Having served in all three fields of business, the local church and academia Helen brings this firsthand experience into her research and her work with leaders and organizations as well as her approach to faith and work.
Her career has taken her from executive leadership at a Fortune 100 telecommunications company, to pastoral leadership in one of America's largest churches, to teaching and research at a nationally recognized Christian university. Combined with master's degrees in both organizational leadership and theology, Helen brings a multidisciplinary perspective.
Helen began her career with AT&T where she quickly established herself as a high-performing leader. Over an eight-year period she earned six promotions becoming an Area Vice President with Lucent Technologies by the age of 30. During her corporate career she led sales organizations, developed leaders, directed organizational change initiatives, and was responsible for improving operational and business performance in complex business environments.
Following her corporate career, Helen was licensed for pastoral ministry at Saddleback Church, where she co-founded Saddleback@Work, the church's workplace ministry. As the architect of the ministry, she developed its vision, strategy, curriculum and initiatives. She helped many marketplace professionals understand the integration of faith and work and grow in spiritual maturity. It is from this experience that Helen works to equip pastors and churches to more effectively disciple people in their work lives.
Helen currently serves as Professor of Ethics, Leadership and Strategy in the Crowell School of Business at Biola University. She teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate business programs. She is also the Director of the Talbot Center for Faith, Work & Economics in Biola University's Talbot School of Theology. In this role she is providing leadership for research, curriculum, education, church engagement, and initiatives that advance the integration of faith, work and economics both with the church and in the marketplace.
Beyond the university Helen advises executives, leadership teams, nonprofit organizations, churches, educational institutions and business leaders. She brings her multidisciplinary perspective through executive and leadership coaching, organizational consulting, leadership development and strategic advisory services.
Helen is an ICF-certified executive and leadership coach. She is certified in both Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence framework and the Wiley Everything DiSC®. She also serves as a faculty member with the Professional Christian Coaching Institute.
Helen is a frequent keynote speaker, seminar leader and workshop facilitator for conferences, universities, businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and internationally. She has co-authored faith and work curriculum, published articles and white papers and contributed to research and further insights on leadership, organizational change, employee engagement, strategy and the integration of faith and work.
She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Biola University and a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University and completed the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University.
Helen previously served as Vice President of the National Board of Directors for the Association for Strategic Planning and as an officer on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Orange County.
Her career across corporate leadership, pastoral ministry, higher education, executive coaching, and organizational consulting provides a depth of experience that enables her to serve leaders and organizations across diverse sectors with practical insight, strategic perspective, and organizational expertise.
Empowering people to fulfill their calling in their work.
