About
John R. Childress is a sought-after executive advisor on issues where people, organization and strategy intersect to create complex performance challenges.
“Early in 1980 I was asked to help the new CEO and leadership team at the Three Mile Island Nuclear facility following the accident in 1979. By digging into issues of accountability, communications and trust we built a sustainable safety culture and disciplined governance that made TMI one of the safest and most productive nuclear plants in the world.”
John Childress is a pioneer in the field of strategy execution, culture change, executive leadership and organization effectiveness, author of several books and numerous articles on leadership teams. He is an effective public speaker and workshop facilitator for Boards and senior executive teams.
In 1978 John co-founded The Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, the first international consulting firm to focus exclusively on culture change, leadership development and senior team alignment. Between 1978 and 2000 he served as its President and CEO and guided the international expansion of the company. His work with senior leadership teams has included companies in crisis, deregulated industries (natural gas pipelines, telecommunications and the breakup of The Bell Telephone Companies), mergers and acquisitions, and classic business turnaround scenarios with global organizations from the Fortune 500 and FTSE 250 ranks.
Born in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, he lived in Carmel Highlands, California during most of his early business career, before moving to London, England in 1996. John is a Phi Beta Kappa scholar with a BA degree (Magna cum Laude) from the University of California, a Masters Degree from Harvard University and was a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii before deciding on a career as a business entrepreneur in the mid-70s. In 1968-69 he attended the American University of Beirut, and it was there that his ideas on cultures, leadership and group dynamics began to take shape.
John is an avid fly angler with recent trips to Alaska, the Amazon River, Tierra del Fuego, Belize, Patagonia and Kamchatka in the far east of Russia.
PS: If you have access to a trout stream, salmon river or bonefish flats, my fees are dirt cheap!
What Clients Say . . .
“As a newly appointed MD, I had the opportunity of working closely with John over a two month period. During our time together, he observed me in my role as the leader of a large organization, constantly coaching me and pointing out opportunities for “leadership” improvement. This guidance and coaching was invaluable to me during the successful business turnaround.”
~Raymond Osgood, Executive Managing Director – ANZ, CNH Industrial
“John Childress effectively tied together Strategy Execution and Corporate Culture so we could better understand the critical importance of how they reinforce each other. For both Strategy Execution and Culture, his books were incredibly useful when read before our work together, and again afterwards to refresh on the relevant issues.”
~Eric Rogers, Head of Strategy Execution, T D Williamson, Inc.
“John’s advice and insights were instrumental in the successful acquisition integration of two aerospace firms with product synergies but big cultural challenges.”
~ Frank Tempesta, President, Textron Systems Co.
Connect with John
If you’d like to get in touch with me about speaking, facilitating, consulting, or join my network of
Next Level Leaders,
Email john@johnrchildress.com
Call +44-(0)7833493999
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