Carol Tisson is a consultant and executive coach with over 25 years of experience in organization effectiveness, leadership development and culture change. She works with leaders at all levels to strengthen their ability to envision new futures, mobilize aligned action, successfully lead change, and build organizations in which people thrive.
Her clients cross many sectors: high tech (including Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Applied Materials), nonprofit organizations (including Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology, Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), healthcare (Blue Shield of CA and PeaceHealth), and financial services (Canada’s Servus Credit Union).
Prior to consulting, Carol enjoyed a 20-year career with Intel, where she initiated and supported several corporation-wide change initiatives that are still having impact a dozen years after her departure. These include several successful internal consulting groups and Intel’s first Executive Development function. She is a two-time recipient of the intel achievement award for her teams’ innovative executive development programs.
Carol’s personal passion is empowering women’s leadership. As part of the IWL team, she provides strategy and program design support, co-leads programs, coaches clients, and consults with organizations committed to cultures in which all people can thrive.
In addition, Carol is Adjunct Faculty for the Antioch University Women & Leadership program, and she mentors entrepreneurs at the Women’s Startup Lab, a Silicon Valley business accelerator that supports early-stage tech companies founded by women.
Women’s leadership and economic sufficiency have been the focus for her community and philanthropic work as well. Carol served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of The Women’s Foundation of California, leading a multiyear strategic realignment initiative. She was the founding Chair of the Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle, now in its tenth successful year of educating philanthropists and improving economic opportunities for local women.
Before her work in high tech, philanthropy, and consulting, Carol taught at the high school, community college, and University levels. She also managed career counseling programs for at risk youth and started a community-based youth job bank which won national recognition.
Carol holds an M.A. in Whole Systems Design and Organizational Renewal, with emphasis on large-scale change, and a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies. She earned a graduate certificate in Managing Training and Development and is a Certified Integral Coach with New Ventures West.
