Winifred Ernst

Winifred is PCC certified, has a PhD in literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, and believes that leadership, like literature, requires reading between the lines.  Her other certifications include:  CCL & Korn Ferry 360, MBTI, Influence Style Indicator, Change Style Indicator, Vertical Development, WPB5, FiroB, Hogan, Leader Network Diagnostic, CCL Intercultural Communications in Singapore, Institute for Intercultural Communication, Malcolm Knowles’ Principles in Adult Education.

• Author of the recent HBR article, “How Successful Women Sustain Momentum”
• Long-term collaborator with key clients to co-create leadership programs, drawing from innovative sources and sound practices to meet the client’s vision
• Successful coach of external executive hires, including moves from large international corporations to smaller start-ups, vice versa, executive movement from one field to another, as well as transitions across Silicon Valley
• Experienced public speaker (authentic executive presence, women’s leadership, trust and commitment, effective negotiations, giving/receiving feedback, networks that work, etc.)
• Strategic thought partner for C-level clients
• Ongoing coach for healthcare leaders, including: health leaders (domestic and global) who also hold academic and clinical appointments in teaching hospitals; nurse leaders during Covid with 200–300 direct reports over 2–3 hospital floors
• Former head of design and facilitation for NC policy leaders and statewide steering committees focused on North Carolina’s future, serving 140 policy leaders from diverse fields and backgrounds
• Leader of award-winning series of cross-cultural seminars for 350 NC DMV examiners
• Lecturer at UNC–Chapel Hill and University of San Francisco; published 4 peer-reviewed articles and 1 peer-reviewed book (Routledge 2020)

• CEO and Executive Team of fully remote tech company wanted to better understand its culture from the lens of its employees. Result: A gap analysis was implemented using the Blue Waters model. See. Own. Solve. Evolve. Extensive surveys and stakeholder interviews revealed patterns, results were shared and discussed, strategies built to address the gaps, and a cultural mindset was established to continue to iterate and improve.
• SVP of marketing at $2B private retail wanted her Senior Directors to operate as a team rather than as rivals. Result: By the conclusion of the engagement, directors were successfully collaborating cross-functionally as a united leadership team, freeing SVP to move forward with marketing strategy. 12 months later, SVP reached out again to tackle another challenge: merging marketing strategies across several acquisitions.
• EVP of insurance company and head of professional women’s association wanted to create a memorable and results focused gathering for members. Result: Winifred designed and facilitated an event that deepened member relationships as they explored career blockers and helped one another solve for them.
• 300+ high performing leaders in professional services participated in multiple leadership programs facilitated by Winifred.

• CEO of European Company ($334 M and 2,600 employees) found that his transition to SVP at a larger US firm ($8B and 18,000 employees) was difficult. Result: Client developed skills to influence the company strategy and build relationships without CEO status, and was positioned as potential successor.
• CEO of $15M technology start-up was navigating the sale of the company and determining whether he would stay on afterwards. Result: Through coaching, client clarified his commitment to the success of the company. After negotiating an acquisition by a $300M parent company, client maintained an assertive influence over the strategic plan and drove an increase of $4M in the remaining quarters for the year of an unpredictable economy.
• Regional General Managers (LATAM and EMEA), GM of Brazil; pharmaceutical and global technology companies
• CFOs, CIOs, CTOs, CHROs in financial services, global cloud-based technology, small start-up, and pharmaceutical management.
• EVP, SVP, CMO, VPs of global technology companies
• VP of Product Design / UX at $17B company with 49,000 employees was suffering from burnout and ready to leave. Result: Client learned to assert realistic boundaries between meetings and getting work done. Within 3 months, client was able to pivot from burnout to strategies around scale and other cross-functional roles. Furthermore, this valuable contributor no longer was contemplating an exit.
• CRO of $7.3M technology company transitioned as an external hire from $22B company in financial services, and needed to combat the perception that he wasn’t agile enough for a small company while pressing forward with much-needed changes in process. Result: Client secured some early wins and turned around some key negotiations, all the while learning to listen, compromise strategically, and leverage the expertise and status of longstanding executives while he built his own internal credibility.
• Partner at $1.3B law firm in Silicon Valley began to contemplate his legacy. Result: Through coaching, client learned to build rapport and to mentor junior partners, establishing a valuable pipeline for the future.
• CISO of elite university and hospital system; VP of Development (reports to University President) of another elite university
• Secretaries of Health and Deputy Directors of multiple state agencies across the US