James McDonough

It’s never too late to become original.

Adam Grant

James thrives on helping organizations and individuals achieve their highest potential and goals. James’ hero growing up was Steve “Pre” Prefontaine, U.S. track champion and Olympian, as he always led from the front, pushed himself, and supported those around him … and he was pretty quirky. Along with placing a great value on inclusion and collaboration, James is passionate about the role we play as leaders to inspire our teams.

Expertise

James’ ability to add value is based on a strong foundation in employee engagement, coaching, talent management, and organizational development. Beyond his HR background, James brings a process mindset, including experience as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Over the course of 30 years, James gained experience in the medical, finance, technology, and aerospace industries, enabling him to bring a breadth of expertise to a variety of settings.

Key Accomplishments

Led the organizational design and implementation of a global P&L with a highly customer-centric orientation as well as empowered the leadership team and culture
Strengthened talent capability for a global 2,200-member salaried employee team through the creation of talent development initiatives from early career to executive roles
Co-led the creation and implementation of a People with Disabilities Affinity Network, which grew to over 200 members

Education

Master’s in Business Administration, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
Bachelor’s in industrial and labor relations, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Professional and Community Activities

With a passion for supporting nonprofits, James is an active volunteer with OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence, which provides a full scope of business expertise to support the development of nonprofits in Cincinnati.

Fun Fact: James has run, swam, and cycled enough miles to circle the earth about 9 times.