Rick Simmons

Rick is an experienced coaching professional with more than a decade spent collaborating with leaders at the highest levels of organizations to optimize both their businesses and their lives.

Rick is a Weatherhead Affiliate Instructor and founding partner of the telos institute, an organizational consulting firm built on the belief that accomplishment in any form of human endeavor is rooted in several primary factors including a clarity of purpose and a compelling vision of the future. Rick’s clients value his focused and pragmatic approach, but his attention to the human side of enterprise is what distinguishes him from the crowd. In addition, his expertise in the areas of leadership development, strategic planning and change management allow for thorough and comprehensive engagements. Throughout his career he has coached hundreds of successful individuals and organizations around the world. His clients have included UBS Financial Services, PNC Wealth Management, Bendix, Fifth Third Bank, New York Air Brake, University Hospitals, and Moen. Prior to founding the telos institute, Rick spent ten years in various senior sales leadership positions within the financial services industry. Most notably, he led several organizations through periods of transformation which afforded him the opportunity to utilize his experience and insight in the best practices of managing personal and organizational change.

As a Weatherhead Affiliate Instructor, Rick facilitates programs that closely examine the topics of executive influence and personal and organizational resilience. In each case, he challenges students to dig deep and fully identify both the opportunities and challenges represented within each of these subject areas. In the end, he hopes to inspire his students to understand that they wield far more influence and are much more resilient than they realize.

Rick earned his Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. While at Weatherhead, Rick drew upon his industry background and experience to adopt a metrics-driven approach to quantifying the value of coaching to individuals and organizations. The insights gleaned from this research uniquely enable Rick to achieve a balance in delivering both the quantitative and qualitative benefits of a successful coaching engagement. In addition, Rick has further sharpened his skills by earning the Weatherhead Executive Coaching Certificate.

Before receiving his Master’s at CWRU, Rick earned a BA in Economics and Finance from Baldwin Wallace College. In addition, he is certified by The Hay Group to administer and interpret the Emotional and Social Competence Inventory (ESCI).

Personally, Rick tests his beliefs around accomplishment by running ultra marathons. He is a 3-time US Track and Field 24 Hour Run National Championship competitor. Most recently, he secured a top 20 finish at the 2012 USATF 24 hour Run National Championship. He lives in Chardon, Ohio, with his wife, Amy, and their four children.