We’re big believers in team diversity.
Our education backgrounds range from Stellenbosch University at Cape Town up through the London School of Economics across the pond to MIT down I-95 to Georgetown, GW and Virginia up through Chicago onto California and as far west as the University of Hawaii.
We hold doctorates and advanced degrees in disciplines ranging from business, industrial relations, culture, psychology, medicine, design and international relations. We consciously integrate these disciplines to shape our work.
Our principals and consultants lead our research, design and advisory projects. Our producers ensure our work is experiential, engaging and impactful. Our advisers bring deep subject expertise to our work.
The team are presented below in no particular order (the website randomly mixes the biographies every few weeks).
When it comes to Mike, combining decision making and strategy with innovation is the name of the game. Over twelve years of experience as an adviser on organizational decision-making and strategic innovation to Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and technology entrepreneurs has made him an expert in building profitable and scalable businesses. He delivers leading-edge practices on innovation management and entrepreneurial growth. As a visiting faculty member of the University of Richmond for the past two years, he developed extensive research on how innovation shapes the ways buyers and sellers interact and how companies compete. Mike holds a BS in Management Science from MIT, an MBA from Penn State and swears his PhD at George Washington will be complete in 2010…
mike@thefrontierproject.com
After a decade of delving into the deeper motivations behind consumer behavior, you would think Erin Bishop would have had enough of market research and behavior change. But no. She soldiers on with The Frontier Project, bringing her career’s worth of qualitative research experience to bear with our clients. Having moderated over 700 focus groups and countless interviews, Erin is our go-to girl for qualitative research. An alumna of University of Virginia’s Distinguished Graduate Program, Erin majored in psychology with a focus on (what else) Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Interaction. After running the qualitative department for one of the largest research firms in the Southeast, she ventured out to start her own research venture, EAB Research, in 2003. She has provided insight into consumer motivation for clients in almost every business category, and from Mom and Pop shops to Fortune 500 companies. When she’s not exploring the “why’s” of life or busy running her business, she’s probably attending a meeting of one of the many community organizations for which she volunteers.
erin@thefrontierproject.com
With an unmatched entrepreneurial zeal, Corey loves to face challenging situations, ask the right questions, work to understand ambiguous problems, and then roll up his sleeves and get to work developing innovative ways to meet client’s needs. After graduating with a B.A. in International Studies from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the College of William & Mary, Corey has gained significant experience ranging from associate director of exec education at Georgetown to adviser -to-Chairman of a global satellite company operating in China. Along the way he has built a portfolio of core competencies that include business development, strategy, project management, marketing communication, performance management analysis, high-level research and writing (as well as near-fluency in Hmong and some Mandarin) Corey’s passion for all of Asia occasionally leaves him uttering Hmong proverbs, and he’s happy to share their meanings to anyone who asks.
corey@thefrontierproject.com
Always the first to the essence of the issue, Ryann leads many of Frontier’s research and consulting programs. She’s an MBA graduate of the University of Richmond and holds a Masters in Human Resources and Labor Relations with a BS in Psychology. Her career has ranged from headquarter HR roles in global manufacturing and technology companies to an adviser to entrepreneurial start-ups. As CEO of our firm she’s responsible for Frontier’s strategy as well as guiding the strategy of our clients. Ryann’s passion for understanding and positively shifting human behavior is addictive. She’s currently busy training for her third marathon (this year, Chicago). Her reluctance to work with Ellie to be photographed for this website is equally determined.
ryann@thefrontierproject.com
Executive coach, mediator, writer and broadcaster, Frontier’s no-nonsense South African advises clients on shifting organizational performance and leveraging the inevitable bureaucracy of business to executive advantage. James holds an MBA from Stellenbosch University of Cape Town and a BA of Agricultural Economics from the University of Pretoria. During the 25+ years of his career, he has been directly involved in executing diversification strategies, integrating acquisitions and start-ups, selling of business units and turning around corporations from bankruptcy. James’ “Nonsense at Work” radio segment is broadcast twice-weekly on regional NPR stations. His current books are available on-line and in bookstores: Make the Nonsense at Work, Work for You and Crossing the Nonsense Divide: Steps to Finding Your Path to a Successful Life. His love of writing is paled only by his passion for arguing with Scott over the relative rugby and cricket performances of England and South Africa.
james@thefrontierproject.com
Eleanor leads Frontier’s Executive Coaching Program, designing tailored one-on-one programs for high-potential individual clients. Through coaching and facilitation, she empowers clients to deepen their connection to themselves and their work. A graduate of Northwestern University, she’s balanced her coaching portfolio with fundraising for the arts, community development and women’s empowerment. The youngest of five sisters, Eleanor recently launched Girls for Change chapters in Phoenix and Richmond.
eleanor@thefrontierproject.com
Take a former US Army explosive ordinance specialist and blend it with a Professor of Theatre at VCU and you have Aaron Anderson – a professor of theater with a passion for blowing things up. An expert in the use of theatre training in applied social science, Aaron focuses on qualitative and mixed-method research design, pedagogy and curriculum design, theories of the body and methods of movement analysis. Large in presence and heart, Aaron’s expertise in education and methodology of teaching injects rigor and theoretical discipline to the design of our programs. Whether ‘on stage’ teaching leadership style and communication techniques or ‘off-stage’ designing program curricula, Aaron has a passion for people ‘getting it’ that is infectious.
aaron@thefrontierproject.com
Alan Dow
As a member of Frontier’s advisory board, Alan brings expertise in decision-making in the healthcare field. As the Assistant Dean of Clinical Curriculum at VCU Medical School, he’s guiding research projects into patient choices in response to styles of physician communication behaviors. When not at the hospital, he’s wandering around the Studio (in scrubs) challenging our research and learning program designs.
alan@thefrontierproject.com
Is there such a person as A Wall Street player with community soul? Formerly VP of Global Learning & Talent Management at Merrill Lynch, Adetola now deploys her expertise by advising executive HR teams on developing and executing organizational and diversity strategy. She designs and implements high-intensity learning programs which raise operational effectiveness and build high-performing teams. Her obsession with detail and understated diplomatic skills ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of complex global projects. Her passion for community and the arts means you may find her singing on stages across the country and working as faculty for youth groups. A loyal and passionate Rhode Islander, she’s convinced there’s more to states than simply size…
adetola@thefrontierproject.com
Elizabeth is the string to our kite, the one that reminds us that delivery dates and schedules have direct impact on ROI. Elizabeth structures projects for optimal impact and guides them to an on-time, on-budget landing. Her expertise in crafting business plans and shaping project implementations - from consumer good challenger brands to non-profits and media-technology software shops, has yielded powerful results. Her UVA Masters in Management Information Systems represents her ‘left’ brain for project detail and her degree in International Relations illustrates her ‘right’ brain for negotiating to get projects implemented in complex environments.
elizabeth@thefrontierproject.com
Bringing an Anglo-accent to our work, Scott advises clients on driving change through large, complex organizations and coaches executives in techniques of influence and negotiation. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Georgetown University, where his research focused on influence projection in negotiations. His career includes stints leading trade and business development campaigns for the UK Trade and Development Agency, a global law firm and an international bank. He advises executives of some of the leading corporations, banks, professional firms and NGOs in North America and Europe.
scott@thefrontierproject.com
Armed with a sketch book and a myriad of graphic design tools, Barbara infuses our programs with visual impact. The verb “To Babs” is Frontier-speak for transforming conceptual projects into immersive, tangible experiences. With dual degrees in Graphic Design and Advertising, her no-nonsense coaching style with executive clients dramatically raises the impact of their presentation mediums… Why use a million bullet points when one striking image can shift the room?
barbara@thefrontierproject.com
Kirsten advises us on experiential strategy-offsites design. She’s currently the Producer of Conferences and Special Events at MediaBistro.com Kirsten joined MediaBistro after a brief stint in Beijing working on the Olympics and a longer tenure at GE, where she was charged with creating events that inspired innovation and cultural change at one of the world’s largest companies. Kirsten is always on an impassioned quest for the coolest ideas, speakers and innovators in media and technology. When she’s not in New York at work or at play, she freelances as a travel writer and can be found in a window seat indulging in her iPod playlists.
kirsten@thefrontierproject.com
As an Experience Producer at Frontier, Carra’s an essential component of many project teams. Her role is to ensure projects run on time, on budget and that our work is a tangible experience for clients, including the creation of immersive meeting environment off-sites. She’s a BFA graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a minor in psychology. When not packaging Frontier projects, she teaches jewelry design at the Richmond Visual Arts Center.
carra@thefrontierproject.com
As Frontier’s Studio Chief, Jennifer manages every aspect of the client experience, including our workspace, technical infrastructure and social responsibility program. Her work ensures that our consulting projects are delivered efficiently and effectively, accelerating our performance and raising our impact. A background in psychology and an almost intimidating focus on detail, Jennifer makes thing happen.
jennifer@thefrontierproject.com