Strategic & Advisory Business Coaching Package

Working with Marisa Keegan has been one of the most important investments we've made in preparing the YMCA Retirement Fund for its future. As we prepared to navigate generational leadership transitions across several critical business functions, I knew that successful succession would require more than identifying talented individuals to step into executive roles. We needed to ensure that our leadership, organizational structures, teams, and capabilities were aligned with where the Fund needs to go over the next few decades. Marisa has been an invaluable strategic partner in helping us do exactly that.

What makes Marisa particularly effective is her ability to work at multiple levels of the organization simultaneously. She has served as a trusted advisor to me as CEO, while working directly with our CHRO and emerging executive leaders to strengthen their readiness to take on greater responsibilities. She understands that developing an individual leader and preparing an organization for succession are two interconnected challenges. Her ability to connect executive development with organizational design, leadership alignment, and the long-term strategic needs of the business has helped us make meaningful progress on both fronts.

One of the clearest examples of the impact of this work has been the recent promotion of our rising Chief Legal Officer. She became the first individual promoted internally to our Executive Leadership Team in ten years and brings a strong female perspective to the team. She is clearly one of the executives who will continue to shape the Fund's next generation of leadership and organizational success.

Elevating her into this role required more than developing her executive readiness. 

It involved navigating complex organizational dynamics, aligning leadership expectations, and working through important organizational design decisions. Marisa played a critical role in helping us navigate those challenges while accelerating her readiness to successfully assume the position. 

Marisa also served as a valuable advisor to me throughout the process, helping us navigate an important succession decision with confidence. This was a significant milestone for the Fund, not only because we were able to promote a talented leader from within, but because it demonstrated what is possible when we intentionally invest in developing our own leadership talent.

A year into our work together, I can see the difference across the organization. Our rising leaders are thinking and operating more strategically, taking greater ownership of their functions, and demonstrating the judgment and leadership capabilities necessary to operate at the executive level. We have greater clarity around the future-state design of critical functions, the talent and infrastructure required to support them, and the readiness of the individuals who may ultimately lead them. Just as importantly, we are building momentum and alignment around decisions that will shape the Fund for years to come.

I have particularly valued Marisa's willingness to challenge my thinking, provide candid and independent perspectives, and help us navigate complex leadership decisions without losing sight of what makes this organization successful. She understands the difference between change that strengthens an organization and disruption that puts its existing strengths at risk.

As I approach retirement, I find myself thinking more and more about the legacy I'll leave behind and the responsibility I have to the people who will carry this organization forward. I take that responsibility seriously, and having Marisa by my side as a trusted advisor has made an enormous difference. She understands what we've built, what matters to me, and what it will take to ensure the Fund continues to succeed long after I'm gone.