WISe Executive Coach-In-Residence Lauris Woolford
Lauris is an executive coach and leadership consultant with over 33 years of hands-on experience in coaching leaders and teams, and in supporting positive cultural transformations. She brings a real-world leadership perspective gained from managing multiple retail operations, a corporate university, and leading an Organization Development division for a Fortune 500 financial services company. She has actively been involved in multiple mergers and acquisitions.
Lauris’ clients are at diverse points in their careers. She partners with her clients to improve leadership effectiveness in current roles, including what it takes to be a leader versus a manager, and developing the leader’s role as a coach. Her experience makes her uniquely qualified to assist leaders in their transitions, whether it be to a new position or organization. Her goal is to help these leaders quickly assess team capabilities, build cultural awareness, gain positive momentum and drive higher levels of performance. Lauris’ experience in talent management, and her passion in developing leaders is also utilized in developing high potentials within organizations, including C-suite succession leaders.
Her clients appreciate her experience, candor, pragmatic style, humor, and sense of urgency in assessment, goal setting and action planning. Lauris is a thoughtful, compassionate and direct partner who quickly grasps the leaders’ and organizational opportunities and challenges.
Lauris spent 15 years at Fifth Third Bank in senior executive leadership positions. She completed her career at Fifth Third as the Executive Vice President of Organization Development and Planning. It was in that role that she structured a talent management process facilitating the development for thousands of leaders. During this time, she noted the profound impact emotional intelligence and coaching had on leaders’ performance at every level of business.
Prior to Fifth Third, Lauris was the Director of Mercantile Stores University at Mercantile Stores (now Dillard’s). She started her career in retail specializing in buying, merchandise planning, buyer/planner education, and distribution services with Federated Department Stores (now Macy’s). Lauris has been recognized for her vision and implementation in effectively developing leaders.
Lauris earned her Masters of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change from Case Western Reserve University and her Bachelor of Science in Education at Edgecliff College (now Xavier University). She holds a Coaching Certificate from Case Western Reserve University and is experienced in Kolb Learning styles and Emotional Intelligence assessments.
Lauris is a member of the Institute of Coaching McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School Affiliate. She is a member of CREIO, Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. Lauris also co-authored Developing Resonant Leaders Through Emotional Intelligence, Vision and Coaching with Richard E. Boyatzis, Melvin L. Smith, and Ellen Van Oosten, which was published in the January-March 2013 issue of Organizational Dynamics.
Lauris is an enthusiastic coach. Her passion is to enhance a culture to focus on people and performance – which drives positive results. She believes that excellence starts with great leadership which creates a positive ripple effect throughout organizations.
Interested in a speaking engagement or individual or group coaching from Lauris?