Matt Paknis

Matt Paknis is a senior management consultant with six years of college football coaching, ten years of playing football, and five championship seasons, whose focus is on lessening bullying in the workplace. He was a former assistant coach at Penn State under Joe Paterno and has spoken publicly about being abused as a child. Paknis transcended childhood bullying and the death of his young mom with teamwork and leadership. He has dedicated over twenty-five years of consulting to helping global clients embrace healthy management practices to thrive.

Paknis studied Organizational Behavior, Economics, and Architecture at Brown University where he also played football. He joined Brown’s football coaching staff after graduating in 1984. He also coached football at Penn State University and at the University of Rhode Island (URI) where he earned his MBA in 1992. Matt designed and facilitated corporate leadership and team-building programs for URI's corporate retreat center and he created and delivered a 50-hour long Practice of Management Certificate Program for Brown's Learning Communities. These programs ran for over twelve years and introduced Matt to thousands of organizations. His consulting and speaking practice grew and flourished by referral.

Paknis is a celebrated guest lecturer of management at Bryant University, RISD, URI, Brown University and at the University of Massachusetts. He has built and maintained a broad private consulting client base including long standing engagements with international high tech, automotive, manufacturing, nautical, beverage, healthcare, defense, higher education, private educational concerns, accounting firms, law firms, advanced manufacturing, engineering, health care, and scientific research firms.