Biography
Creativity and imagination are essential ingredients for visionary leadership - especially now as we navigate new economic cycles and new ways to work together.
Specialized Training in Advising & Coaching
Advising Fortune 100 organizations since 1986 Les is a trained management consultant and competitive intelligence specialist. Les is a certified coach from the New York University Coaching Program (2019), Mentor Coach training with MCC and BCC Master Coach Paulette Rao • Columbia University in Diversity Equity and Inclusion Training (2021) • GCHQ Group Coaching Training, New York (2021) • University of London Gold Award Mentor Training (2021).
About Les
Serving Fortune 100 global organizations in technology, communications, energy, transportation, finance and healthcare and public diplomacy.
A Leadership Coach at Columbia Business School, Les works with leaders now shaping our future and brings thirty-five years global experience with specialized skillsets in management consulting, leadership coaching and creativity. He has served global firms including GM, 3M, GE, Du Pont, Dow, Ashland and Bayer on global strategy and leads US Public Diplomacy projects in Asia, and the Americas.
Professionally credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, Les is also Affiliate of the Institute of Coaching (IOC) at Harvard Medical School. He is active with ICF both locally in New York and internationally with their thought leadership program and recently initiated global chapter events.
Les is also resident coach on the PhD program at University of Melbourne, Australia and the Gold Award Programme at University of London. He is recipient of the Japan Monbusho Scholarship, Fulbright-Hays US Public Diplomacy Awards for China and Mongolia and is a Senior Scholar with the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for India. In 2022 he was elected as Fellow of the Highland Institute in India and created India’s first Mentorship Program for Tribal Communities. At Columbia University, he is a research scholar on creativity and coaching in international organizations.
Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar India (2022- present)
Research Scholar on executive and leadership coaching in international organizations Columbia University Visiting Scholar and Scientist Program, New York (2020-present)
Post-Doctorate Art and Communication, University of São Paulo, Brazil (2017)
PhD Leeds Metropolitan University, UK (2012)
M.A. Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan (2001)
M.A. Goldsmiths, University of London, UK (1997)
MBA California State Polytechnic University, CA (1989).
M.Sc Management Boston University/ Vrije Universiteit Brussels Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences (1988).
B.A (Hons) Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts, London (1996).
B.A. Boston University (1986). Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society.
Other training: Monbusho Japanese Language Scholar, Tokyo University for Electro-Communications (1997-1998). Taiwan Ministry of Education Chinese Language Scholar National Cheng Kung University Taiwan, (2016). Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Erasmus Scholar (1995). American University in Paris (1983-1984). Formal language training in French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Italian.