I create Thinking Partnerships with leaders to improve performance

David is Co-CEO of fassforward Consulting Group. He partners with clients to improve their leadership, culture, productivity, and life/work balance. He leads fassforward's Executive Coaching practice, oversees finance and is focused on developing FCG’s biggest asset, its people and culture.

Prior to joining the fassforward, David spent 20 years on Wall Street. He worked at Morgan Stanley for 9 years in Institutional Equity Derivatives where he managed Hedge Fund Sales Trading. David was also a leader in the firm’s recruiting program, taught in the training program, and was a significant contributor in the growth of the firm’s derivative platform for hedge fund clients. In 2008, David joined New Mountain Capital to launch a risk management strategy and start a trading desk for the firm’s hedge fund with assets of approximately $1 billion. In 2010, he was promoted to Portfolio Manager, co-managing the hedge fund, which had grown to over $2 billion in assets. 
Through his work at fassforward, his yoga studio and his charity, David has enjoyed being focused on "doing good things for good people". David received his A.B., magna cum laude from Princeton University.

David Frost

More companies are hiring culture coaches and that's a meaningful shift.

What stood out to me in this article is how closely this increased emphasis on culture mirrors a big focus of fassforward's executive coaching:

• “Culture is the invisible machine that creates all future things”
Gavin McMahon in his new book Story Business (see first comment). Culture isn’t catchy lines on the wall. It’s a system. It need stewards, storytellers, and coaches. If no one is reinforcing the culture story, something else will.

• Outside perspective creates movement.
Progress accelerates when leaders have someone who isn’t embedded in internal dynamics offering challenge, clarity, and context.

• Leadership capability is the real lever.
Culture doesn’t change through values statements. It changes through how leaders show up under pressure.

• Trust determines depth.
People tend to go further when they believe the coach is fully in service of their growth, not balancing that with internal agendas.

• Internal ownership and external coaching works.
One of our clients has a Director of Culture we partner closely with, clear stewardship inside, supported by trusted outside coaches.

Interesting to see culture investments catching up to what coaching has long emphasized.

What are you noticing in how organizations are approaching culture differently?

#fassforward #Leadership #Storytelling #ExecutiveCoaching #OrganizationalHealth

Open article: Why more companies are hiring ‘Culture Coaches’ by fastcompany.com

Why more companies are hiring ‘Culture Coaches’

Top leadership lessons from 2025.

Reflecting on 2025 as we head into 2026, three lessons stand out to me:

1️⃣ Trust is under strain.
In 20 years on Wall Street and 8 years working with leadership teams, I do not think I have seen a bigger trust deficit.

Some factors driving it: Post COVID distributed work with less in person contact. More short termism/performance pressure without psychological safety. Change fatigue. AI entering the mainstream. An increasingly divided geopolitical landscape.

As Patrick Lencioni reminds us, trust is the foundation of every effective leadership team.

At fassforward, we see trust grow with the teams we work with when leaders stay disciplined around the 3 Cs: Clarity. Communication. Consistency.

2️⃣ Simplicity over complexity.
Less is more, especially when it comes to purpose, vision, mission and strategy.

The more you distill, the more alignment you create.

Research consistently shows teams can remember three strategic priorities. Not four.

If people cannot repeat it, they cannot execute it.

Look at the simplicity of the United States Military Academy at West Point approach below. 

3️⃣ Prioritizing self care.
The same forces eroding trust are also driving stress and burnout.

For most leaders, work and family take priority with a very wide gap for personal time. I recently restarted Hot26 Yoga, which saved me on wall street. Find your preferred self-care practice, prioritize it and narrow the gap. 

When leaders take care of themselves, their teams and families feel it first.

Bonus lesson: leadership takes practice.
Over the holidays, I reread "Story Business" by my partner Gavin McMahon. 

It is a great reminder that the best leaders practice on improving how they communicate, not just what they say. Link in the first comment. 

Effective leadership in 2026 will not be about doing more.
It will be about building trust, simplifying relentlessly, prioritizing self care, and communicating with clarity and purpose.

What would you add to the list?

Happy New Year!!!

Verizon

Delivered Results:
- Delivered 15+ projects by collaborating with more than 15+ shared cross functional teams for launching products/features  in My Offers (Acquisition / Retention), Case Management, and Loyalty space on Verizon Platform.
- Improved cross functional business processes and increased efficiency by 70%, time to market by 90%, and increased performance of products by 120%.
- Strengthened customer engagement, customer satisfaction and thus increased NPS score by implementing omni-channel experience.
- Collaborated with Marketing, Point of Sale, Care, and IT to improve customer journey and omni channel experience by reducing the call escalations by 50%.
- Unified testing across different channels, distributed teams and improved quality of Offers, Promotions, Campaigns, & Rewards launches.
- Won recognition award for Quality Process Improvements.  Promoted team productivity, and empowered creativity.

Marketing | Operations | Program  | Product-Business | Leader

ThinkingScape

Delivered Results:
- Developed a prototype to analyze the need for a coach and determine the appropriate type of coaching required.
- Created a prototype to operationalize a predictive coaching model, enhancing the precision and effectiveness of coaching interventions.
- Established a working model that leverages neuroscience and psychology to unlock the power of a growth mindset.
- Implemented strategies for getting things done efficiently, leading to improved performance over time.
- Assisted clients in discovering their new selves, significantly increasing their productivity and overall effectiveness.

Founder | Chief Performance Coach | Performance Manager | Process Manager

I empower individuals and organizations to achieve peak performance and lasting success. As a Performance Coach, I work with small businesses, executives, and individuals/teams to unlock potential, enhance leadership skills, and drive strategic growth. Through tailored coaching sessions, I help clients clarify their goals, overcome challenges, and develop the mindset and habits necessary for sustainable results. I am deeply committed to fostering growth, resilience, and excellence at every level.

Performance Coach

Partnered with families of children facing challenges to help them overcome obstacles and create positive change. Together, we explored practical strategies and solutions tailored to their unique needs. I supported parents in building a nurturing and empowering environment where their children could thrive. My focus was on guiding families toward clarity, confidence, and progress.

Life Coach - Volunteer

Moda Operandi, Inc

Delivered Results:
- Launched a global online E-commerce platform (Desktop/Mobile), Mobile Apps connecting customers with top and emerging designers. 
- Launched CMS platform to support dynamic content/promotions/marketing campaigns. 
- Led a team of 5 consultants based in India and onsite shared UAT team of 10. Collaborated with 10+ cross functional teams, business and customer service teams to launch customer focused complex large size 10+ products/features,. 
- Reduced 30% call costs and facilitated customer care teams by providing standardized learning / training guides for every new feature released to production and created on-boarding documents for customer care teams to assist customers.
- Increased customer satisfaction and engagement by formalizing the process of creating and developing 5+ value propositions based on customer feedback.
- Engaged in setting up testing environments, defined product test strategy, managed projects and change management plans, and releases in continuous deployment environments by creating efficient and reusable processes.

E-Commerce | Senior Quality | Product Manager

Michael Kors

Delivered Results:
- Started out as QA Team Lead, then expanded the role to Total Product Quality Management to transition the website from Neiman Marcus platform to in-house supporting US and Canada domains.
- Gathered requirements for Analytics, Integrated Marketing, Search, and CMS, translated to functional and technical specifications and defined a roadmap of features, technical / product test strategy covering all phases of the supply chain, including upstream and for downstream activities.
- Introduced new collaboration tools that were a good fit for the company for open communication and delivering products / features in aggressive timelines.
- Managed consultant team of 10 based in Texas.

E-commerce | QA Team Lead | Product Manager 

Redcats

Delivered Results:
- Directed and managed overall quality of Laredoute Website targeting customers in 5 countries (France, Portugal, Spain, UK, and Italy)  and 7 US brand sites (Brylane Home,Full Beauty, Woman Within, Jessica London, OneStopPlus, King Size, Bargain Catalog Outlet).
- Directed and managed overall quality of Content management system (CMS), Search, and Analytics.
- Synthesized data, drive next best customer journeys, and increased customer engagement by 25% and new customer acquisition by 5%.
- Optimized Journey Mapping of cross sells, up sells, transactional emails, and ratings/reviews to improve end-to-end experience.
- Managed a team of 10 consultants (onsite and offshore).

E-commerce | Sr Quality Assurance | Product Engineer

Experienced business professional with a strong background in Business, Digital Marketing, IT, and Operational Strategies. I have successfully delivered Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce products with a seamless Omni-channel experience, driving growth and enhancing customer satisfaction. My career is marked by a proven track record in the Information Technology, Retail/E-commerce, and Services industries, where I have consistently leveraged my skills to improve efficiency and achieve business goals.

I specialize in Resource Management, Process Management, and Program/Project/Product/Quality Management throughout the product lifecycle. My approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, ensuring that projects are completed on time and deliver measurable results.

I hold an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Computer Science, complemented by my certification as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Additionally, I am a Red Team Thinker and a certified Design Thinking Practitioner, which enables me to bring a unique perspective to problem-solving and innovation.

I am pursuing a PhD in Psychology, exploring the intersection of neuroscience, human behavior, creativity, innovation, and leadership to enhance performance and well-being. My research aims to bridge the gap between scientific insights and practical applications in coaching, leadership, and fostering creativity and innovation within organizations.

As a Performance Coach, I am passionate about empowering teams and individuals to unlock their full potential, aligning personal and professional growth with organizational objectives.

I thrive in dynamic environments that challenge me to learn and adapt continuously. I am always open to connecting with like-minded professionals and exploring collaboration opportunities on creative and innovative projects.

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