I oversee our team that drives innovative learning and leadership development strategies, fostering a culture of continuous growth and high performance across the organization.

I serve as a contract leadership coach, coach trainer, and mentor coach for the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, an innovative program aimed at elevating the leadership capacity of Rice students and to improve the practice of leader development in higher education. The Doerr Institute was recently honored by the International Coach Federation as a Prism Award finalist. This signifies we have achieved the highest standard of excellence in coaching programs that yield discernible and measurable positive impacts, fulfill rigorous professional standards, address key strategic goals, and shape organizational culture.

My main role at EY was to help our clients identify and solve their strategic people imperatives to maximize business performance. Within the firm, I led several learning programs to enable our practitioners to be the best that they can be while using the latest people and organization research and trends.

While on a three-month contract, I assessed Reasoning Mind's total rewards vision in partnership with the senior management, talent development department, finance and administration department, and a diverse group of employees. The 10-week project aligned the total rewards, which includes compensation, benefits, work environment, personal and professional development, for Reasoning Mind’s current and future success as an innovative education technology nonprofit.

As I established and centralized the learning function, I managed a complete learning strategy redesign and, thereafter, iterative implementation of a 10-month professional development program with content focus areas of leadership development, service-learning, and academic tutoring. I initiated and maintained partnerships with learning vendors (including school districts, corporations, higher education institutions, and other non-profits) and collaborated with individuals at all levels across the organization. As the Learning and Leadership Development Director, I managed 20 team members to implement multiple 5-week training academies. I was responsible for the strategic management of session content, delivery methodology, and implementation logistics to optimize learning in order to impact participant job performance.As a member of the leadership team, I partnered with Executive Director to meet annual operating goals, focused on student academic achievement, internal workforce development, and financial health.

Deputy Training Manager (May – Aug. 2011)With a U.S. government agency focused on grassroots international development, I coordinated team of 25 Mongolian and 14 American staff to implement an 11-week training academy. As the Deputy Training Manager, I was responsible for the design, implementation, and evaluation aspects, as well as managing local partnerships, curricula, and logistics.Volunteer Coordinator and Trainer (Aug. 2010 – Apr. 2011)I organized the Economic Development Project Advisory Committee and managed the economic program framework reconstruction that better met Mongolian government’s expectations and partner agency needs. As a member of the Project Review Committee, I coached community organizations on assessing public needs, designing and managing projects, and writing grant proposals. As a trainer, I designed community economic development, project management, and cross culture learning curricula, workshops, and experiences, and facilitated these sessions alongside a Mongolian counterpart for new and experienced employees.Business Development Advisor (June 2008 – July 2010)With the Uvurkhangai Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch, I assisted in the strategic visioning and thereafter implementation of the state's first Small Business Incubator and Resource Center. I worked alongside my counterparts to improve their capacity and the quality of services we delivered to local small- and medium-sized businesses.In addition, I collaborated with dozens of local organizations, including secondary schools, universities, non-governmental organizations, and government departments, plus local branches of international organizations, such as World Vision and Mercy Corps, to implement several community-initiated development projects.

I partnered with Kiva’s three field partners in Mongolia – XacBank, Credit Mongol NBFI, and Transcapital NBFI. I supported US$1.5M loan portfolio with average loan size of $1300 and increased fundraising limits by 62%. I audited the growth potential of the microfinance institutions and updated process systems and trained staff at headquarter and branch levels to accommodate growth.http://www.kiva.org/lender/amberbarger