Carol J. Geffner, Ph.D. is an influential author, leadership scholar and entrepreneur. She is President of Geffner Group, LLC, serving Fortune 500 corporations, public sector organizations and academic institutions. She was most recently Professor of the Practice of Governance, Management and Policy at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy and Director of the Executive Master of Leadership Program. Dr. Geffner is also an affiliate of the Kets De Vries’ Institute, a global executive coaching firm headquartered in London. As a distinguished authority in the field of leadership Dr. Geffner helps CEOs and executive teams shape strategies and practices that define successful leadership and organizations globally. With extensive experience in large-scale change, strategy and leadership development, she brings insights, research and a practical understanding of evolving dynamics that impact people, processes and performance. Clients include ABC, Optum, USC, Merck, Deutsche Bank, Kaiser, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, and numerous others in law enforcement, healthcare, environmental health and safety, and education. Her new book, Building A New Leadership Ladder: Transforming Male-Dominated Organizations to Support Women on the Rise, was recently published by MIT Press and is a 2024 Axiom Business Book award winner. Through her global research, Dr. Geffner upends traditional thinking about women’s success and underscores the responsibility of organizations to redesign systems, policies and processes that support the advancement of women leaders. Dr. Geffner is a member of the Advisory Board at Claremont Graduate University’s Peter F. Drucker School of Management and the Leadership Development Advisory Council at the Los Angeles Police Department. She is a published author for Forbes Coaching Council as well as a former radio show host and a frequent speaker at conferences across the nation. Dr. Geffner earned a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. She is also a UCLA certified corporate board member.