Navigate Forward is pleased to welcome two new executive consultants to our team. John Bergstrom and Mike Carey join us as the capstone to their successful careers in human resources.
Their talents expand the Navigate Forward team to a dozen executive consultants, all working one-on-one to help senior leaders find their next opportunity.
The new additions come as Navigate Forward celebrates its strongest year ever in 2019, serving nearly 400 clients across seven countries, with plans for more growth in 2020.
“Truly, our consultants are the heart of our business,” noted Anne Sample, CEO of Navigate Forward. “It’s so important to find individuals like Mike and John with the right blend of experience, temperament and coaching skills. I’m excited to have them join our team.”
She added, “As our client base continues to expand, John and Mike will help us add capacity and continue personal delivery of our highly customized process. In particular, with both Mike and John beginning their own encore chapter, they’re well suited to help senior leaders with their own legacy planning.”
“Truly, our consultants are the heart of our business. John and Mike will help us add capacity and continue personal delivery of our highly customized process.”
Meet John Bergstrom
After a 30-year career in human resources and organizational development, Navigate Forward’s mission, culture and experienced team attracted John Bergstrom to his new role.
“The caliber of consultants at Navigate Forward is second to none,” he explained. “They’re really experienced people who provide a tailored, personal approach for their clients.”
Through early roles in search and recruiting and even his first job as a college student advisor, John developed a lifelong passion for helping individuals and organizations find the best fit for their talents. In his previous HR leadership roles with Pearson Education, UnitedHealthGroup and Medtronic, he built trusted advisor roles and close partnerships across the business, resulting in measurable, positive results.
John is particularly adept at helping senior leaders navigate through complex change, such as rapid growth, acquisitions, divestitures and unexpected market turns.
“At Navigate Forward, I want to leverage what I’ve learned about managing change with organizations and leaders, to partner so they can optimize what they do next with their interests and skills. It’s exciting and rewarding work,” he said.
Read John Bergstrom’s full biography
“I want to leverage what I’ve learned about managing change, to partner so they can optimize what they do next with their interests and skills.”
Meet Mike Carey
As a practical and creative human resources leader, Mike Carey excels at helping individuals realize their potential, optimize their skills, and contribute fully and authentically in the workplace. Most recently, Mike served as SVP/CHRO for SPS Commerce. Other career highlights include leading global HR for talent management firm PDI Ninth House (now Korn Ferry) and work in executive search and talent acquisition.
Through all these experiences, he most enjoyed roles with learning, coaching and career development responsibilities.
“I like helping people chart a new course,” he said. “I believe there’s more than one path for people to be fulfilled. Hopefully I can help them be creative and open-minded, to look at all the possibilities as an alternative to having just one path.”
Mike is also an alumnus of the Navigate Forward program from the early 2010s, which gives him a unique perspective.
“I had a wonderful experience working with Patti O’Leary,” he said. “She help me think about things more broadly and build a plan to do something different: executive consulting. I saw the power of the process. It’s such a great philosophy.”
He added, “The Navigate Forward process is very structured, with great tools, but also really flexible and conducive to helping people explore. It’s almost like life planning more than career planning, and that’s great because a job is part of your life, not your whole life.”
Read Mike Carey’s full biography
“I believe there’s more than one path for people to be fulfilled. Hopefully I can help them be creative and open-minded, to look at all the possibilities.”
