Linda Sharkey

Dr. Linda Sharkey is an HR Executive and Business Strategist with extensive experience in Fortune 10 companies, where she has worked on speaking to, coaching, and developing leaders and teams, and implementing talent development initiatives that enhance productivity and organizational growth. She is a founding member of the Marshall Goldsmith Group, which focuses on executive coaching aimed at enhancing the success of accomplished executives.

Linda Sharkey is recognized for her deep expertise in culture transformation, developing high-potential leaders, and crafting robust talent processes that improve leadership capabilities. Her seminal book "Optimizing Talent," co-authored with Dr. Paul Eccher, provides a comprehensive guide to building a talent-rich organization and is essential reading for leaders who view talent as a key competitive advantage. Additionally, her book "Winning with Transglobal Leadership," named one of the top 30 business books for 2013, offers insights into finding and developing top global talent to build world-class organizations.

Currently, Linda Sharkey serves as the Global Managing Partner of Achieveblue Corp., a consultancy specializing in leadership, cultural, and organizational transformation. She was formerly the Executive Director of a global network connecting HR leaders from the world's largest corporations, offering new ideas, practical resources, and insights on emerging trends.

Previously, Dr. Sharkey was V.P., People Development at Hewlett Packard, where she was instrumental in launching and driving the company's talent management, performance management, career development, executive staffing, coaching, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. These efforts included an executive development process that catalyzed key actions to foster a high-performance culture and integrated diversity into the company’s main talent management strategies.

Dr. Linda Sharkey's contributions to the field are widely published, particularly in areas related to leadership development, culture change, and executive coaching. She is a frequent keynote speaker at various corporate events, professional conferences such as Linkage and the Conference Board, and industry gatherings including Talent Management Magazine conferences and the Organization Development Network. Dr. Sharkey holds a PhD in Organization Development from Benedictine University, an MPA from Russell Sage College, and a BA in History from Nazareth College. Her previous roles include significant tenures at GE, where she led numerous Human Resources and Talent Management initiatives, including the creation of a leadership development program that was integrated into GE’s renowned Crotonville training and was hailed as a best practice by then-CEO Jack Welch.