Testimonials

“Michael Ker is easily the best executive coach with proven results. I have seen Michael take disjointed executives and turn them into functioning team members ready to take a company to the next level. Michael partnered with Human Resources to create a seamless strategy in improving the communications of the executive team. He moves easily between the functional areas, from technical to operations.

Michael identifies with each individual and works to bring out the best behavior from that person. I have had executives thank me for including Michael as a resource. They have credited Michael with saving their careers and helping them to achieve goals only dreamed about previously. I highly recommend Michael to any executive team who is looking to engage their workforce and reach new heights of profitability through communication and real leadership.”
Georgann Brannon
Vice President Human Resources

“Michael is a very straight forward, visionary thinker that can quickly assess the current situation about a company including its people, processes, and business model. With a keen ability to diagnose problems and find solutions, he has a plethora of brilliant ideas that he has learned from his past experiences or can generate through creative problem-solving skills.

What makes Michael a true asset to any individual he is coaching is his genuine care for his clients vs. making the almighty dollar. He enjoys helping others and has already achieved his riches in life and rather continues to pursue the riches of helping others. I highly recommend Michael to anyone that isn't afraid of constructive criticism, who is open to change, and seeks to have an outside perspective on business and in life.”
Naveen Poonian
CEO & President
“Michael is a rare find to say the least. In a very short timeframe, I have achieved incredible results (both in my career and personal life) all due to Michael’s expert coaching. He has truly changed my life in a noticeable way. While my wife refers to Michael as a hero, I know he has been invaluable to my success and continued growth. I would strongly recommend Michael to anyone wishing to realize their full potential.”
Christopher DeMeyer
Vice President Worldwide Engineering
"For two years, Michael provided executive and leadership coaching to the executive team at Teridian. His coaching enabled us to become a more trusting and effective group as well as moved us beyond managing our people to truly leading our teams. Michael completely changed how we worked and communicated. His guidance helped us significantly increase sales and operational productivity. When Teridian was acquired earlier this year for $315M, it was a tremendous validation for a team which had been transformed with Michael’s coaching. Without his assistance, this remarkable shareholder return would not have been realized. If your organization is looking for transformation that takes your team’s leadership skills and success to the next level, Michael is your man.”
Pete Todd
Vice President Sales
“Michael has been a tremendous asset to me both professionally and personally. His ability to listen closely and provide deep strategic insights combined with honest, no-nonsense feedback has been invaluable in my role. Michael has taught me the true meaning of leadership which has had a significant and noticeable impact on me and my team. I am a completely different person today than I was a year ago because of Michael's coaching. The change is noticeable to others, including my direct boss. Recently, he stated that I have changed positively in a short amount of time more than anyone he has ever seen before. Through my work with Michael, I’ve been able to improve my productivity by working smarter rather than harder and have accelerated the growth of my team. Michael is personable, helpful and honest and I would recommend him to anyone who wants to transform their organization and its people.”
Kathleen Pomykola
Sr. Director Marketing
“As a first time CEO I was lost in many of the new business issues I was facing. Michael came highly recommended from a colleague and has proven to be an invaluable resource. He is exceptional at explaining the different alternatives to a given issue and has been instrumental in helping us navigate these troubling economic times. Michael’s experience in managing software development companies and supply chain has been very helpful in being able to provide specific, tangible guidance. It not just advice, he can point you to other resources that can help on specific issues. We plan to continue our relationship with him over the coming years. “
James Christiansen
CEO
“Michael Ker has consistently demonstrated his outstanding leadership while spending 12 years as CEO of three world-class technology companies [Kinaxis, formerly Webplan, Escalate and Informance]. But what has truly impressed me is his now demonstrating inspirational gifts as a coach/mentor ... especially for executives who seek the full development and use of their talents. His exceptional listening skills, combined with his impeccable integrity, amplify his wealth of knowledge and experience, to allow other executives to benefit enormously. 'I unequivocally recommend his life-changing services.”
Denis Shackel
Owner
“Having Michael as an executive coach has been a tremendous asset for me both personally and professionally. Personally, I am a more well-rounded individual who is able to lead a larger team and tackle more complex and critical challenges. I am much more strategic than tactical in my approach than ever before and feel more confident in signing up for key corporate initiatives. I also see a marked improvement in my relationships with direct reports, supervisor and peers. My organization has seen a return in investment in several ways. We have realized top line growth, because we have a stronger and more cohesive team structure. We are seeing greater productivity as a result of a more focused sales effort which now supports multiple products and services. Finally, the quality of work is much higher and we are getting decisions on some very large opportunities. Using Michael's leadership building techniques with my own team, has made the group feel vested and empowered to influence the strategic direction of the sales organization. As they watch their suggestions and contributions implemented, they are demonstrating greater leadership qualities themselves.”
Gaurav Sawhney
Vice President Sales
“Michael has been exceptional in providing strategic insight, direction, and leadership that has allowed me to strategize and become a true business partner to the business units as well as work with my team in realizing their true potential. Michael has also provided invaluable coaching and support in balancing career and personal goals and expectations. Michael's vast experience as an accomplished software executive have proven invaluable in my coaching sessions.”
Jan Mello
Vice President Human Resources
“I hired Michael almost three years ago as an executive coach. His passion and dedication to see others succeed is something that is rare. His positive contribution to both my work and personal life has been significant. I have now hired him to coach others within my company and his success has continued. Michael has found his calling.”
Nick Richards
Sr. Vice President Marketing & Prod Mgmt
“Michael coached our executive management team, on an individual basis, for about 2 years. During that time, Michael took me from a skeptic, to a true believer in the value of executive coaching. Michael’s approach was personable, and his extensive executive experience provided many insights into improving communication and other leadership skills. These insights and recommendations, when acted upon by the individual managers, significantly improved the cohesiveness of the team, and enhanced management to employee interactions. This improved cohesiveness led to steadily increasing productivity, market share, revenue, and ultimately, value of our company. I highly recommend Michael Ker and Acceleration Leadership to any company that is looking to continuously improve the leadership skills of its management team.”
David Gruetter
Chief Technology Officer
“Michael has an uncanny gift to listen to a problem and quickly recommend excellent solutions. I would recommend Michael to any executive leader looking for a trusted advisor that you can run ideas by and gain honest and informative advice.”
Dave Sunderhaft
Vice President Sales

“I began working with Michael just as I stepped into a new role managing a worldwide sales team. Michael's experience as both a former VP of Sales and a CEO was very helpful to me -- he was a great sounding board and helped me to navigate my transition very well.

As time progressed, we transitioned to some of the more advanced aspects of executive leadership -- effective influence, dealing with conflict, and developing an organization. Throughout, Michael was a valuable coach, and provided great insight and creative suggestions for my consideration. I highly recommend Michael as a leadership development coach to anyone who is looking to sharpen their skills and move to the next level of leadership!”
Tom Truman
Vice President
EXECUTIVE COACHING AFFILIATIONS
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