Jo Ilfeld is an executive leadership coach who works with C-suite leaders, executives and high potential managers to develop the flexibility, skill, and frame of mind to meet both their current and future challenges.
Jo specializes in working in the biotech and technology industries. Her clients include eBay, Genentech, The San Francisco Giants, Blue Shield of California, PayPal, Gilead, and Zymergen as well as mid-sized companies, start-ups and non-profit organizations.
Jo’s focus on four core areas of leadership development – leading with clarity of vision, mastering the art of results, developing influence and deepening executive presence – enhances the effectiveness of individuals, teams, and organizations. She guides clients in creating a clear vision and strategic plan and then coaches them to engage their staff, clients, and other stakeholders in that vision. With the ongoing feedback and accountability that Jo provides, her clients in deepen their executive presence and build the interpersonal fluency required to communicate effectively, move others to action and get great work done.
With a Ph.D. in business from UC Berkeley, Jo is well-versed in the science of leadership and working with technical leaders to gain an understanding of that science. As a result, they strengthen their relationship building skills and elevate their leadership effectiveness.
Jo is Professor of Leadership Intelligence at Sonoma State University. She has her PhD from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Yale University. She is a certified integral coach, and adjunct faculty of New Ventures West. She brings to her clients a versatile toolkit and is a certified practitioner in The Grove’s Team Performance Model, the Leadership Circle, The Grove’s Strategic Vision Process as well as DISC, EQ-i and the Enneagram leadership assessments.
Prior to coaching, Jo worked as a management consultant in a boutique marketing wing of Price Waterhouse Coopers where her Fortune 500 clients included companies like Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Bayer and Monsanto.
Jo currently resides in Berkeley, California with her husband, 3 kids and Havanese dog. When she’s not working, Jo loves to hike in the Berkeley hills and read a mixture of cutting-edge leadership research and fun fiction.
