ABOUT

Why Rysa Leadership Exists

Most companies think they have to choose: hire an HR professional to build systems, or hire a leadership consultant to develop your team. But people strategy and leadership capacity can't be separated.

I learned this over 25+ years as a leadership development expert and executive coach, then spent 15 years as SVP of People & Culture at growing companies. I built award-winning cultures, designed talent strategies, and led M&A integrations. The best people systems failed when leaders couldn't execute them. The best leadership development failed when organizational systems didn't support it.

So I created Rysa Leadership to integrate both. We build people systems that scale AND develop leadership capacity to execute them. We leverage AI to deliver services more efficiently while maintaining the deep human insight that drives transformation.

Our mission is simple: help CEOs and executive teams build organizations where people systems and leadership capacity evolve together.

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Experience That Matters

  • 25+ years in leadership development and executive coaching

    Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation, with leadership coaching certification from Georgetown University. Helping leaders and teams develop capacity to navigate complexity, think systemically, and lead with wisdom.

  • 15 years as SVP of People & Culture at growing companies

    Built award-winning cultures (Most Admired Corporate Culture winner), designed talent strategies, led people and culture aspects of M&A due diligence and integration, and delivered measurable business results at technology and life sciences companies.

  • Business fluency from day one

     CPA background with 10 years in accounting. Master of Science in Accounting from George Mason University. We speak the language of business: P&Ls, ROI, KPIs.

  • Industries served

     Technology, life sciences, professional services, finance. Startup to enterprise. Private equity to nonprofit. Companies from 50-250 employees in growth and transformation.

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Who We Partner With

We work with CEOs and executive teams at companies (50-250 employees) who need strategic people leadership during periods of complexity and constraint—without the cost and commitment of a full-time CHRO.

Our clients include private equity-backed companies navigating performance pressure post-acquisition, executive teams making difficult decisions about resources and priorities, and boards who need governance that anticipates risk rather than reacts to crisis.

Most of our clients are facing strategic crossroads: economic headwinds forcing tough trade-offs, restructuring that threatens culture, leadership teams misaligned on priorities, or talent challenges that could derail the business. They need someone who understands both P&L realities and human systems—and knows these two things can't be separated, especially under pressure.

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We bridge the gap between business reality and people strategy. With a CPA background, P&L experience, and 20+ years running people functions, we help you navigate trade-offs between financial constraints and people priorities. We're equally comfortable in boardroom financial discussions and leading culture transformation work. Most advisors understand HR or business—we speak both languages fluently.

We bring execution experience under pressure. We've managed restructuring, navigated budget cuts, and led teams through uncertainty with real consequences. We know what actually works when you're operating under constraint, not just what sounds good in theory. We execute, we don't just recommend.

We integrate people systems with leadership capability. Under pressure, misalignment between what your systems require and what your leaders can execute becomes expensive fast. We build both simultaneously because you can't afford systems your leaders don't know how to use, or leadership development that ignores organizational reality.

We leverage AI for strategic efficiency. AI augments our diagnostic work and analysis, which means faster insights and more strategic options at lower cost. This creates capacity for us to focus on complex human challenges that require judgment and wisdom: difficult conversations, nuanced decisions, and leadership support that can't be automated.

Communication is regular and reality-based. For fractional CPO engagements: weekly CEO check-ins, participation in leadership meetings, and monthly board updates that tell the truth without spin. For leadership development: we design the cadence around your team's needs and the complexity you're facing. When things move fast, we move fast.

How We Work Differently

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How We Work Differently

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"Pamela has an almost psychic ability to hone in on issues and then state them very simply and directly. This ability to synthesize and clarify is amazing. What she offers is the unique ability to help people get clear on what they want."


CTO, Technology Company (250 employees)

"Pamela is an extraordinary coach. She has the wisdom and depth of experience to be with you in a way that invites your own right next step to emerge. She knows how to ask a question that sets off a deep reverberation – that both challenges and encourages you to take constructive action. A profound catalyst for your growth and development.”


Executive, Consulting Company (150 employees)

Ready to Build Strategic People Leadership?

You don't need another HR coordinator or consultant who leaves you with a binder. Let's have a conversation about what you're facing and whether we're the right partner to help you scale.

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