Great Leaders are Made, Not Born
 

VJ Holcomb Associates works with organizations that want to strengthen their people and build sustainable organizational competence. We have assisted thousands of men and women to enhance their leadership ability, management style, and interpersonal relationships.

Our specialty is coaching. We offer one-on-one coaching programs that produce breakthrough results quickly. And we integrate coaching into customized leadership development programs. All of our coaches are experienced leadership development professionals. Read their profiles below: Don Cipriano, Jeff Cohen, Joan Cutlip, Veronica Holcomb, Ruthe Nelson, Paula Switzer, Joyce Grillo.

One-on-One Coaching Programs

You can develop your ability to lead with clarity, confidence and courage. We offer three proven, structured approaches that provide individuals with perspective and practical strategies to become more effective in their roles.

Power Coaching provides an ideal format for leaders to gain perspective, fine tune soft skills and develop strategies to become more effective in their roles. The program includes assessments, feedback interviews, and seven, 2-hour coaching sessions over a 90-day period. One follow-up session takes place about six weeks after the main program has been completed.

Coaching Intensive gives seasoned executives fresh insight and solutions for inter-personal issues. We gather assessments and feedback interviews in preparation for 24 hours of one-on-one coaching delivered within a few days. Clients typically receive an additional 1-3 follow-up sessions over the ensuing weeks.

The Leadership Launch places emerging leaders on a trajectory for future success. One-on-one coaching addresses challenges of a first management position. Primary goals for three, 2-hour sessions are to increase self-awareness, strengthen the ability to influence others, and gain perspective to grow as a leader.

Why Work with A Coach?

Behavioral change is difficult, especially when people try to achieve it on their own. Many talented people go throughout their careers without the information and tools they need to effectively influence others. Knowing how to influence others requires knowledge of one's self and one's impact upon other people. This is an ongoing and challenging process.

Our coaching process is structured but highly individualized. We begin with a cooperative assessment of how the individual is perceived by superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. This analysis serves as the basis for in-depth coaching. We work at a speed and in a style that builds confidence and permits the individual to understand each step of his/her professional and personal development.

Meet Our Coaches

At VJ Holcomb Associates, you will find only experienced leadership development professionals - real executive coaches. We bring knowledge and wisdom to each assignment, so that each individual we serve achieves greater awareness, confidence and skill to lead others to succeed.

Veronica J. Holcomb

A pioneer in the field of Executive Coaching, Veronica (Roni) Holcomb has worked with Fortune 50 leaders for more than 25 years. She designs programs that are both structured and personally empowering. Her coaching model employs a careful process of analysis, reinforcement of existing strengths, and identification of actions and strategies for increased effectiveness. Her grace-filled coaching style equips men and women to discover, clarify or achieve a higher vision of success for themselves and the people they lead.

Roni is the author of Ready, Set, Grow: 10 Success Strategies for Winning in the Workplace, a speaker with the American Management Association, and a certified Feedback Specialist with the Center for Creative Leadership. Before founding V.J. Holcomb Associates, Roni contributed to Training and Organizational Development at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. She is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State College, studied Human Resources Management at the New School for Social Research and Liberty University.

Don Cipriano

Don Cipriano has been designing and delivering training programs for 25 years. His published programs and recorded presentations have been distributed internationally. Each program is carefully tailored to the client's specific needs, always with a focus on leading people to a positive experience so that new-found knowledge and skills can be applied directly in the workplace.

As a Master Leadership Coach, Don's goals for each client are complete satisfaction, continuous life-long learning and improved performance. A former teacher, principal, college dean and graduate instructor, Don combines down-to-earth warmth and humor with insights that challenge the mind and heart.

Jeffery M. Cohen

Jeff Cohen has assisted corporate leaders to achieve greater individual and organizational effectiveness for 25 years. His areas of expertise include executive coaching, psychological assessments for selection and development, and design of performance and organizational change management processes. Jeff is especially gifted at working with leaders at the highest levels to improve their productivity and ability to effectively translate their leadership vision into action.

Jeff's corporate experience includes Director of Human Resources for Revlon's International Division, where he designed and implemented policies in 26 countries, working for a time as HR Regional V.P. in Paris, France. Jeff is a frequent speaker and has been published in scholarly and popular media on the topic of executive coaching. He also is a founding Board member and Co-President of the NY Human Resources Planning Society and former board member of the Human Resources Association of New York (SHRM). Jeff holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Penn State University and a MBA in industrial/organizational psychology from Baruch College (CUNY).

Joan Cutlip

Joan Cutlip is highly versatile, responsive and results-oriented. Her background includes fourteen years as an outplacement consultant. Clients appreciate her exemplary interpersonal skills, ability to educate and high standards of integrity and confidentiality.

In one-on-one coaching, Joan possesses a unique ability to start where people are and show them how to get the outcomes they want. Joan becomes her clients' advocate, helping them adapt their natural behavioral style for more effective outcomes in interacting with others. Joan helps her clients gain personal awareness, enhance self-esteem and strengthen management behaviors, communication skills, and interpersonal relationships. Clients achieve rewarding outcomes and greater fulfillment through Joan's sensitive and in-depth coaching.

Ruthe S. Nelson

Typical descriptions for Ruthe Nelson include expert, energetic, creative, and passionate about her work. Dedicated and committed to enabling creative leadership, Ruthe brings a unique blend of heart, knowledge and skill to every coaching engagement. She has a keen awareness and appreciation of the challenges that arise at each level of leadership and management. Personal and professional experiences living and working outside the U.S. also provide Ruthe with sensitivity to cultural dynamics.

Ruthe holds a Master's Degree from New York University. She has designed seminars and programs for the public and the on-site division of the American Management Association (AMA), for whom she is a frequent lead speaker and facilitator.

Paula K. Switzer

Paula Switzer believes in building leaders at every level of an organization. A Master Leadership Coach, Paula has over 20 years of management and training experience within top-tier organizations. Her coaching style reflects her commitment to empowering others to lead with integrity, accountability and trustworthiness.

Paula's rich background gives depth to her client interactions. A marketing representative for IBM for several years, Paula consistently achieved top sales awards, including the Golden Circle Award, given to the top 2% of account executives worldwide. She has held management positions, including general manager for a software development company. And, she once built and managed a new customer support center. Paula is a featured author in Leadership Defined, along with General Alexander Haig and Dr. Warren Bennis. Paula has a Master's Degree in Human Resources and speaks fluent Spanish.