Education
Bates College, BA, Economics, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude
Stanford University, MBA
Experience
A seasoned leader and operations executive, Jennifer thrives in fast-paced and complex environments. She started her career with The Boston Consulting Group and, knowing she wanted to lead an organization, joined Einstein Bros Bagels shortly after they were founded, serving as the VP of Operations Support and leading a 450-store rollout over 18 months. Two more senior operating roles in high-growth organizations followed: COO of Circles (now part of Sodexo), a corporate concierge service, and COO of Sentient Jet, a private jet membership company. After seven years as an executive coach with Spencer & Bean, she founded The Boda Group, where she serves as Managing Partner.
Other leadership
Bates College, Board of Trustees; Bates Boston Business Network, founder and first Chair; Bates Volunteer Engagement Initiative, founder and first Chair; McLean Hospital, Co-Chair, Annual Fund (five years); Partners Healthcare and Harvard Medical School affiliate; Kids In Biz (a program of I Have a Dream), founder and leader.
Recent clients
Analysis Group, Monitor, Parthenon, BCG, The Bridgespan Group, Ropes & Gray, Goodwin Procter, Credit Suisse, Cambridge Associates, Jennison Associates, Novartis, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Massachusetts General Hospital, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Wayfair, AOL, Vistaprint, DigitasLBi, Walmart, Microsoft, LinkedIn, athenahealth, Riot Games
Training and certification
Stanford University, Interpersonal Dynamics; The Coaches Training Institute, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC); Columbia University, Columbia Coaching Certification Program; International Coach Federation, Professional Certified Coach (PCC); Harvard University/Kegan and Lahey, Immunity to Change; CRR Global, Advanced Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC); DiSC Behavioral Inventory, Certified Facilitator; Kantor Institute/Dialogix, Structural Dynamics Certification; Kaiser Leadership Solutions, Leadership Versatility Index (LVI), Certified Facilitator; Hogan Leadership Assessments, Certified Facilitator.
At The Boda Group…
Jennifer is committed to bridging the art and science of leadership and helping leaders become more self-aware, authentic, and effective. Her sweet spot is very smart, driven, senior leaders and their teams. She knows that better leaders create and inspire more successful teams and generate better business results. She brings 20+ years of experience as a business leader and her significant and growing understanding of how great leaders think, behave, and change to help her clients transform their leadership.
Leadership is…
sometimes effortless and sometimes a real struggle. When I’m doing work where the goal is important, the challenge is high, and the team is strong, it’s like an eight mile run on flat ground in the woods in the fall: easy, smooth, crisp, and refreshing. At other times—when I’m not paying attention, not in my sweet spot, in the wrong environment, or don’t share the same purpose or values with others on the team—it’s more like ten miles uphill in August at noon: hot, exhausting, heavy, and a real struggle.
The most influential leader in my career has been…
the COO of the American Red Cross Blood Services, many years ago. The COO was smart, strong, no-nonsense, and had high standards. She was also warm, respectful, and easy to be around. She asked a lot—from herself and from her team. She led an amazing turnaround in a very challenging environment with intelligence, poise, and strength.
One place that is special to me is…
our house in NH, because there’s room for a crowd, and it’s in the middle of nowhere.
When I’m not working with clients I’m…
at home in Belmont, MA, with my husband, two stepsons, and two Labrador retrievers.