Russ Allison
Founder/Managing Partner
Russ Allison focuses on helping leaders and organizations be more effective by finding ways to make already successful leaders even better, as fast as possible. He brings a business-minded grasp of psychology research to the table and partners with clients to take concrete steps that make a real difference for individuals, teams, and companies. Russ has specialized throughout his career in executive assessment and coaching, personally observing thousands of leaders from the best companies in the world and providing relevant and specific feedback for how those leaders can better achieve their goals. From small private companies to global multi-nationals, he has consulted with industries as diverse as consumer electronics, defense, biotech, retail, financial services, and energy.
By combining a background in assessment with a strong ability to talk holistically about executive effectiveness, Russ is able to provide an uncommon perspective to his work with clients. He specializes in helping them to not only think about how he/she can change to be stronger, but also the organizational system that leader interacts with every day – leadership never takes place in a vacuum and Russ’ coaching explicitly takes into account the specific challenges and obstacles of a given role. Further, he makes sure that there is always a focus on a clear payoff for both the individual client leader as well as the organization by discussing both short-term performance objectives as well as broader career ambitions. People who have worked with Russ describe him as simultaneously supportive and challenging, and consistently able to offer candid insights that lead to positive change.
Previously, Russ was a successful member of one of the world’s preeminent leadership consulting firms for nearly a decade, specializing in business development, leadership assessment, and integrated talent management initiatives. Most recently, Russ had an internal leadership role at a Fortune 10 multi-national where he was responsible for building and implementing the assessment and development strategy for the top 35,000 leaders of the company. He holds a M.S.Ed and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, SPHR certification, and is an active member of professional associations including the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and HR People & Strategy (HRPS, formerly the Human Resource Planning Society).