Our Team
Deborah Mersino, Principal Consultant
I love my work and partnering with leaders who are working to improve and support our communities, our environment, and our world. I'm regularly inspired by them. As a problem solver known for my ability to deliver formidable insights and ambitious results, this fuels me, because it helps these leaders' organizations flourish even more.
I've been fortunate to have 25+ years of executive business experience, with the last seven prior to Mersino Consulting in the C-Suite. I spent a good chunk of my career in marketing and public relations; and then added technology, research and development, project management, human resources, and a lending product to my experience. In my last role, I had executive oversight for a successful $12M digital transformation project. Prior to that, I helped run multiple businesses in Chicago, where for nearly 15 years, I worked with Fortune 500 companies, as well as small- and medium-sized companies and nonprofits, and came to understand the inner workings of leadership teams and boards.
I've had successes and failures along the way, providing excellent fodder to become an executive coach and leadership consultant. In my early 50s, I decided to put my skills and experiences to work for the greater good, which is why Mersino Consulting focuses solely on leaders at organizations and business throughout Northern America focused on sustainability and social good. Our world needs it!
My top three StrengthsFinder strengths are Strategy, Ideation, and Activator. My Working Geniuses, for those of you familiar with Patrick Lencioni's The 6 Types of Working Genius, are Discernment and Invention (together known as the "Discriminating Innovator"). Together, these allow me to help clients overcome issues that are standing in the way of their momentum, so they can achieve powerful outcomes in short order.
I received my leadership consulting training and certifications through my CAPA Pro affiliation with The Table Group. I'm also a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which led to an early career in PR and later leadership roles in internal and external communications. Both benefit my clients, as I offer corporate communications support today. I also received my Digital Marketing Strategies: Data, Automation, AI, and Analytics Certification from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
I'm a lifelong education advocate. I'm also a learner who benefits from continuously rethinking as Adam Grant puts it. My partner/husband and I are empty nesters living in Vancouver, Washington. We are parents to two daughters in college and a ball-loving rescue dog named Jackson. I can be reached at Deborah@MersinoConsulting.com or on LinkedIn.
Ted Mersino, Principal Consultant
I've been passionate about helping people and businesses since 1985, when I was working at Sea Ray boats in Michigan and first wondered about leadership and culture's impact on employees. I've never stopped being fascinated with what helps make organizations grow and become better for employees. I received my Bachelor’s in Labor and Employment Relations and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Michigan State University.
Later in my career, I got my Master’s in Management and Organizational Development from Benedictine University. My 20+ years of experience includes offering both organizational development consulting and project management to Fortune 100 and 500 companies, including IBM, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories, Target, and more.
I became a Certified Master Coach through the Behavioral Coaching Institute. Both my partner and wife Deborah and I have invested in - and benefited from - coaches for the past 15 years. I bring Wonder and Enablement as my Working Geniuses (together known as a "Idealistic Supporter"). My Wonder makes me curious and allows me to spot untapped potential and identify issues on a team, while my Enablement allows me to respond to the call. I revel in seeing people and organizations transform.
As Mersino Consulting grows, we continue to grow. I'm currently overseeing the areas of finance, operations, and technology, while supporting client services.
I can be reached at Ted@MersinoConsulting.com and on LinkedIn.
Our CERTIFICATION FROM CAPA PRo
The Table Group and Patrick Lencioni
Mersino Consulting is privileged to have been an inaugural member of CAPA Pro, a professional consulting network of the Table Group based on the teachings of Patrick Lencioni, who has authored more than a dozen New York Times bestselling books, including "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Advantage" He's known as the pioneer of the organizational health movement throughout the world. Pat's latest book about The Six Types of Working Genius will be published in Fall 2022.
The CAPA Pro membership provided Mersino Consulting with the latest research and discoveries on organizational health, as well as exclusive access to Patrick Lencioni and his seasoned team. We bring the best global methodologies and frameworks to our work with clients, and are able to leverage proven approaches to leadership team success - from assessments and meeting frameworks to team dynamics and coaching. The learning and rewards to our clients never ends.
The 6 Types of Working Genius
Certified
Principal Consultant Deborah Mersino was among the first to be Certified by The Table Group in The Six Types of Working Genius, a powerful new productivity tool created by Patrick Lencioni and team. More than 275,000 individuals throughout the world have now taken the Working Genius Assessment, and it's proving to be a game changer for teams.
Return on Investment
"A client of mine was in crisis. By using the Working Genius and making a minor change, they were able to recover nearly $500k in potential losses in less than two weeks. It was surreal."
Deborah Mersino, Principal Consultant, Mersino Consulting, LLC
(Featured on WorkingGenius.com)
Testimonial
"If you are curious about improving the dynamics of your team through a proven methodology, Deborah Mersino can help! Working with each team member, she will help them discover what brings them joy at work and where they can best contribute using their talents. Once understood, it can be leveraged and maximized to find the efficiency and harmony of a highly effective team. I highly recommend Deborah for her curiosity, her intuitive honesty, and her partnership in helping our team reach for the next level."
Seth Schaefer, President/CEO, Rivermark Community Credit Union
Organizational Health Consulting
Our purpose
Our social responsibility focus
Our commitment
Our purpose is to Elevate good in the world. It's what fuels us everyday. It's why we've chosen to focus on leaders like you, who are passionate about sustainability and social impact. By supporting you, you can have even greater influence.
We help you build strong, cohesive teams, clarity, communications, and human systems, while providing insights on how you and your team members can navigate change and experience more success and less burnout. Ultimately, we deliver ambitious results.
Doing this for organizations like yours with positive missions to further your purposes is at the heart of what we do.
Our commitment
Our social responsibility focus
Our commitment
Our passion begets our commitment.
We're committed to solving problems, inspiring leaders with insights and truth, and championing organizational health at socially responsible organizations using proven methodologies and tools.
Whether you are a CEO, president, executive director, or senior leader, be assured that our purpose and commitment will help move both your team and organization to the next level.
Our social responsibility focus
Our social responsibility focus
Our social responsibility focus
Mersino Consulting is a premier organizational consulting and executive coaching firm in North America dedicated solely to impact organizations.
So, whether you are a new or established company or organization focused on sustainability and/or social good, we're here to ensure your purpose has an even further influence.
We're also dedicated to social responsibility. The inspiration of our clientele has us exploring Certified B Corporation status ourselves, and we're excited to embark upon and share our journey.
Our value-based solutions
Our value-based solutions
Our value-based solutions
We tailor our offerings within our Organizational Health Program, Coaching Program, Leadership Trainings, and Corporate Communications Program to the needs of each organization. Our approach is always pertinent, practical, and timely.
Our solutions are also grounded in our values:
- Bold: We don't tinker. We transform.
- Driven: We go all in. We deliver ambitious results.
- Big-hearted: Humans thrive on love. We lead with it.
Return on investment
Our value-based solutions
Our value-based solutions
Having been on the other side of this leadership and cultural work ourselves, we assure you that the time and resources you invest in organizational health will return in short order.
Not only will you witness time savings, as you increase clarity and alignment, but you will also see increased innovation and expanded influence stemming from the creation of agreements, accountability, clear communications, and meeting efficiencies.
What to expect
Our value-based solutions
What to expect
You can expect a partner who will be bold, driven, and big-hearted, as well as professional. We will not waste time, and your executives will walk away from sessions feeling grateful for their participation.
You're already a consummate leader. It's the continuous investment in people and organizational health that will bring potent dividends and ultimately Elevate the good.
TESTIMONIALS
We love our work
Additional recommendations can be found on Deborah Mersino's and Ted Mersino's LinkedIn Profiles.
"Deborah's vast industry experience and leadership acumen has provided our Rivermark Executive Team a tremendous amount of value and clarity through her candid and relevant team dynamic discussions. Her Table Group CAPA PRO and custom process provides the necessary structure and forum for teams to provide honest and relevant feedback to help the organization to move forward in a healthy and constructive way. I would highly recommend Mersino Consulting if your executive team is in transition, stuck and/or needs to evolve based on the changing business times, both internally and externally."
Aben Hill, Chief Lending Officer, Rivermark Community Credit Union
“Working with Deborah Mersino has giving our Executive Team a much-need shot in the arm. As a CEO, I feel like a burden has been lifted, as I now see our team working shoulder to shoulder across department lines to move our organization forward. Between the Leadership Team Assessment, her executive coaching with team members, her introduction of the Working Genius tool, and her ongoing support, we have benefited from better understanding one another and ourselves. For instance, we’re optimizing each other’s strengths and minimizing our frustration and drudgery zones thanks to The Six Types of Working Genius model. This past year has been tough but working with Deborah has given us hope, a renewed sense of purpose, greater efficiencies, and a tangible return on our investment. I highly recommend Mersino Consulting.”
Amy Downs, CEO, Allegiance Credit Union
"The Coloramo Team spent two days with Deborah from Mersino Consulting. During our time we explored how we set key objectives and how we engage as a team. The work uncovered several opportunities for us to enhance how we come together and collaborate. This included mapping everyone's Working Genius', establishing our Why, defining how we behave, and documenting how we will succeed. On your road to becoming a high performing organization you must be willing to engage as a team to identify your answers to several key questions. If you need assistance in knowing the right questions to ask or you want someone to help you unpack the answers to those questions, I high recommend Deborah and the team at Mersino Consulting."
Anthony Restivo, President & CEO, Coloramo Credit Union
"Deborah led an Organizational Health Kick-Off session for Alder. The Working Genius assessment was instrumental in helping us discover and understand our preferences for certain types of work and strengths, thus making us more productive, coherent, and trusting as a team. She also facilitated the prioritization of what’s most important to the company right now, and with her guidance, we were able to narrow down and clarify our company’s differentiators. Overall, Deborah is very flexible, open, and easy to work with. I would recommend Mersino Consulting to any leadership team that's in the process of setting up and/or growing a business."
Bettina Grab, President, Alder & Co.
“I was hesitant to attend ‘another’ team building event. But, I had an open mind to take advantage of the experience. I was pleasantly surprised! Deborah did a phenomenal job pulling us out of our comfort zone with exercises meant to allow us to become more vulnerable and to learn about each other, in order to build trust. And I was impressed with how she could identify our strengths. It was uncanny how she knew us without truly knowing us. It was like a horoscope for business! Very worthwhile. I highly recommend this to other organizations that truly want to improve.”
Steve Harrington, Vice President of Information Technology, Coloramo Federal Credit Union
"I have had the opportunity to work with Deborah both on an individual level as an executive coach and in a group setting with our executive team. Deborah is highly intuitive and provides engaging content that helps to foster more productive conversations and thought processes. In the short time my team has worked with Deborah, I have already seen great improvement in our communication and organizational health. I am very much looking forward to continuing our relationship in the future and building upon the foundation we have to make us the best organization we can be."
JC Reavis, SVP/Chief Operations Officer, Allegiance Credit Union
"We were honored to have Deborah Mersino as our opening Keynote Speaker at the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Conference. She inspired us all to build our Chambers’ Organizational Health to foster minimal politics, minimal confusion, high productivity, high morale, and low turnover. She shared different tips and a model that one CEO commented was ‘riveting’ for him and others. Thank you, Deborah Mersino!”
Colene Martin, Chief Operations Officer, Oregon State Chamber of Commerce
"Ted worked interactively with our team over a period of time and he helped us understand the areas where we were coming up short. He helped us face facts in terms of personality dynamics and accountability, and how if these issues aren't addressed in an honest way, a slow erosion of trust, performance and teamwork can occur."
John Burchard, SVP and CIO, Peapod Inc.
"The coaching I received from Ted was far more impactful than any other coaching I have received. He has an extraordinary commitment and willingness to tell the truth as he sees it without regard to being popular, which is very rare and very powerful for an individual at my level.”
John Yates, Chief Medical Officer, Array Biopharma, Inc.
"Ted Mersino has been a gift to helping us transition to a new leadership model and improve organizational culture, one with deep roots and long-time constituents. His guidance and expertise have helped us significantly in our efforts over the last 18 months and we are seeing results with our team. Ted encourages and challenges, questions and supports with confidence, confidentiality and the utmost professionalism. His attention to detail and follow through keeps us on track so that we can keep the momentum going. I highly recommend Ted as an executive coach for any organization!"
Suzanne Graf, Past President, Marist Catholic High School
"Deborah pairs innovative vision with strategic thinking to create bold plans. Whether in writing or before a group of 250 people, she is a consummate communicator able to share her vision and build not just consensus but also enthusiasm for ideas. Deborah effectively partners with internal and external stakeholders to develop plans that are innovative and pragmatic. She is adept at soliciting and integrating various approaches and ideas within a group to ensure all voices are heard and valued in any collaborative process."
Colleen Scrivner, Director of Engagement & Communications, SVP Chicago
