Carol J. Geffner, Ph.D.
Carol J. Geffner, Ph.D., is a global leadership consultant, executive coach, and speaker with over 25 years of experience advising public, private, and nonprofit organizations. She designs and delivers tailored coaching and leadership development programs for leaders at every level, from emerging talent to senior executives.
Dr. Geffner recently served as Professor of Practice of Governance and Management and Director of the Executive Master of Leadership program at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. She has also held faculty appointments at Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School of Management and Chapman University. She is an affiliate of the Kets de Vries Institute, a global executive coaching firm based in London, and holds an MPA from USC and a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University.
Her clients span local, national, and global organizations, including the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Inland Empire Health Plan Foundation, Optum, Kaiser Permanente, Merck, Deutsche Bank, UC Irvine, CHOC Children’s Hospital, Antelope Valley Health System, and United Way.
Dr. Geffner currently leads a multi-year leadership development initiative for the Inland Empire Health Plan Foundation, coaching and training 80 executive and emerging nonprofit leaders. She also designs and delivers leadership and coach training for mid- to senior-level BIPOC executives through the California Water, Wastewater & Energy Workforce Development Program in partnership with WELL (Water Education for Latino Leaders).
During her tenure at USC, she coached and mentored more than 100 mid-level executives across sectors, including leaders from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, Disney, Slack, and USC’s Department of Public Safety. She continues to deliver leadership training for organizations such as the California State Association of Counties, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions.
Dr. Geffner serves on the Los Angeles Police Department Leadership Advisory Board and the Drucker School of Management Advisory Board. She is an Axiom Book Award recipient and author of Building a New Leadership Ladder (MIT Press). A sought-after speaker, she presents globally on leadership, organizational change, governance, and advancing women in leadership, and is currently developing an executive education course at USC Marshall School of Business on Women in Senior Leadership Roles.