James Brooks is a leadership consultant and executive coach who engages with companies and executives to maximize business results. He specializes in executive development strategies, assessment and coaching, helping companies find, assess and develop world-class leaders and a robust talent pipeline. He has consulted with some of the world’s largest and most admired companies, including AbbVie, BlackRock, Cisco Systems, Morgan Stanley, Nike, the NBA (National Basketball Association), and Johnson & Johnson.

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James was formerly a HR executive at Cisco Systems, where he held a succession of talent management and HR generalist roles and co-founded Cisco’s Leadership Development and Employee Engagement Centers of Excellence. Based in part on leading-edge practices he developed, Cisco is perennially rated as a “Best Place to Work” by Fortune magazine and a “Best Companies for Leaders” by CEO magazine. His efforts have been noted in many leading edge publications, including Fortune and the Wall Street Journal.

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Prior to Cisco, James was a consultant at Personnel Decisions International, where he worked with
Fortune 500 companies on leadership assessment, development and coaching, competency modeling, 360-degree feedback, and training design and delivery. In addition, he has significant experience in strategic planning efforts and building selection systems, and has worked or consulted with companies and non-profits of all sizes.

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James has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational psychology from DePaul University in Chicago,Illinois. The focus of his graduate research was on 360-degree feedback and behavioral change. He also holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the Society of Human Resource Management. He graduated from the University of Missouri, with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Psychology. He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.

 

He lives with his family in the Chicago area.