Drew Kugler

Since entering the work of coaching and teaching over 35 years ago, Drew Kugler has served dozens of organizations in the fields of professional services, consumer products, entertainment and media, technology, non-profits, and charities.

The dominant question that guides Drew’s work is what individuals and groups must do to build trust, respect, and strategic optimism, especially in the face of changing ways of successfully working with others.

Inevitably, his work articulates the difficult choices about communicating vision and genuine collaboration, grounded in a proprietary framework, mindset, and methodology he developed called Constructive Candor.

Over the years, he has advised:

• Major law firms to better communicate their commitments and actions to practices; office and administrative leaders toward improving firm performance
• Entertainment studios and companies to develop and deliver feedback and coaching for major executives and divisional teams in the context of radically changing business structures and climates
• Consumer product companies to define and implement initiatives, to inculcate core values as a practical vehicle for guiding individual performance, and brand and product development
• Non-profit teams in charities and schools to link their mission-driven culture to specific organizational outcomes
• Administrations, faculty and students in schools and universities about the glaring deficiencies in educating communication and collaboration skills

In addition to extensive coaching experience, Drew Kugler has held management positions with Nordstrom and Marriott Corporation.  He received his Master’s Degree from San Diego State University in Communication Studies, where he was recognized as an Outstanding Lecturer.  He has been published in the American Lawyer and appeared on CBS, ABC, and NPR, and has been a guest lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford Law School, NYU’s Stern School of Business and the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Drew is also honored to have coached and spoken on Leadership and Communication in many Jewish communities including synagogues, numerous agencies, and as a faculty member at Hebrew Union College.