ABOUT SBG LEADERSHIP
SARAH BENENSON GOLDBERG
As an experienced leadership consultant and executive coach, Sarah works with senior level executives, their teams and their organizations as a strategic partner. She has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion with a focus on empowering women to shift the culture within organizations. Her coaching and leadership consulting began in 2006, following a successful 17-year career in advertising sales as an executive with the Walt Disney Company and later as a principal in her own advertising sales firm.
With a diverse clientele, Sarah has insights into industries from technology and finance to healthcare and biotech. With a BA in communication from Brown University, Sarah has deep understanding of communication effectiveness and team dynamics; she works with senior leaders to build trust, strengthen collaboration and inspire others. She also leads workshops on executive presence, mindsets of a leader, sales messaging and negotiations, to name a few. Sarah is certified by The Coaches Training Institute, an internationally accredited coaching school, and is a skilled Myers Briggs facilitator. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, and enjoys visiting with their two daughters, both in their 20’s.
MEET A FEW MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM
BARBARA GOTTESMAN
With an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto and a law degree from the University of Ottawa, Barbara spent over 10 years as a practicing attorney. Certified by the Coaches Training Institute, the International Coach Federation, and the Myers-Briggs Company, Barbara has been coaching and consulting for over 15 years. Her clients include middle and senior level leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, and HR professionals. She has worked across industries, locally and globally, with individuals and teams, from Fortune 100’s to emerging growth companies. As a communications coach, Barbara trains TEDx and keynote speakers, as well as leaders preparing for high stakes presentations.
VICKI FLIER HUDSON
As a speaker, consultant and former software analyst, Vicki has coached countless Fortune 500 global leaders to work successfully across cultures, mindsets, and generations. She is a trained coach through the Co-Active Training Institute and has a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Vicki has earned multiple certifications in communication behavior, cross-cultural competency, motivators, and emotional intelligence. Her clients include mid-level and senior leaders, global teams, non-profit leaders, and entrepreneurs. Vicki has worked across industries with an emphasis on technology, finance, and manufacturing. She turned her time in India into a book on collaboration between East and West in the workplace, and has helped many global teams remove the barriers to high-performance.
SHACHI PATEL
Shachi has worked at well-known Silicon Valley technology and healthcare companies and brings with her a technology background, leadership knowledge, and change management experience. She holds a Bachelors of Environmental Engineering and a Masters of Software Engineering degree. Shachi is certified by UC Davis and credentialed by International Coach Federation.
She helps clients deal with imposter syndrome, pursue new opportunities, effectively manage VUCA (Volatile Uncertain Chaotic Ambiguous) work environments, create influence and visibility, build strong networks, and adapt to new roles and responsibilities. Through Techwomen, she serves as a coach mentor to emerging leaders in STEM from Central Asia, Middle East, and Africa. In 2019, she joined the State Department’s
delegation to Central Asia Women in Science Week in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
RACHaEL GASS
As an executive coach, Rachael walks alongside her clients as they decide what steps they want to take to raise their personal and professional potential. Her clients would describe her coaching style as “authentic, values focused, and action oriented." Rachael spent 20 years in Corporate America working in Healthcare, IT, and Finance as a Chief of Staff (CoS) and Program Manager (PM) for companies including Kaiser Permanente, Perot Systems, and Unisys. She has led initiatives involving large stakeholder groups for infrastructure migrations, new application adoption and complex multi-system upgrades. Her own corporate experience enables her to deeply understand her client’s challenges and the complexities of being a leader within a large organization. In addition to coaching, Rachael leads a variety of group coaching programs. Rachael holds a Master of Science in I/O Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Arizona State University. Rachael is certified by the College of Executive Coaching and has certifications from the Myers Briggs Foundation, Emotional Intelligence EQi, and The Predictive Index. Being a working mother, Rachael appreciates the complexities of having a young child and matching the desire to be a successful, passionate career woman.
KELE BELTON
Kele is an expert speaker and communications coach, working with mid and senior level managers to find their voice, prepare for high stakes meetings or learn how to influence and inspire their teams. As a self-declared introvert, Kele understands the complexities for introverted leaders who struggle to stand out in an extroverted world. With a BA in Law and a Masters Degree in Document Design and Language from Stellenbosch University, Kele was also a faculty member at Stellenbosch, lecturing to both undergraduate and postgraduate students for 10 years. Kele gained experience in leadership and project management as the Deputy Director of the Stellenbosch University Language Center. As a Communications Specialist and certified coach, Kele has conducted training across the globe and is certified in Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead methodology. From Cape Town, South Africa, Kele has lived all over the world, including Namibia, the Netherlands and London, finally settling in the San Francisco Bay Area.
KAREN FRIEDMAN
With 30 years of international experience as a bilingual English/Spanish communications and leadership consultant, trainer and executive coach, Karen is leading the expansion of SBG Leadership in EMEA. Her impressive credentials are founded in research-based methodologies and practical tools for leadership success. As a life-long learner, Karen has been trained in Stanford University’s Data Storytelling, Harvard University’s Compassionate Leadership, and Oxford’s Mindfulness (MBCT). She also holds certifications from the renowned Franklin Covey
organization and Google’s famed “I am Remarkable” program. Karen has a commitment to working with global organizations on Sustainable Culture which addresses critical behaviors, beliefs and skills for lasting impact in leadership, communications, and talent retention. Having partnered with entrepreneurial and multinational companies, consulting firms, NGOs and universities, Karen brings a multitude of experience. Before beginning her consulting business, Karen was in marketing and operation roles with recognized companies ranging from Starbucks Coffee to Vestas to the World Cup Organizing Committee USA. She is a native Californian and currently lives in Madrid, Spain.