Member Spotlight

Leading Through Complexity From New York to New Shores

Nicky McHugh lived in New York and Connecticut for more than 20 years, and now resides north of Boston by the beach, where she’s been since 2017. With a career that spans multiple states and sectors, Nicky has established herself as a strategic communications leader, known for her ability to guide organizations through complex challenges, shaping narratives, and protecting reputations.

Nicky’s expertise lies in corporate communications, where she has demonstrated her skills in managing high-stakes issues for global multinationals. Whether dealing with mergers and acquisitions, new regulations, or politically charged topics, Nicky is a master of crisis and reputation management. She’s adept at helping organizations navigate the fast-changing landscape by asking the right questions and listening to what’s not being said.

History as a Mirror

Recently, Nicky embarked on a road trip with her 13-year-old nephew, visiting historical sites like the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA, the Gettysburg battlefields, and Appomattox, VA. The trip, which traced the arc of American history from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, resonated deeply with her. It reminded Nicky that history is complex and evolving, not unlike the challenges faced by many organizations today.

During the trip, Nicky also noted how the park rangers skillfully framed historical events in a way that was relevant and accessible to today’s visitors, much like how communication professionals help organizations navigate complex issues (like DEI and corporate ethics) by contextualizing them for modern audiences. This resonated with Nicky as a reminder of the importance of conveying broader meaning and relevance, whether discussing historical events or addressing corporate challenges.

For Nicky, this trip was a powerful reminder of the importance of authenticity and integrity in leadership. These values, which shape the US identity, are crucial in navigating the complexities of today’s world, both in the corporate sphere and beyond. As a communications leader Nicky builds trust and guides teams through uncertainty, ensuring that they understand the broader context of the challenges they face.

Executive Forum: A Community of Support

Nicky joined the Executive Forum (EF) in 2022, during a pivotal moment in her career as she transitioned from the agency/consulting space to an in-house corporate role. At first, she was uncertain if EF was the right fit for her, but after a few weeks, she realized it was different from other groups. The structure, tools, and camaraderie she found within EF made it feel like a personal board of directors guiding her through this career shift.

EF boosted Nicky’s confidence, providing a sense of community and grounding as she navigated new professional landscapes. The connections and insights she gained were unparalleled, with EF members not only taking her calls but actively connecting her with their networks. One of Nicky’s objectives after joining EF was to expand her professional network, especially as she moved away from consulting to the corporate side. She made 40-50 calls per month, and every EF member she reached out to responded, helping her build the connections she needed for this next phase of her career.

The personal care and real community she found within EF have been invaluable as Nicky continues to lead with authenticity and integrity, both in her professional journey and within EF. She has been a driving force in fostering in-person engagement, particularly among Boston EF members, creating a space where professionals can share experiences, insights, and networks, such as monthly meet-ups over lunch and a recent private, curated tour of MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory for EF members.

Cultivating Success and Giving Back

Throughout his journey, David has embodied the spirit of giving back while achieving personal and professional success. From his early days with the Executive Forum (EF), navigating corporate and consulting transitions, to his current life on Overlook Farm, David's story is a testament to the power of community, support, and sustainable achievement. His lifelong commitment to non-profit work and his innovative contributions to EF continue to inspire and shape the lives of those around him.

Navigating Corporate and Consulting Transitions

David joined the EF in 2004, drawn to its ethos of mutual support and community. EF's unique model - where members draw from a communal pot early on and contribute back later - resonated deeply with him. This cycle of giving and receiving has been a cornerstone of David's experience, providing a framework that supports his professional and personal growth.

The EF played a significant role in David's corporate career, assisting him in transitioning between C-level roles and managing board appointments. The ability to connect with peers facing similar challenges and seek guidance from seasoned executives was invaluable in navigating these transitions.

The EF was equally supportive when David transitioned to a consulting role. The organization equipped him with the tools to market himself as a product, rather than simply filling a role for someone else. This shift in perspective was transformative, enabling David to carve out a successful niche as a consultant.

A New Horizon: Overlook Farm

At the age of 60, David embarked on a new chapter by purchasing Overlook Farm in the Hudson Valley with his husband. This 125-acre farm is home to 2,000 laying hens, 1,000 pasture-raised chickens, and three dozen pigs. The hens, raised on pasture and comprising a mix of breeds, produce unique blue and green eggs. As a premium producer, Overlook Farm serves clients ranging from restaurants to gourmet groceries in New York City and beyond.

David credits the EF's New Horizons group with helping him create a life that blends farming, non-profit work, and consulting. His role as a fractional COO for a long-term client complements his agricultural pursuits, allowing him to maintain a dynamic and fulfilling lifestyle.

Lifelong Commitment to Non-Profit Work

Non-profit work has been a consistent thread in David's life for over 30 years. His involvement began in college with the Cornell Gay Liberation and continued with early work in the LGBTQ space, including the Empire Pride Agenda and GLAAD. As a board co-chair for GLAAD, David fought defamation and supported civil rights.

David also contributed significantly to the Point Foundation, which provides national LGBTQ scholarships as well as mentoring and leadership training. He served for many years on the board and as Chair, and currently serves on the Emeritus Board. Point’s model of support and reciprocity mirrors the EF's principles.

Words of Wisdom for New Members

To new EF members, David offers sage advice: understand that the struggle with transition can affect self-worth, but staying productive is key. Engaging in committee work or helping with leadership conferences not only keeps one busy but also reinforces skills and boosts morale. By getting involved, members can stay in a positive mental state, making it easier to achieve their next professional goal.

David's story is a testament to the power of community, the importance of giving back, and the fulfillment that comes from crafting a life that truly fits.

Take it to the Next Level

Barbara McCartney’s journey centers on improving everything she touches, bridging gaps, and heightening engagement. Throughout her 25-year career with multiple consumer products leaders, she was known for energizing categories, brands and organizations by unlocking their greatness. More recently she has leveraged her skills in fueling business momentum by serving as an executive leader with a strategic innovation firm and CEO of a nutraceutical start up

Energizing the EF

Barbara's passion for unlocking greatness is mirrored in her contributions to the Executive Forum (EF), where she has been a pivotal member for five years. She joined the EF after a 14-year tenure at Nestle and multiple leadership roles. A contact in her network suggested the EF and sponsored her entry. Barbara belonged to other professional organizations but none like the EF. Here she found an entire community of fellow executives ready and willing to help each other – and while networking is important, the relationships you build are invaluable.

Her philosophy upon joining any organization is to ask how she can help make it stronger, and her entry into the EF was no different. Within two months of joining, Barabara ran a New Member meeting, and then three more, and then became co-lead of the program. Wanting to make the most of the biweekly meetings, she revamped the format to ensure it fostered engagement, learning, and best practice sharing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Barbara initiated mini accountability groups that helped maintain connections and support among New Members and continue today.

Late Fall 2021, Barbara took on the EF Board role of organizing Leadership Conferences and Member Dinners. While the Dinners already had a winning formula, she saw that enthusiasm for two conferences per year was waning. By reducing the frequency to one Fall Conference and introducing smaller, location-tailored events in NYC, CT, and NJ, she and the team greatly increased engagement and participation. She has also elevated the conference experience by bringing in business authors as speakers, round table seating, a conference app, gift bags and an EF highlights video.

Creating an Enduring EF Brand

Barbara's contributions to the EF extend beyond organizing events and revamping programs. She aims to create an enduring EF brand, advising others to contribute by taking on smaller roles at first and looking for ways to improve pieces of the organization. Her approach encompasses the same holistic philosophy she employs as a business leader — make things great, fill gaps, and take engagement to the next level.

Points of Inflection

Jim has been helping others navigate their career transitions for decades. He learned from six of his own career transitions and has been sharing his insights ever since. In April 2019, Jim joined EF, and eventually became a steward of the career reset process – a very useful examination of career goals and parameters for new members and anyone in the EF.

He has been a Chief HR Officer for multiple companies and has held human resources leadership positions for several Fortune 500 corporations including Standard & Poor’s, Kraft General Foods, and News Corporation. He became a Certified Executive Coach with Columbia University after leaving the corporate world. Jim has brought his experience to bear by becoming an executive coach and human capital consultant, founding Janus Coaching. His clients include the entire ecosystem of private equity – sponsors, portfolio companies and advisory firms as well as individuals in career transition.

Be Out to Be In

Jim had known about the Executive Forum for 12 years before he found himself in transition and could join. He had been part of other networks and had led a senior human resources transition group that he co-founded. He understood the benefits of these organizations. EF stood out for Jim because of the diversity of its functions, its approachable size, its proud heritage, and its give-back model.

Jim recommends that those in transition join one or two networking groups. Social interaction is key when in transition - it’s too easy to become withdrawn. These groups help battle isolation. Another key benefit is the leads and ideas can be sourced from these groups. And it’s a good idea to measure how you’re doing compared with others in the same position. The pay it forward mentality of the members of EF is an advantage in that folks in transition can call upon those who’ve landed and they will take their call. Jim intends to continue to support the ethos of the EF, helping those in transition feel connected and embraced in a vulnerable part of their lives.

Boston is a Hub

While most EF members are concentrated in the tri-state area (NY, CT, NJ), about one-fifth of our members reside elsewhere in the United States and abroad. EF has expanded its geographical focus in recent years to include the best-in-class talent who embody our values and ideals. Our members in Boston are a perfect example.

Feel the Momentum

Bostom EF members are a small but mighty group of engaged professionals, who meet in Boston for lunch every month. On occasion, guest drop-ins from CT and NYC join. Most are in transition, as is common in the EF, though it’s not a requirement to join. All are welcome to pop in from time to time or become part of the core group. If simply being on the membership list is enough, own it. Or make it bigger. Bring more to it.

Fall Forward

Another useful self-reflective framework is to honestly assess whether an intrinsic vs. an extrinsic orientation drives our behavior to find happiness. Many find happiness and fulfillment during their career by achieving the goals and expectations determined for us. That is an extrinsic orientation. As one moves away from a full-time career, and the extrinsically derived expectations, we have the opportunity to turn inward and pinpoint for ourselves the intrinsic things we want for happiness and fulfillment. Paul decided he wants fulfillment by being valued for his wisdom and using it to help others. He’s created a process and a curriculum to help others transition from the end of their career down a path to happiness, as he continues to strive toward that for himself. Through his leadership of EF’s New Horizons Work Group and his coaching at Resonance, he’s merging his own path to fulfillment with help for others seeking the same

The Boston EF group’s focus for fall is to foster an atmosphere of support, be a sounding board for each member, and to help expand their professional networks in the greater Boston area. They will accomplish this by making connections across the EF community (beyond Boston), attending EF-sponsored events, and finding C-level events and networking opportunities in the Boston area.

The EF is always evolving. Together, we are a highly engaged community of executives who share a singular passion for "what's next" - look no further than Boston to witness that.

The Resonator

Paul was a marketing executive who successfully increased sales and profit growth for consumer-packaged goods, financial services, and marketing technology companies over 43 years. Typical of most EF members, his career held tremendous importance, providing him with an identity, sources of self-esteem, relationships, and routine. When he began the process of moving away from full-time work, he was surprised and disoriented to find it was not as straightforward as he thought it would be. What made him feel good from his marketing executive career was no longer there. He felt a sense of weightlessness and loss.

Paul did a lot of self-reflection about the self-esteem he derived from his full-time working life and used the insight to consider new sources of fulfillment, how to actually use his new post career freedom, and how to develop a new purpose for the upcoming chapter of his life. Paul researched the best thinking on new concepts of “retirement” and decided part of his new purpose would be to help others through the transition he found so complicated. He became a Certified Professional Retirement Coach, creating his new company - Resonance Retirement Coaching - where he helps people through the non-financial aspects of the transition from full time work. He is also a co-chair of EF’s New Horizons Work Group along with EF member Jim Forbes. This group is focused on assisting EF’rs who see “retirement” on the horizon and helping them through their transition into meaningful pre-retirement and retirement activities.

Our North Star

As we move into this transition, with the “time affluence” it affords, Paul advises that homing in on one’s purpose will be important to guiding the choices for your new “portfolio.” Purpose can be a North Star for your post career life. Paul suggests that to clarify purpose going forward, one must look backward first. One of the exercises Paul helps executives through is to review past personal and professional life – in ten years increments - to find those situations when self-esteem was highest. These situations shed light on an individual’s formula for fulfillment, which in turn is used to craft a personal purpose statement. It helps immensely to have this new “personal GPS” guidance.

Happiness Orientation

Another useful self-reflective framework is to honestly assess whether an intrinsic vs. an extrinsic orientation drives our behavior to find happiness. Many find happiness and fulfillment during their career by achieving the goals and expectations determined for us. That is an extrinsic orientation. As one moves away from a full-time career, and the extrinsically derived expectations, we have the opportunity to turn inward and pinpoint for ourselves the intrinsic things we want for happiness and fulfillment. Paul decided he wants fulfillment by being valued for his wisdom and using it to help others. He’s created a process and a curriculum to help others transition from the end of their career down a path to happiness, as he continues to strive toward that for himself. Through his leadership of EF’s New Horizons Work Group and his coaching at Resonance, he’s merging his own path to fulfillment with help for others seeking the same

Engagement

Kevin is an organization builder who creates engagement. He’ll come into a challenged organization, stabilize it, find a positive trajectory, and build it. The most exciting part of it all is the engagement. Kevin believes that engaged people can positively impact their organization, especially when they treat an organization as their own. Kevin accomplishes this by working together with people, sharing financials and metrics, and relating to them with transparency. It’s not just about numbers for them or even job security and raises, but also enlistment in a common purpose.

Develop People to Develop People

Kevin trains managers and leaders. The stronger a leader is, the stronger everyone is. It’s important to meet managers where they are and instill a culture of “there’s always more to learn.” They shouldn’t be self-conscious about what they don’t know. They should understand that we are all looking to fill the knowledge gap. Lead by example. Managers and leaders influence the behavior and performance of their people. And the more senior the leaders are, the more impactful their behaviors will be on the rest of the organization. So, if you want to nurture curiosity or unlock learning, train the management leadership to unlock their own curiosity.

A Giver

Kevin joined the Executive Forum in 2015, but he’d known of it for 10 years prior from his former boss, mentor, and EF member Mark Pettie, and was dismayed that he couldn’t join until he was in transition. Kevin had missed having peers and comrades to discuss any issues at hand. He knew EF could provide this, and when his company was sold, he had the opportunity to join. He found comfort in the commonality of the challenges members faced and the chance to talk things out. Even if problems weren’t solved, interaction with others was valuable.

Kevin recalls the EF founders’ story of the “entrance fee” to the original meetings at the Greenwich library - a job-lead to share with others. If everybody gives, everybody wins. That “giver” attitude resonated with Kevin. And he embodies that underlying spirit of giving and sharing, both in the EF, and in every aspect of his life. During the pandemic Kevin was recruited by another EFer, Dave Lampert, to volunteer for HOPE Community Services. Many of their volunteers were retirees, and when the pandemic hit, they stopped working. So, Kevin joined their food pantry and ended up staying for a year and a half.

The exposure to the non-profit world paved the path to Kevin’s current position with Greyston Bakery, a social enterprise that employs individuals who face barriers to meaningful employment, delivering millions of dollars in economic impact through job placements. Kevin has addressed challenges at Greyston and is stabilizing the organization, engaging the people, and educating the leaders. As for what’s next, Kevin’s background in both for-profit and non-profit organizations may lead him down a path creating more hybrid models that provide social good and are also self-sustaining.

The Puzzle Master

For most, June is known as the Puzzle Master for her growth mindset and ability to unravel complexity. And she does it well! An Executive Forum member only since the end of 2021, June built and launched EF's "Board Journey" microsite as a member of the New Products Committee. She now serves as the Board Journey Team Leader and an Accountability Group Leader. In 2022 she joined a team of six to plan and build EF's "Board Journey" content hub. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. And she is (and should be) very proud of this accomplishment. It was a technical endeavor involving developing an assessment, programming, algorithms, rollouts, and other complexities that required a Puzzle Master's talent and drive.

Why EF?

June did her homework. She looked at many organizations intending to find one that aligned with her goals and interests. She's been a member of several, but in the last year, she's withdrawn from many, choosing to focus on EF and those devoted to career development. She enjoys that EF attracts people of the same mindset. All new members of the EF are in transition, sharing similar life-changing circumstances. Each has an attitude of excellence and appreciates that other members share expectations. June seeks and thrives in that milieu. Members landing new positions have shared that they maintain EF membership because it helps them develop "relationship currency." And they want to be around people who "unconditionally open themselves to help.

Here and Now

The New Products Committee's goal to build and launch something new was appealing. The Board Journey microsite was a big deliverable. When it rolled out and committee Chairs moved on June stayed into 2023, retaining one member and recruiting a new team. In the new member realm, she recently became an Accountability Group Leader. Her group's purpose statement is "We engage each other in the possibilities of our professional careers, expand content exposure and challenge our growth in a supportive, encouraging environment." Members rotate facilitating meetings and use a content calendar to schedule discussion topics, including job flow, transforming resumes, and pivoting to a new industry.

There and Beyond

June remains interested in expanding her horizons and appreciates that EF strategically pursues new products and services for members. In particular, she understands that membership groups build sustainable futures through partnerships and collaborations. She is involved with one of the New Jersey Princeton University Alumni Associations, and recent experience shows it works.

Make Your Mark

June imparts a message to new and existing members. To new members, she advises you to know who you are in the context of what EF is all about. Learn about the EF – look at its website and engage members. Acquire the information you need to understand EF and who you are in it. Be thoughtful – bring the possibility of who you want to be in the EF. Maybe you want to become involved and sit on the Board; perhaps you want to be a member and attend events. Whomever it is that you envision yourself to be in the EF, embrace it. To current members, June advises you to ask what you want the EF to gain from you. You are already comfortable with and knowledgeable about the EF. What matters over time? If simply being on the membership list is enough, own it. Or make it bigger. Bring more to it. Knowing June, she’ll always go for bigger.