I am a
change leader.
Carolyn Ramsey
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M&A Integration & Divestiture Readiness
Organization Change Management & Design
Stakeholder Engagement & Communications Strategy
Executive Coaching & Leadership Development
Culture Transformation & Team Effectiveness
Talent Strategy & Impact Assessment
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Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), Capella University
Bachelor’s of Science, Administrative Management & Training, University of Minnesota
Organization Design Certificate, Cornell University 2025
Leadership Circle Profile Certified, 2022
Brain-Based Coaching Certificate, NeuroLeadership Institute, 2018
Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coach Federation, 2017
Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Product Owner (CSPO), 2014
Talent Management Certification, Institute of Organization Development 2022
Co-Active® Coach Training, Coaches Training Institute 2015-2016
Leading Change Forum, Pathways Leadership Dev Prog, CIO Exec Council 2011-2014
My Background
I've spent 25+ years leading and guiding organizational transformation, moving back and forth between internal leadership roles and consulting partnerships. I've spent about half that time leading change from the inside at companies like DigiKey and International Decision Systems, where I managed large teams of people and navigated large-scale transformation firsthand. The other half, I've partnered with organizations like Wells Fargo, Medtronic, and Post Consumer Brands as a consultant on mergers, digital transformations, and major restructuring efforts. That back-and-forth has given me something most consultants don't have: I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of the advice I give.
What Shaped My Approach
One of the most formative experiences in my career happened while I was leading the IT PMO at DigiKey. We had built a robust waterfall process that felt solid and structured. Then a new CIO came in and said we were pivoting the entire organization to an Agile way of working. Everything we had built was being dismantled. What could have been chaos became one of the most masterful transformations I've ever witnessed. The CIO didn't just announce the change. He built relationships across the executive team, secured buy-in, and modeled the new way of working with his own leadership team. I'll never forget him telling us, "Just because you have a seat at the table today doesn't mean you will in the future." It was direct, it was clear, and it worked. That experience showed me what real transformation looks like: leadership alignment from the top, genuine engagement, and leading by example.
Why I Work Differently
That experience, and many others since, taught me something critical: transformation doesn't come from applying a change management toolkit. Too many consultants show up with a prescriptive approach, a set of templates, and a one-size-fits-all methodology. They focus on the framework instead of the people. Real transformation happens when you listen, ask the right questions, understand the unique dynamics of the organization, and then customize your approach based on what's actually needed. It's not about the toolkit. It's about the relationships, the leadership alignment, and helping leaders develop the capacity to lead change themselves.
How I Work Today
Today, I partner with enterprise leaders navigating mergers, digital transformations, and major restructuring. I work behind the scenes to set leaders up for success, equipping them with the tools, strategies, and coaching they need to lead their teams through complexity. My approach isn't prescriptive. It's collaborative. I bring structure and clarity, but I also bring the ability to listen deeply, adapt to what's emerging, and help leaders build the confidence and capacity to drive change from the inside. My life purpose is simple: I am the trusted guide who helps others find their way. I don't lead the transformation for you. I help you lead it with clarity, conviction, and the support to make it stick.
How I work.
I don't show up with a one-size-fits-all playbook. Every organization, every merger, every transformation is different, and the leaders and teams involved are different too. My approach is grounded in brain science and experiential learning, which means I create experiences that shift how people think and act, not just presentations they'll file away.
I lead with coaching, not prescription. My role isn't to tell you what to do or be the smartest person in the room. It's to ask the questions that help you and your team discover the answers that are already there, to create the structure and clarity that helps you move forward with confidence, and to be the trusted guide behind the scenes while you lead the change.
You can expect me to be strategic and realistic, methodical and adaptable. I bring proven frameworks and methodologies, but I customize everything to fit your culture, your people, and your specific situation. And I believe deeply in partnership. This is collaborative work, not a consultant coming in to "fix" things. We'll figure it out together.
trusted partners
Complex transformations often require specialized expertise. When a client's needs call for additional support, I bring in trusted facilitators, coaches, and consultants from my network. Here are a few of the professionals I collaborate with regularly.
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Abeo Consulting