We met in 4 hour super-sessions, and the mix of modalities and techniques was amazing. I have also found the results to be long lasting as I have not slipped back at all since our work together last year. I got far more than I had hoped for!”
— Lea M. President, Management Consulting Firm, CT
"I highly recommend him ..."
“Michael was incredibly helpful in working with me on many facets of my career path and delivery during a critical time in the business, between 2007 and 2009. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to be a better person, master some critical skills in a large organization, become a better leader, and become a happier person while doing it all.”
— Glenn S. Co-Head US Equity Sales, Global Investment Bank, NY
"I'm glad I did this for my health."
“I now have a more satisfying sense of direction in my life and a new equanimity that comes from knowing how to handle potentially stressful issues as they come up. I'm glad I did this for my health.”
— Mary P. Dean and Administrative Vice-President, Major University, NY
"I have personally gained insight and resolution in areas which were not even on my personal radar when we began.”
“Mike maximizes the impact of his diverse experience by putting in hours of preparation time for each hour spent with his clients. He combines the more structured processes found in traditional executive coaching with more esoteric techniques found in other cultures and religions. This enables him to craft a relevant and personal path for each individual he coaches. This also makes him unique and effective in many different types of coaching, delivering results on a multitude of levels. He succeeds by invoking you to internalize your solutions, making them much more immutable. I have personally gained insight and resolution in areas which were not even on my personal radar when we began.”
— Eric V. President and CEO, High End Manufacturing Company, CT
"... visionary, innovative view and strong expertise of Talent Acquisition."
"Rodney is one of those very strong Talent Acquisition leaders in the industry who has a visionary, innovative view and strong expertise of Talent Acquisition. He brings a diverse and different perspective, he, will quickly think ahead of the curve to identify critical next steps and will always challenge the status-quo to enable us to get better."
— Céline R. Global Head Talent Acquisition, Major Pharmaceutical Company, NJ
"He is a trusted advisor and demonstrates high integrity in his actions ..."
"Rodney is an expert and leader in all areas of Talent Acquisition, and has worked in multiple challenging industries. He has deep and broad knowledge of Recruiting strategy, systems, sourcing, executive search, process, relationship management, college relations, diversity outreach, etc. Rodney is creative yet pragmatic in his approach, and stays abreast of marketplace trends and the latest technologies including social media, allowing him to remain thoroughly knowledgeable and a leader in the field. He is a trusted advisor and demonstrates high integrity in his actions, and is a compassionate, talented executive."
— Dottie D.B. CHRO, Medical Company
"Rod was faced with many challenges ... [and] was able to establish key foundational items [to help] achieve the goals."
"Rod was faced with many challenges ... this included building a team and getting some operational leaders to allow him to focus on the strategic elements to position Talent Acquisition for substantive growth, while increasing the quality of hire, improving the candidate experience and reducing the time to hire. Rod was able to establish
key foundational items including building an infrastructure that was scalable and consistent, yet had the flexibility to meet local demands in a global marketplace. These foundational elements also helped him achieve the goals he had set out to accomplish."
— Bruce F. Vice President of HR, Major Technology Company
" ... she held the mirror that one needs to make real shifts happen."
"Jennifer is a highly talented leadership expert. Through her experience and listening deeply from the heart, she held the mirror that one needs to make real shifts happen. The journey was challenging yet uplifting and extremely rewarding, totally worth it. Jennifer has a special intuition that carefully guided me down paths. I’d wholeheartedly recommend her if you’re interested in experiencing the gift of awakening in your career and personal life. Jennifer is extraordinary!"
— Margaret K. Former Senior Vice President, Financial Services Unit of a Global Manufacturing Company, CA
" ... creating an environment where people feel appreciated and are happy to contribute."
"Having the opportunity to work with Jennifer was a joy and an honor. She understands how to inspire loyalty in others, hold the vision of the organization, and accomplish its goals while at the same time creating an environment where people feel appreciated and are happy to contribute.”
— Susan C. CPA, Treasurer and Director, Non-Profit Organizations, CA