Robin Parker
Studied at Co-Active Training Institute
Works at Cornell University
Available tomorrow
Starting at 11:00 AM UTC
I am currently working with Cornell half-time as an intructor and coach, and my schedule is flexible. If you don't see a time that works for you, let me know and we'll work something out.
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About Robin
I came to coaching and leadership development after more than 20 years in technology, where I learned a lot about leadership by watching smart, capable people wrestle with the parts of the job that had very little to do with technical expertise. That eventually led me to Cornell Engineering, where I've spent the past several years coaching and teaching leadership to emerging and experienced leaders and helping build leadership development programs that have reached thousands of engineers and technical professionals. Along the way, I've become increasingly interested in what actually helps people change — especially when they're under pressure. I'm a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), currently working toward my MCC, and co-founder of NeuroLead, where we're developing neuroscience-informed approaches to leadership and team development. My coaching is grounded in a simple idea: most people already know a lot about what good leadership looks like. The harder work is changing how we see a situation and how we respond when the stakes are real. I work with people navigating leadership transitions, difficult decisions, challenging relationships, career changes, and the sometimes uncomfortable gap between the leader they want to be and how they're actually showing up. My job isn't to hand you a framework or tell you what to do. I'll help you slow down enough to see what's really happening, challenge assumptions that may be getting in your way, and find choices you couldn't see before. My background also includes coaching individuals on the autism spectrum, which has deeply influenced how I think about communication, perspective, and what it actually means to meet someone where they are. Today, I run Rob Parker and Associates while continuing my work in leadership development and building NeuroLead. I especially enjoy working with smart, thoughtful people who are good at what they do and have reached a point where expertise alone isn't enough to get them where they want to go. If that sounds like where you are, I'd be glad to work with you.
Why do I coach?
I coach because I've always loved helping people find their own way through a problem. Years ago, when I was a director of software engineering, someone on my team would occasionally come to me stuck on some big, hairy technical problem, usually one whose details I couldn't possibly know as well as they did. My first response was almost always the same: “Go to the whiteboard and show me what you have.” They'd start drawing and talking me through the problem. More often than not, they'd get about 75% of the way through explaining it, stop, look at the board, and say something like, “Oh. I know what I need to do.” I loved those moments then, and I still do. My coaching clients and I get to experience them all the time. Sometimes what we need isn't another person's answer. We need the right space, the right questions, and someone paying close enough attention to help us see what we already know differently. I also learned, sometimes by getting it wrong, that leadership requires more than solving the problem in front of you. I remember a difficult relationship with a product manager who came to me upset about a commitment my team had made. I brought in the engineer, figured out what was happening, confirmed that we'd deliver on time, and walked away thinking I'd solved her problem. I hadn't. What I missed was that the conversation wasn't only about whether the work would get done. She needed to know that I understood why it mattered to her and that I was taking her concern seriously. I had focused on solving the problem when I needed to pay attention to the person and the relationship, too. In some ways, I've always been a tool maker. For the first part of my career, I built software tools that helped people do their work better. When I moved into leadership education and coaching, I realized I was still doing much the same thing. Teaching gives people new tools for understanding themselves and working with others. Coaching helps them figure out which tools they already have, which ones they need, and how to use them when things get complicated. That's the thread connecting the different parts of my career. I like helping people become more capable. Coaching gives me the opportunity to help someone step outside the immediate problem, look at what's really happening, and discover choices they couldn't see before. After thousands of hours of coaching, I still love that moment at the whiteboard, even when there isn't actually a whiteboard.
Work Experience
Coaching Program Manager
Cornell University
March 2017 - Present
Co-lead the Engineering Leadership Certification Program, teaching leadership skills to engineering students at all levels. As the Coaching Program Manager and certified professional coach, responsible for extending the reach of the Engineering Leadership Program by teaching future engineers how to coach themselves and their teams. Consult with engineering project teams and student organization leaders seeking to improve their leadership and teamwork capabilities. Behavioral Sciences, Peer Mentoring and +2 skills
Leadership Coach and Consultant, PCC
Parker and Associates LLC
August 2016 - Present
Executive & Leadership Coach | Engineering & Technical Leaders ICF PCC · 10+ Years Coaching · Enterprise & Academic Clients PCC-credentialed executive and leadership coach with 2,500+ hours of experience supporting engineers, technical professionals, and emerging leaders. Alongside a robust 1:1 practice, I lead and oversee large-scale coaching programs serving hundreds of participants annually. My work blends reflective depth with practical action to help leaders build clarity, confidence, and effectiveness in demanding environments. Coaching Credentials and Scope ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) · 2,500+ coaching hours · Individual & group coaching · Program oversight (60+ coaches; 900+ coachees annually) Focus areas: leadership identity & transition; technical & engineering leaders; values-based decision making; stress, confidence, and role clarity Behavioral Sciences, Positive Psychology and +1 skill
Director, Software Development
Cornell University
March 2002 - March 2017
Responsibilities Provide Director-level leadership for Web and database programming team - responsible for the development and maintenance of Johnson Web sites and applications. Shepherded Johnson’s information systems from disparate, isolated silos to integrated systems sharing common data, through to cloud-based, efficient, and user-first designed systems. Accomplishments Redefined the admissions and student lifecycle process for Johnson by designing a Salesforce-based admissions system and student intranet. Results include real–time reporting, annual reduction of software expenses by greater than $100k, and shrinking application process time from weeks to days. Achieved near 100% on-time delivery of features and builds by implementing Agile Scrum methodology with a six-person development and operations team. Cut the number of applications supported at Johnson by half by re-engineering Johnson’s administrative systems, integrating disparate local and remote applications using a central data store.
Team Lead
Telergy LLC
2000 - 2002
Managed a staff of software developers responsible for the upkeep of the billing and reporting segments of Telergy’s back office system. Recognized and acknowledged as the subject matter expert regarding Telergy’s billing software and processes. Team Lead Coached team members through architecture and design phases of development projects, specifically regarding system and business logic Responsible for general supervision, including performance objectives and reviews of three software developers and one system integrator/tester Application Owner Managed the initial implementation of the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) billing software into Telergy’s back office system as well as four subsequent upgrades Implemented monthly release schedules for all billing and billing-related applications, working with the configuration management team and other application owners to nesure seamless integration into the back office system Interacted with software vendors to engineer patch requirements and negotiate price quotes for software enhancements Generated regression and functional test plans based on release notes from vendors and general requirements from users Worked with business analysts to define detailed requirements for custom billing or financed-based applications, including online invoice presentation and monthly revenue reporting
Development Project Administrator
Metropolitan Development Association of Central NY
1996 - 1998
Represented MDA as project leader and facilitated work group sessions between MDA executive staff, development companies, regional business and political leaders relative to the redevelopment of Electronics Park and Hancock Airpark. Administrator for office computer network: Maintained and upgraded a 14 unit, Windows 95/NT system Administered user accounts and access privileges Implemented interoffice (Exchange) and Internet (TCP/IP) mail services Designed and implemented MS Access database application for special project expenses Marketed and maintained lease agreements for 18 rental units at Hancock Airpark Administered $2.5 million budget for Electronics Park redevelopment project
Education
Co-Active Training Institute
Certificate, Leadership
2017 - 2018
iPEC
Certified Professional Coach (CPC), Professional Coaching
2016 - 2017
Activities and societies: International Coaching Federation Team Performance
State University of New York at Oswego
BA, Information Science
1998 - 2000
Activities and societies: Pi Kappa Phi Summa Cum Laude
Drexel University
BS, Engineering
1989 - 1993
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