Marlo John Derksen
Professional Statement
My success with clients is a result of a personal commitment to helping others succeed. I
provide my clients with exceptional consultation, coaching, facilitation, training and
education by integrating theoretical knowledge of the applied behavioral sciences with
the wisdom that comes from practical management and leadership experience.
Core Competencies
Strong Analytical Research & Consulting Skills





Experienced in writing proposals, obtaining client engagements, conducting needs
assessments, designing and facilitating interventions, soliciting post-evaluation
feedback and managing client relationships with Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations including DaimlerChrysler, DTE Energy, Excelon, Lafarge
NA, Pfizer and the Girl Scouts of America.
Experienced using assessment instruments and models including the Leadership
Life Styles Inventory (LSI), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DISC, ScottJaffe Change Curve, Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument, Drexler/Sibbet
Team Performance Model, Group Styles Inventory (GSI), Organizational Culture
Inventory (OCI) and McKinsey’s 7-S Model.
Participated in a research project by conducting interviews with people in diverse
organizations on the leadership topics of Business as an Agent of World Benefit,
Chaordic Organizing Principles and the Efficacy of Appreciative Inquiry.
Conducted leadership research by developing an employee survey at DTE Energy
to measure the impact of a leadership education program on the attitudes,
behaviors and performance of participating managers. This included a statistical
analysis to determine the correlation between desired leadership behaviors and
effectiveness in the workplace.
Performed a departmental needs analysis and provided best-practice
recommendations to improve the career development process at DaimlerChrysler.
Leadership Development & Management Education


Designed and facilitated a leadership development forum for global managers at
Adams Sales (Pfizer). This forum provided best practice research into leading
change and engaged participants in leveraging their strengths and hidden potential
to become better leaders of change during a period of organizational restructuring.
Co-facilitated leadership development sessions at DTE Energy and Excelon.
These residential sessions were highly experiential and provided executive
managers with greater self-awareness and enhanced communication skills to
become more effective leaders within their organization.
2





Trained a group of high performing employees at DTE Energy in change
leadership and group facilitation skills to assist them in becoming a network of
internal change agents and team facilitators within the organization.
Designed and facilitated transitions workshops for managers during periods of
organization re-structuring at DTE Energy and Lafarge NA. These workshops
provided participants with greater knowledge and skill in having difficult
coaching conversations with employees during periods of transition and change.
Designed and facilitated MBTI® workshops for employees and managers at DTE
Energy, Lafarge NA and Pennsylvania Power & Light. These workshops helped
participants improve their interpersonal communication, decision-making skill
and capacity to lead change.
Provided Appreciative Inquiry education to managers at DTE Energy, the
People’s Bank in South Africa and the Girl Scouts of America. As a result, the
managers learned a new approach to leading change, engaging employees and
achieving results within their organizations.
Designed and facilitated communications workshops for managers at DTE
Energy. These workshops benefited participants by increasing their ability to test
assumptions, as well as, give and receive feedback to employees.
Group Facilitation & Leadership Team Development



Designed and facilitated numerous team development sessions to build leadership
capacity and enhance the performance of executive management teams within
DTE Energy, Lafarge NA, and Pennsylvania Power & Light.
Provided facilitation support to the successful launch of a joint project leadership
team involving managers from DTE Energy, Raytheon and Bethlehem Steel.
Designed and facilitated executive board retreats for the Episcopal Diocese of
Colorado and the Girls Scouts of America to increase overall board effectiveness.
Consultation on Leading Large-Scale Organizational Change Initiatives



Designed and facilitated various organizational change processes to improve
operations and merge corporate cultures within four operating divisions of DTE
Energy during its merger with MCN Energy. This included Corporate Services,
Corporate Communications, Information Technology and Human Resources. The
scope of this whole-system intervention involved working with all levels of
management in strategic planning, organization re-design, communicating the
case for change; managing employee transitions, developing high performance
teams; and embedding cultural change.
Collaborated on the design and execution of an organization-wide culture change
process at DTE Energy Services, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, that utilized a
network of internal change agents to empower employees, promote shared
ownership and drive change at all levels of the organization.
Championed a strategic partnership between functional groups at Lever Canada
and a major Canadian retail distributor to optimize operations and enable Lever’s
status as a preferred supplier with this retailer.
3
Business Development



As a Global Trustee and Co-Chair of the Marketing Cluster within Appreciative
Inquiry Consulting LLC, I manage and lead a diverse group of Co-Owners in
developing and implementing initiatives that contribute to the organization’s
growth in membership, relationship marketing initiatives and shared revenue.
As regional business manager at Warner Lambert Canada, my team achieved
planned sales and merchandising objectives of consumer products for the Shaving
Products Division. Key responsibilities included conducting market research,
developing strategic sales and marketing plans, implementing retail trade
programs, managing customer relationships within key accounts including
Canada Safeway and leading a retail sales team.
As key account manager at Lever Canada, I achieved planned sales and
merchandising objectives of consumer products within several retail and
wholesale accounts across the country including A&P, IGA, Westfair Foods,
Shoppers Drug Mart and Costco. Attained planned sales growth across all product
categories and was recognized as the top producer on an award winning sales
team.
Professional Experience
2003 – present
Vice President
TOSAN Inc
Denver CO, USA
www.tosaninc.com
2000 – 2003
Organization Development Consultant
Managing Partner
Osborn and Associates
Denver CO, USA
1999 – 2000
Organization Development Consultant
Being First
Durango CO, USA
www.beingfirst.com
1994 – 1995
Regional Business Manager
Warner Lambert Canada (Pfizer)
Calgary AB, Canada
www.pfizer.ca
1988 – 1993
Key Account Manager
Lever Canada (Unilever)
Toronto ON, Canada
www.unilever.ca
4
Education
1999
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Qualification Course and Exam
NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences
Alexandria VA, USA
1997 – 1999
Master of Organization Development
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green OH, USA
1996 – 1997
International studies abroad in Asia and India
1984 – 1988
Bachelor of Business Administration
Bishop’s University
Lennoxville PQ, Canada
Accomplishments





Elected to the Global Council of Trustees for Appreciative Inquiry Consulting.
Published article in Magruder Watkins, J. & Mohr, B. (2002). Appreciative
Inquiry: Change at the speed of imagination, 127-131. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Keynote speaker at the Bowling Green Master of Organization Development
Conference: Best Practices in Leading Change, April 2002.
Past president of the Graduate Business Student Association at BGSU
Inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society
Professional Affiliations



NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences (NTL)
Appreciative Inquiry Consulting (AIC)
Organization Development Network (ODN)
Contact Information
1140 Columbine Street
Suite 203
Denver CO
80206
Phone 303-320-3788
###