About me

Contact

One of the things I like to do is collect and share information. Here are some resources I'm happy to share with you.

Who I am

I think like an engineer, with an orientation toward analysis and problem solving. I think systematically, strategically, and tactically. I connect with people deeply. I'm personal. I'll make you laugh. I'm friendly, but also candid to the point of being blunt. I'll ask piercing questions. I'm vulnerable and I'll find ways to connect your experiences with the experiences I've had.

I'm very meta: when I work with people and teams, we spend time talking about how we're working together. I frequently flip back and forth between the big picture and the detailed, concrete stuff.

I'm resourceful. I collect information and organize it. I'm a student of productivity techniques. I'm passionate about personal development: mine, yours, and the field generally. I'm also passionate about leadership, and helping people be happier, fulfill their sense of purpose, and do meaningful work.

The most common thing I see that holds people back from greater happiness and fulfillment is this: their own self-limiting beliefs, their fears, and their unwillingness to place themselves in situations with greater uncertainty and greater opportunity.

I choose to work with people who are deeply committed to improving themselves and what they are doing to contribute to the world.

The formative years

I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both my parents were trained as social workers — my mother became a community activist and my father helped build a prestigious School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. I grew up in the 60s and was immersed in a world of people, community, ideas, unrest, and conflict.

I was fortunate to have an internship in high school at the Institute for Social Research because Leslie Kish was a close family friend. Despite an auspicious start working four years in statistics, I fell in love with software engineering and computer science. I worked as an engineer before returning to graduate school at UMass Amherst, where I received a Master's and PhD in computer science.

Developing as a leader

I moved into management shortly after arriving at BBN, developing distributed systems software in the Internet's early days. This was the start of a 30-year career managing software engineering teams. After a few years as a manager, I moved into a Director role and spent the next 15 years at startups and medium-sized companies working on a wide range of technologies — internet infrastructure, mobile, web, business apps — across consumer, B2B, and enterprise markets.

The Google years

I was hired by Google in 2007 as engineering director and site lead of the Google Cambridge office, then 15 engineers. I was responsible for setting the direction of the site, overseeing its growth to 1,000 people, shaping its culture, and representing Google in the community.

As an engineering director I worked on Google Books Search, Google Play Books, and Google Newsstand. Toward the end of my tenure as site lead I oversaw Google's technical site leaders worldwide — about 25 sites — helping formalize the role and increase their effectiveness within Google.

As the site grew I began serving outside Google with a particular emphasis on education for underserved communities. I started MassCAN to expand computer science education to all K-12 students in Massachusetts, and served on boards of Citizen Schools, Boston's Museum of Science, MIT's Office of Engineering Outreach, the Kendall Square Association, and the Community Charter School of Cambridge.

Coaching

When Google Cambridge reached a thousand people I was ready to move on. When exploring what to do next I was asked "what do I love to do most at Google?" My answer was "coach people." I became a certified coach through CTI's coaching certification program and have since coached dozens of engineers, directors, and vice presidents.

I also took on the role of organizational development consultant inside Google, working on culture, strategy, organizational design, and training — and became faculty in the Google School for Leaders executive development program.

From 2020 to 2024 I served in a coaching role at the Broad Institute while building my independent practice. My coaching clients are predominantly leaders outside the tech sector, including CEOs of startups, Executive Directors of nonprofits, and a college president.

Personal

I've been married over 40 years to my wife, Pat, and we live in the South End in Boston. We're blessed to have our two grown children live in the area and be a major part of our lives.

I'm passionate about coaching, photography, happiness, reading, learning and education, politics, anti-racism, and productivity.