Our Team
Mike Townsend
Principal
Experience to deliver results…
Mike has been a successful sales/marketing executive and trainer for over 26 years. As a Six Sigma Blackbelt, he has developed the ability to understand the totality of a business.
He has been an innovator in facilitating process improvement and increasing sales and profits throughout many industries. Mike also has the experience in developing and executing customized training programs for any sales team.
Mike applies his experience and solid business principles to evaluate and develop; a unique brand proposition, a go to market strategy (short term), strategic marketing plan (long term) and high impact advertising.
An experienced and well traveled executive, Mike understands fundamental differences and similarities in a marketplace and can drive results in all levels of business.
He has an extraordinary understanding of business and the expertise to integrate solutions that make a difference.
Gary Ledford
Before founding Catalyst Transformation Group, Gary served as VP of Total Insight a division of Transportation Insight. Transportation Insight provides Supply Chain solutions focused on reducing total cost of business and revenue enhancement.
Gary worked as Senior Consultant and Execution Specialist with Franklin Covey. He has over 20 years of experience helping organizations and people become more effective. Gary has facilitated and delivered the 4 Disciplines of Execution and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for many for-profit and non-profit organizations.
His other areas of practice include Executive Coaching, Organizational Development, Lean Enterprise, and Custom Leadership Development programs.
Gary has held various senior management positions such as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer within the Automotive, Furniture, Hosiery, and Converting industries. Within these industries, he was involved in implementing world-class concepts he learned while studying the Toyota Production System at Toyota City in Japan. He has led seminars around the world and published articles on Employee Engagement and Organizational Transformation. He is currently writing a book on Lean Enterprise…Cause and Effect, a series of case studies.
Gary is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a BS in Industrial Engineering. He received his M.B.A. from Augusta State University. He holds a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma and is considered a Lean Enterprise expert. Additionally, he is certified and licensed to administer the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.
W. Jack Pledger, Ph.D.
Deputy Center Director, Executive Vice President of Basic Sciences Moffit Cancer Center Partnership. The Cortner-Couch Endowed Professor of Cancer Research.
Biographical Information
Dr. Pledger joined Moffitt in 1994 from the department of Cell Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Previous positions include the post of Program Leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Program at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Areas of expertise: Basic science; functional genomics; microarray; tissue banks; cellular proliferation and differentiation.
Education: B.S. and M.S. in Biology from the University of Houston; Purdue University – Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. Postdoctoral work completed at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Dana Farber Cancer Center.
Deputy Center Director, Executive Vice President of Basic Sciences Moffit Cancer Center Partnership. The Cortner-Couch Endowed Professor of Cancer Research.
Biographical Information
Dr. Pledger joined Moffitt in 1994 from the department of Cell Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Previous positions include the post of Program Leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Program at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Areas of expertise: Basic science; functional genomics; microarray; tissue banks; cellular proliferation and differentiation.
Education: B.S. and M.S. in Biology from the University of Houston; Purdue University – Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. Postdoctoral work completed at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Dana Farber Cancer Center.
Publications: Dr. Pledger is widely published in the top peer-reviewed journals of his field, including the prestigious Nature and Science.
Dan Novak
Dan helps organizations and leaders find actionable answers to soft issues. He coaches executives and high-potential leaders in the areas of leadership breakthrough, organizational strategy, innovation, teamwork, and human/organizational performance. Dan also has deep skills in strategic management, organizational change, organizational culture, organizational networks, collaborative leadership, communication, and marketing. Dan spent 31 years at IBM in a broad range of leadership, sales, entrepreneurial, and international roles. In his last assignment at IBM, he negotiated strategic alliances among diverse partners spanning from start-ups to Fortune 100 firms. He then helped those new partners develop their organization’s strategy, marketing plan, education, and execution.
Dan holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and a secondary focus in Human Resource Development, an MBA from the University of Dallas, a BBA from the University of North Texas, and a Six Sigma Green Belt certification. He currently teaches graduate-level leadership and organizational behavior at South University, previously, he taught graduate-level innovation, leadership, and HR at Texas Christian University (TCU) and Texas Wesleyan University. Dan has published book chapters and articles on leadership, collaboration, marketing, and human resources. He has presented at conferences in several countries speaking about innovation, leadership, values, trust, organizational alignment, social/organizational networks, Healthcare 2.0., and the patient-provider interface
Kenneth L. Seay
BS, MBA, Adjunct Faculty, MBA Program Clemson at the Falls
A seasoned professional manager with thirty years of manufacturing and personnel experience
Ten years specializing in Leadership Development in a corporate environment
Qualifications
Linkage Inc. HR Consulting Skills
Corporate Coach U, Licensed Coach Facilitator
Marshall Goldsmith, Goldsmith Coaching Process
Ken Blanchard, Situational Leadership
Leadership Through People Skills
Senior Board Member, Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership