Nils Peterson, Co-owner and Principal of Teams and Leaders, is a recognized expert in the field of leadership development and organizational culture. As an advisor and coach, Nils partners with senior leaders and key stakeholders to implement customized development programs that are transformative, sustainable and committed to improving the quality of people’s work and lives.</p> <p>Working with clients such as Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, the United States Government, T-Mobile and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nils develops individuals and teams to more effectively engage the working relationships and partnerships that are most critical to enhancing business performance. And with over 20 years consulting experience at Teams and Leaders and many thousands of client engagements, Nils has earned a reputation as a master facilitator, presenter and coach. Teams and Leaders believes that a company’s ability to achieve sustained success and to stay relevant hinges on its people. How a company supports, develops and engages those people is Nils’ expertise and passion.</p> <p>Before joining Teams and Leaders, Nils worked as an instructor for the Outward Bound School where he led groups in the wilderness for weeks at a time. Nils earned a Masters Degree in Adult Education with a focus on applied behavioral science and systems thinking. He serves as adjunct faculty at Seattle University Albers School of Business and is co-founder of the Ascent Institute. Today Nils lives on Bainbridge Island with his wife Krista and 3 children. And in the near future, Nils is planning to learn to surf.

As a principal and owner of Teams & Leaders, Kevin has focused his energy on designing, customizing and delivering trainings that enhance the leadership capacities of individuals at all levels within organizations. Kevin believes that effective relationships are the critical building blocks of successful teams. As such, Kevin designs and delivers trainings that get to the heart of developing the skills and competencies necessary to deal effectively with difficult relationships and situations. He is particularly interested in creating and delivering a coaching framework that shifts behavior and sustains change in the long term. Kevin has been working as a consultant and coach for professional and post-graduate team development for over 20 years. In addition to his work with organizations, Kevin has worked as a therapist in private practice providing education and support for individuals, couples, and families. Kevin currently serves as adjunct faculty at Seattle University's Graduate School of Business. Kevin earned his Master of Arts degree from the Leadership Institute of Seattle, with a focus in applied behavioral science and systems theory.

Hartley joined Teams and Leaders in 2007. She has over ten years of experience facilitating leadership development and team building training experiences in higher education, non-profit, and corporate settings. She co-delivers three of Seattle University’s MBA leadership courses that cover topics such as communication, team building, and conflict management. One of those courses, Leading with Emotional Intelligence, is currently the highest rated elective in the program. She also runs our annual Emotional Intelligence Expedition to the Italian Dolomites.</p> <p>Hartley studied at Seattle University and The NTL Institute for Applied Behavior Science in Maryland, where she focused on training facilitation and content design along with how to improve communication effectiveness on both an interpersonal and group level. In her free time, Hartley likes to do power yoga, run, and take walks with her fluffy dog, Winston.

Nick Strauss was born and raised in South Africa, and has travelled and worked around the world. These experiences have shaped his belief in the importance of diverse perspectives, the necessity of skilled dialogue, and the value of effective leadership. Through training, coaching and consulting, he provides individuals and groups with insight into themselves and the tools to achieve their personal and business goals. Possessing a keen, analytical mind, Nick is not afraid to challenge convention or be direct in his feedback, yet he is also warm and supportive of his clients.</p> <p>For years, Nick has led wilderness expeditions that combine leadership development with adventures like climbing, rafting, and canyoneering. He has a passion for the outdoors and for helping people achieve more than they think is possible. Nick has worked with a variety of clients, including Microsoft, Boeing, and the MBA programs of Harvard, Kellogg, and Stanford. He holds a BA in Psychology and Organizational Studies from the University of Michigan and an MA in Applied Behavioral Science from the Leadership Institute of Seattle.

Born and raised in the capital of Bulgaria, Lilly moved to the United States as a teenager. She earned her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and had the opportunity to work on the Space Shuttle program and in the aviation industry. After ten years in the corporate world, Lilly realized that her passion lay not so much in her engineering and marketing work, but more in the connections she observed between people and how those connections impacted and guided peoples’ lives. After significant soul searching, she made the bold decision to take her career in a new direction that would allow her to follow her true passion.</p> <p>Lilly holds a certificate in sustainable business. She has supported at-risk youth, fostered young women’s self-esteem through outdoor activities, coached emerging young leaders internationally, and worked on social justice projects, hoping to promote social change toward equality. She has been working with Teams & Leaders directly for the past several years, bringing her experience and enthusiasm to the table. Lilly is most excited about facilitating transformative experiences that nurture people’s self-awareness and afford them more control over their lives.

As a Teams and Leaders consultant, Amy Kessel provides training, facilitation and coaching for groups and individuals. She draws heavily on her decade of transformative coaching, through which she has deepened her capacity for empathic listening and embedded a structured approach to self-discovery for her clients. A fierce advocate for sustainable change, Amy’s previous career in international development has granted her the unique ability to draw out the innate wisdom of her clients in order to effect the change they seek in their personal and professional lives. Amy holds a Masters degree in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth, and coaching accreditation from the International Coaching Federation.