Luis Velasquez
Executive/Leadership Coach
Our Passion is your Success!
Dr. Velasquez helps leaders better understand what their organization defines as a success profile and how others perceive them relative to that profile. By integrating these two components, he can help them achieve positive, sustainable, and measurable results at a personal, interpersonal, and organizational level.
Dr. Velasquez served as an executive for a boutique management consulting company.
In this capacity, he did extensive global work in leadership development, employee engagement and executive coaching across many geographies and industries including the Middle East (Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain). He has also coached, and consulted in many other countries including, US, Mexico, Brazil, Central America, Spain and Australia among others.
He has a Ph.D., from, Michigan State University, and an MBA, from the Forbes School of Business, Ashford University. He is also an Experiential Facilitator for Interpersonal Dynamics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business
Born and raised in Guatemala Central America; Luis is a brain tumor survivor and an avid endurance athlete. He has completed over 100 marathons and ultramarathons, some at the 100-mile range and 9 Ironman Triathlons.
He is currently writing a book “Beyond the Fear” which is a blend of auto-biography, research, and how-to guide for overcoming fear, finding strength, undergoing change, finding passion, and building relationships.
He, his wife Rujeko and their children Alexis and Nathan live and play in Redwood City. When not coaching or spending time with his family, you can find him trail running.
Coaching Approach
“You cannot control the rain, but you can control if you get wet or not,” is a mantra that has defined my personal and professional life.
As a lifetime learner, I am driven by personal development and the needs of my coaching clients. I seek to understand how my clients learn in order to accelerate change. I coach; first by helping leaders to develop a keen sense of awareness about themselves, their stakeholders and their environment. Second, by involving stakeholders in the change process. This means that not only do leaders improve, but their improvement is recognized by those they work with. Both, behavior and perception are changed simultaneously.
I strongly believe that every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow; a growth mindset. I also coach leaders holistically, as people don’t live in silos, a change at work will impact their relationships and their family dynamics.
His coaching revolves around four areas of concern to Top Executives.
Coaching Experience
His coaching clients have been already successful leaders; their immediate need is to accelerate their leadership development to add value and increase impact. Some of his clients work at Twitter, WePay, DataStax, Automation Anywhere, Genentech, Citibank, Monsanto, Saudi Basic Industries Corp, FireEye, Zain Telecommunications, Dubai Police Department.
Education & Credentials
- PhD, Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University
- MBA, Organizational Leadership. Forbes School of Business, Ashford University.
- Coaching certification – Marshall Goldsmith SCC
- Korn Ferry 360: Feedback Facilitation and Interpretation
- Experiential Facilitator for OB 374 on Interpersonal Dynamics Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business
- Languages- Spanish and English (fluent)
Areas of Expertise
- Thought >, e.g., Drive innovation, decision making, Global Mindset, strategic thinking
- Results >, e.g., Taking initiative, focus on performance, drive execution, demonstrate potential
- People >, e.g., Building teams, optimize diversity, influencing, collaboration, engagement, build trust, change perceptions
- Self > e. g. Being open, aware, authentic, flexible, trustful, executive presence, behavior change