Developing leaders.
Igniting possibility.

I partner with executives and leadership teams to navigate complexity, align their organizations, and lead with clarity, calm, and intention.

Ready to unlock your team’s potential? Let’s connect if…

You have a leadership team of rockstars who struggle to collaborate.

We'll address the underlying dynamics keeping your high-performers from becoming an unstoppable team.

Your business is scaling rapidly, but your leadership bench can't keep pace.

We'll build a succession strategy that develops future leaders and ensures seamless executive transitions.

You're ready to tackle the "elephant in the room" that everyone sees but no one addresses.

I design strategic conversations that spark breakthrough dialogue and align your team.

You're leading a pivot that requires organization-wide buy-in.

I provide change management support that turns uncertainty into clarity and gets everyone moving in the same direction.

You're in a critical growth phase that demands executive-level leadership, but aren’t ready for a permanent hire.

I provide flexible fractional support that aligns people strategy with your evolving goals.

CEO leading a workshop

Who I Work With

My clients are growth-oriented companies and bold leaders—from start-ups to pre-IPO to public companies—who care deeply about both business outcomes and the strategies that drive them.

Most are:

  • CEOs, Chiefs of People or Talent, and other executive leaders

  • Leading mission-driven or human-centered organizations

  • Experiencing fast growth, strategic transitions, or internal leadership shifts

  • Looking for a trusted, seasoned partner to help them grow

Explore how we can work together

  • I coach and advise high-growth leadership teams on how to navigate the “awkward teenage years” of organizational development—developing the communication, decision-making, and talent development practices that turn growing pains into strategic advantage. Learn more about my approach here.

  • Build a clear path for growth, sustainability, and internal talent development across your leadership pipeline. Learn more about how I collaborate with leadership teams here.

  • Step-in leadership (e.g. Fractional Head of Talent or COO) for companies in transition or scaling fast. Learn more about how I work with organizations here.

  • High-impact, custom experiences that shift mindsets, deepen trust, and drive clarity—rooted in your business goals. Learn more about how I design and facilitate workshops and offsites that get teams unstuck here.

  • Research-backed 360 assessments that reveal how leaders show up—and where their greatest opportunities for growth lie. I use the Leadership Circle Profile™ process to turn feedback into clear development priorities and stronger leadership impact. Learn more about my 360 assessment approach here.

  • I share grounded, human-centered perspectives to audiences ready to think differently about growth, change, and relational impact.

“Gina is a passionate and energetic leader who has a gift for strategic thinking and problem solving. She is empathetic, results-oriented, and has a bias for action. But her greatest skill is her ability to see the interworkings of teams and make specific recommendations on the tweaks to be made within the working relationships or organizational culture to unlock growth.”

— Senior executive leader

Gina des Cognets headshot

About Gina


I combine 20+ years of senior leadership experience with doctoral research in organizational development to help leaders lead with awareness and impact.

I’ve partnered with teams at Strava, Boston Beer, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and AOL Time Warner to unlock potential they didn’t know existed.

As a trusted advisor, coach, and speaker, I work alongside leaders and their teams to pause, reflect, notice the patterns that often go unseen, and lead with intention and clarity — so the impact they create is meaningful and enduring.

Learn more about me here

How to Start

I work with a small number of clients at a time, and tailor every engagement to your specific needs and situational context. Here’s how to begin:

Step One

During our initial discovery call, I’ll learn more about your organizational strengths, challenges, and needs to better understand how I might support you.

Step Two

If we agree there’s a strong opportunity for us to partner, I’ll develop and share a customized proposal outlining how we might partner in support of your goals and objectives.

Step Three

Once we’re fully aligned on next steps, a start date, and have a signed contract, it’s go time!

Leadership is a practice — individually and collectively.

Stay connected with Gina’s ongoing reflections, insights, and practical ideas that you can apply immediately to your work and teams by reading her Substack, or reach out directly to start a conversation about working together.

Podcasts and Press

The Endurance Drive Podcast, Episode 21:
Leadership and Life Wisdom with Gina des Cognets

edX 2023 Impact Report:
Gina des Cognets