Meet the Team

Lisa Gick
[curious]CEO + Founder

Lisa is a 25-year business leader in retail, most recently as Vice President of Employee Engagement for the Macy’s Inc., enterprise. She has extensively served the non-profit community through her board work in health care and the arts.  Lisa is a published researcher and frequent speaker in the field of leadership and change.  She’s a leadership coach credentialed through Georgetown University and completing a PhD with a research focus on leader impact in complex organizations.  

Came to [curious] with...

• Leading the employee experience for the Macy’s enterprise through some of the most compelling times in retail history.
• Knowing the world is changing at an epic pace requiring we think and act differently as leaders.

My leadership offer...

•  It's urgent that we care for the dynamics of the workplace to create an experience where relationship building can thrive. This delivers compelling results for people and organizations.

Beyond my business bio...

• I love to play golf – does that make me an athlete?
• My entire family, which includes 11 nieces and nephews, lives in the Cincinnati region making my life incredibly full!
• I love a beach vacation, but my favorite travel destination to date is Belgium.
• I love ginger in anything – especially a good Dark and Stormy!

I am curious about...

• What if we considered leadership an outcome of how we work together, instead of a something we do, or a group of people?
• How many more seasons can I count on of Homeland?

Tammy R. Bennett, Esq.
[curious]principal

Tammy's academic and professional experience provides a unique perspective in her Human Resources consulting. A self-described “sociologist with a law degree,” she holds a Master's degree in Sociology specializing in Labor, Work and Organizations, and Race, Class and Gender. Since 2001, she has practiced employment law representing management in litigation and as in-house attorney for a major retailer. During her nearly 10 years as an in-house attorney, she worked side-by-side with human resources professionals on all aspects of the employee life cycle from recruitment to termination. Understanding how people operate within the workplace combined with her legal background uniquely positions her to partner with employers to create experiences that mitigate legal risk arising from workplace issues like conflict and HR policy and practice gaps.

Tammy is a highly requested and sought after trainer, where her passion is educating employees and employers on best practices for legal compliance, and engaged to conduct internal mediation of disputes, workplace investigations and to assist with drafting workplace policies and HR toolkits.

Came to [curious] with...

• A passion to help employers to mitigate legal risk through adoption of proactive measures.
• The knowledge that to remain competitive and relevant, the modern workplace must meet the demands of shifting social and cultural norms and adopt a humanness perspective towards people matters.

A leadership offer...

• Be mindful and work with intention to invite an employee experience centered on relationship building and possibilities.

Beyond my business bio...

• My family means everything to me!
• I thoroughly enjoy coffee, wine, jazz and good conversation.
• I live near a park and spend an incredible amount of time there people watching, running and soaking up the sun, when it's out.

I am curious about...

• The digital world at work, shopping and beyond.

Justin Buckner
 [curious]partner, leadership coaching + consulting

Justin is a dynamic, strategic, collaborative leader with over 20 years of professional experience.  He has an excellent track record of delivering results and building strong partnerships.  Justin's key areas of strength and expertise include leadership development, leadership presence, team effectiveness, personal branding and communication.  He has worked and consulted with large and small companies both for and nonprofit.

Came to [curious] with...

• Broad, international, multi-industry expertise through corporate, coaching and consulting experiences.
• A desire to empower leaders to bring the best out of themselves and their organizations to achieve collective goals and personal and professional fulfillment.

A leadership offer...

• Know the “why” behind your what. Share that passion and purpose with your team so they can develop their unique “why’s”.

Beyond my business bio...

• I enjoy spending time volunteering with kids through scouts, church, and sports.
• I love travel (especially beaches and cruises) and have lived in Vietnam and India.
• I love singing karaoke and watching musicals.
• I ran my first marathon in 2017 (The Flying Pig).

Curious about...

• How can we best teach our kids courage, resilience and kindness?
• What does it take for a leader to break free from fear and criticism and be the best version of themselves?
• What’s the next real game-changing technology breakthrough?
• How will “Game of Thrones” end? Was it all a dream?

Angela Crawford, PhD
[curious]partner, research + consulting services

Angela is a leader with over 25 years of business experience, having worked with companies throughout the world in helping them discover insights and redesign their customer and employee experiences. Her career has spanned research, operations, sales and marketing; serving most recently as a Chief Marketing Officer for Direct Opinions, Senior Marketing Director with Convergys and Senior Vice-President at Citi. Angela is currently an Assistant Professor at Thomas More College and a Research Advisor for PhD students at Case Western Reserve University, where she earned her PhD. Angela believes that a life of continuous learning and service to others is a life well-lived. 

Came to [curious] with...

• Over 20+ years of leadership and consulting for organizations seeking to shift from customer relationship management toward building lasting connections with their customers and employees.
• Research focused on igniting the passion that is already within frontline employees.
• Teaching my students to be curious, because what we knew yesterday may not be true today, and learning to change and adapt is how we thrive in a global economy.

One of my offers as a leader…

• Consider how you may create an organization that builds stronger connections with employees and customers simultaneously.

I invite you to…

• Begin with self-leadership if you are searching how to improve your organizational results.

Beyond my business bio…

• I love spending time with my family and pets—they keep me grounded.
• My workouts try to balance my love for food—Orange Theory Fitness, CrossFit, jogging, pilates, walking…the more sweat the better.
• The special moments I spend with hospice patients keeps what is really important in life in perspective.

I am curious about…

• What if everything we viewed or experienced was not good/better or bad/worse?  What if it just was?
• How can we help new supervisors and managers build better relationships with employees?
• In what ways could educators and businesses partner to meet the needs of employers and employees?

Susan Creamer
[curious]partner, leadership coach + consulting services

Came to [curious] with...

• A trusting and motivating leadership style with a focus on 'modeling the way' in an ethical manner.
• The knowledge that a positive corporate culture is the root of success for all companies - large or small.
• A passion to make both a positive impact on self-leadership and in how leaders can lead more successfully.
  

My leadership offer...

• Share my experience and learnings as a leader, both in what I did well and not so well. 

I invite you to...

• Take the initiative to want to be better. Experiment with what may make you a stronger leader. Recognize that 'getting better' is an ongoing process. 

Beyond my business bio...

• I love sports and rooting for any and all Cincinnati teams.
• Golf: fun, perplexing & humbling; I'm determined to improve!
• My favorite vacation spot is St. John, Virgin Islands - the most beautiful, relaxing place on earth.

I am curious about...

• What if company culture and its impact on the employee experience were looked upon as barometers of success as much as revenue?
• What would our world be like if we each looked in the mirror and decided to notice our opportunities first before trying to focus on the opportunities of others?

Marcia Sherman
[curious]partner, labor + employee experience

Marcia is a 30-year veteran of Macy’s Inc. with extensive experience in Human Resources and Store Management. Her expertise includes creating actionable strategies to increase Employee and Company productivity enterprise wide. Her areas of specialization are Associate and Labor Relations, Engagement, HR Policy and Leadership Coaching.

Came to [curious] with...

• A wealth of knowledge and experience that comes with having had a leadership role in a dynamic and challenging retail enterprise.
• The ability to positively impact the employee experience through leadership coaching and development of new leadership and organizational strategies.

A leadership offer...

• Consider the important role diversity and inclusion plays and ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute.

Beyond my business bio...

• I am passionate about high quality educational opportunities for all children which is why I serve on the Board of Children Inc. This organization offers educational opportunities from pre-school through college along with parental support groups.
• I love to travel especially to warm and sunny places like the South of France!

I am curious about...

• Will we ever be able to get over the risk that can come with acknowledging uncertainty and asking deep questions as essential leadership behaviors?
• What will I do on Thursday nights when Scandal says farewell!

Michele Lambert
[curious]partner, administration + development

Michele is an experienced human resources executive and leader with a track record of success in designing and implementing innovative processes and programs that transform businesses into high performing cultures, by increasing employee engagement and productivity to support business change and revenue growth.  A dynamic and forward-thinking leader, she has hands-on experience in many facets of human resources, consistently bringing a high degree of professionalism and integrity to all endeavors.

Came to [curious] with...

• Experiencing dynamic change while working with leaders to evolve their thinking to better meet the needs of their teams and their goals.
• Thinking about changing work environments and expectations and the impact of those on current and future leaders.

A leadership offer...

• Approach challenges with a sense of adventure, inviting others in as partners to enjoy success together.

Beyond my business bio...

• I love spending time in my garden. Mmmm, fresh tomatoes!
• My vacation time is mostly spent visiting family and enjoying making memories with them.

I am curious about...

• How do leaders best leverage the talents and creativity of those around them?
• When will Google Home be able to not only pull up a recipe for dinner, but prepare and pop it in the oven as well?

Phil Fenech
[curious]partner, leader development

Came to [curious] with...

• Head of US Training and Development for DHL Express, forging success through turbulent times.
• Over 30 years in multi-level corporate leadership with a frontline worker foundation.
• Strong desire to share real-life experiential learning to help others succeed.

One of my offers as a leader…

• Developing motivation and performance from within the individual.

I invite you to…

• Consider these essential ingredients of a great leader: An Assertive Coach and Communicator never compromising Respect.

Beyond my business bio…

• My family is large and extended…from my terrific wife and children to far reaching cousins…I love them all and we remain close.
• Have recently come to understand that grandchildren are the hidden gems of the universe.
• Love to play guitar – sometimes loudly.

I am curious about…

• What will it be like when we finally realize how much we all have in common and stop listening to divisiveness?
• The tremendous power of positive thinking.
• The power of personal accountability as key to harmony.
  
• Our unique histories that define our identities.

Lisa Hinger-Odenbeck, MS
[curious]partner, leader development

Lisa is a 15-year advancement leader in education and non-profit organizations, including consulting, major gift work and management. She has a blend of skills including leadership, strategic vision, fundraising, board development and events. She has served the non-profit community through her board work and volunteering in service ministries. Having owned her own business, Lisa brings problem solving skills from the private & public sector, in addition to working in government & education. A Masters in Organizational Leadership supports Lisa's passion and focus on leader development.

Came to [curious] with...

• Leading the Institutional Advancement Division of Mount St. Joseph University in a presidential transition year, building a cohesive team, and formulating strategies to exceed fundraising goals, while sustaining relationships with valued stakeholders.
• An entrepreneurial spirit that understands the value of building relationships both within and outside the organization, and knowing that relationships change everything.

A leadership offer...

• Lead with passion and a style that empowers colleagues with both professional and personal goals, thereby maximizing growth of the individual and organization.

Beyond my business bio...

• I love to run with my dog, and I am a wannabe golfer.
• I enjoy my family; spending time with my husband, daughters and 3 year-old twin granddaughters gives me unbelievable joy!
• I dream of traveling to far off places, including walking The Camino and a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. (Let's make this happen!)
• I am glad to live in Cincinnati where you can have so many of the finest craft beers around!

I am curious about...

• How would the world be different if everyone looked at life with their glass half full instead of half empty?
• How can I age with grace, but never grow up so that I remain young at heart and curious of new life and experiences around me?

Elaine Suess, CLTMC, PCC, MBA
[curious]partner, leadership coach and consulting services

For over 20 years at General Motors and medical device company Hill-Rom, Elaine was a leader in multiple disciplines, including sales, product line management, merchandising, and IT, gaining valuable experience in business and leadership. She is a Certified Leadership and Talent Management coach (CLTMC), a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and is certified in Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry. She brings her positive, strengths-based approach to every engagement, stirring leaders, teams and organizations to meaningful change.

Came to [curious] with...

• A deep understanding of leaders and business in leading global companies working to retain their share in the market.
• The ability to hear what is not being said, and knowing that “always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.” e.e. cummings

A leadership offer...

• Consider the benefits of Asking More, and Telling Less. When employees are invited to think and solve challenges themselves, leaders build capacity, and the learning is long lasting.

Beyond my business bio...

• I was a two-sport athlete for all four years at St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN.
• My grandmother played piano and the organ in the supper clubs of old. I can play by ear too, but am not as talented!
• My first job with General Motors was in Montgomery, AL.
• I love to travel! My favorite vacation spots have been Egypt, Istanbul, Croatia and soon, New Zealand.

I'm curious about...

• Everything. And most especially, leaders who are open to shifting the way they see the world, and how they show up in it.
• Everything. And also, Rainier Rilke’s many poems, and the meaning behind them.

Diane I. Warha, MPH
[curious]partner, research + development

Diane is a member of the leadership team in the Directorate of the Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. As the directorate’s epidemiologist, she is responsible for the planning and execution of information and data related to the health of the workforce, to include research in the strategic development of evidence based policy and programs for 93K members.

She serves on the board of United Way and Friends of the Washington-Centerville Library. Diane is a published researcher and speaks on leadership in the workforce including topics like: strengthening relationships, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, and mindfulness.

Came to [curious] with...

• Integration of epidemiology as a way to inform professional practice in leading change in complex systems.
• Solid knowledge of research based systems in a rich landscape of scientific cultures and practices.
• Understanding of public health for wellness,  biostatistics for relationships to experience, and social sciences to identify context.
• Diverse applications in public health policy, clinical practice, and basic research as a bridge between social, medical, and behavioral impact.

A leadership offer...

• Science is universal while we each bring our own way of thinking, experiences, and culture for a common goal.
• Inspiration, relationships, and impact are driven in the framework of how we lead ourselves.
• Leadership begins within.

Beyond my business bio...

• Family and friends are paramount.
• Studying and visiting abroad initiated a thirst for life-long learning.
• I make soap to moderate stress levels and practice the freedom of creative design.

I am curious about...

• What if the limits of our abilities did not exist?
• In the reality of increasing complexity, curiosity creates genius.