Doug Gray, PhD PCC, is an expert Family Wealth Advisor, leadership consultant, champion for Next Gen leaders, and teacher.
Yes, this headshot was AI-generated because his family said he needed to show his grey hair…
Consulting Experience
Doug helps business leaders accelerate their succession planning and legacy goals, with less conflict or confusion.
He says, “We are all concerned about our wealth. We are all in transition. We all struggle with decision making. We all seek advice.”
Doug focuses on the “People Side” of family wealth because his clients deserve both the art of expertise and the science of data. He typically collaborates with multidisciplinary teams of advisors who add financial, legal, and insurance expertise.
In 2024 he developed an AI-assisted performance feedback communication coaching solution at www.JITCoach.com that enables leaders to practice communication skills and reduce conflict or anxiety.
What about you and your loved ones? What do you need next?
Doug knows that leaders need to practice leadership, just as physicians practice medicine and attorneys practice law. Leaders need artful consulting. We need to Practice Leadership. So, where do you start?
He and his teams have a track record of 100% client satisfaction and guaranteed results since 1997 with thousands of clients in multiple business sectors (e.g., manufacturing, finance, retail, technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, insurance, investments).
Many are family-owned business leaders, owners and managers.
Doug provides expertise to business leaders during their transitions. Specifically, he assesses individual and team strengths and gaps and recommend behaviors that enable leaders to avoid pain, and to flourish. See his 360 assessment at www.AssessNextGen.com
Why focus on family wealth advising? Doug says, “My parents and family have been critical to all of my success, and to my nuclear family, and families are the lifeblood of positive social change. In every corner of the world. And in every business sector. What could be a more critical focus?”
His recent leadership consulting work has led to: 1) the 360-assessment consulting process described at www.AssessNextGen.com for license and leaders, 2) the customized content and digital solutions described at Family-Wealth-Network.com, 3) his recent books “Legacy Locked” (2025) and “The Success Playbook for Next Gen Family Business Leaders” (2024) (see the list below), and 4) a hybrid coaching solution at www.JITCoach.com that uses both customized AI and expert performance coaches to help leaders develop essential communication skills.
Doug would love the opportunity to learn more about you, your family, your business, your vision, and your challenges. Please schedule a mutually convenient time using this link: https://calendly.com/doug-gray/intro-call
He would say, “Here’s to you, At Your Best.” I help business leaders accelerate their succession planning and legacy goals, with less conflict or confusion. We are all concerned about our wealth. We are all in transition. We all struggle with decision making. We all seek advice. I focus on the “People Side” of family wealth because my clients deserve both the art of expertise and the science of data. I typically collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of advisors who add financial, legal, and insurance expertise. Recently, we have developed an AI-assisted performance feedback communication coaching solution at JITCoach.com that enables leaders to practice communication skills and reduce conflict or anxiety. What about you and your loved ones? What do you need next? We know that leaders need to practice leadership, just as physicians practice medicine and attorneys practice law. Leaders need artful consulting. So, where do you start? We have a track record of 100% client satisfaction and guaranteed results since 1997 with thousands of clients in multiple business sectors (e.g., manufacturing, finance, retail, technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, insurance, investments). Many are family-owned business leaders, owners and managers. We provide expertise to business leaders during their transitions. Specifically, we assess individual and team strengths and gaps and recommend behaviors that enable leaders to avoid pain, and to flourish. Why? My parents and family have been critical to all of my success, and to my nuclear family, and families are the lifeblood of positive social change. In every corner of the world. And in every business sector. My recent leadership consulting work has led to: 1) the 360-assessment consulting process described at AssessNextGen.com, 2) the customized content and digital solutions described at Family-Wealth-Network.com, 3) my recent books “Legacy Locked” (2025) and “The Success Playbook for Next Gen Family Business Leaders” (2024), and 4) a hybrid coaching solution at JITCoach.com that uses both customized AI and expert performance coaches to help leaders develop essential communication skills. I would love the opportunity to learn more about you, your family, your business, your vision, and your challenges. Please schedule a mutually convenient time using this link: https://calendly.com/doug-gray/intro-call Here’s to you “At Your Best,” Doug Gray
Top skillsTop skills
360 Assessments • Strategic Consulting • Conflict Management • Family wealth • Leadership Development360 Assessments • Strategic Consulting • Conflict Managment • Family wealth • Leadership Development
Business Consulting • Management Consulting • Change Management • Executive Coaching • Leadership Development • Training • Team Building
A representative list of leadership coaching engagements include:
CFO and 20 leaders in finance and accounting, Fortune 500 energy construction company, who needed to embrace a redesign without losing productivity
team of EVPs tasked with redesigning the IT needs of their F100 healthcare company
MD struggling with burnout who needed confidential consulting (e.g. anonymity from his employer and insurer)
CEO in a technology company recently promoted to replace the founder
President and 18 members of executive leadership team, Fortune 500 energy construction company, who needed to demonstrate alignment within 6 months
SVP and site managers at a nuclear power construction site who needed to increase alignment with business partners and avoid negative media
SVP in functional but de-centralized group who needed to assimilate 20 leaders, using action learning methodology in direct meetings, coaching, and SharePoint to drive accountability
Small business owner of a franchise who needed to fire an employee after 11 years of good service
SVP, global bank, who needed to reorganize a division
VP, global bank, seeking career opportunities
newly hired VP who needed to develop radical transformation of a functional group that required external coaching and team building leadership training using a customized app
Newly promoted director who lacked interpersonal skills to manage 33 people
Founder of an IT company who was not able to develop new business
Business/Organizational Leadership Experience
Doug has been a successful business owner since 1997; he knows the challenges and “what works.” He co-developed the Leadership Development Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park and taught there for 7 years, and he is a former adjunct faculty member at several colleges including NC State University. He directed a non-profit agency in Washington, D.C. for 9 years and grew it 900% while managing 120 people. As a former world-class athlete, Doug knows that the rigor of change requires regular support from experienced consultants, plus a dash of humor.
Education and Training
Doug’s graduate research at Dartmouth College included development of an assessment to determine risk tolerance and risk aversion. That theme of mitigating risk in business and leadership has prevailed in his continued learning from clients and colleagues in the safety, consulting, executive assessment, and leadership development industries. He is certified in the Hogan suite, DISC, Positive Psychology, several 360’s, several EI assessments, and 5 coaching certification programs. Since 2000, Doug has been a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation.
A perpetual learner, in his 50’s he earned a PhD in Organizational Leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. His research interests include the effect of positive psychology on business leaders, managers, and executive coaches. His dissertation title is “Positive Psychology Coaching Protocols: Creating Competitive Advantage for Leader Development (2018).
Publications and Appearances
Doug loves to share his expertise as a speaker, facilitator and a writer. As a keynote speaker, he has addressed annual meetings, executive retreats, and nonprofit leaders. As a facilitator, he has partnered with clients to design experientially memorable leadership training solutions that range from boot camps to strategic off-sites to contests using customized mobile apps. As an author, he has frequently been published in journals ranging from Family Firm Institutes’ Practitioner, Family Business.org, to the American Society of Safety Engineer’s Professional Safety to Financial Advisor to dozens of webinars and hundreds of guest blogs. There are 200+ videos of his content on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@NextGenerationLeaders
He is a published author of articles on leadership development, AI, family business leadership, succession planning, physician burnout, healthcare, analytics, safety and productivity. Doug has published multiple books:
Legacy Locked (2025). See www.Legacy-Locked.com
The Success Playbook for Next Gen Family Business Leaders (2024)
Objectives and Key Results (OKR) Leadership; How to Apply Silicon Valley’s Secret Sauce to your Career, Team or Organization (2019). See www.OKRLeadership.com
Passionate Action; 5 Steps to Creating Extraordinary Success in Life and Work (2007)
Adventure Coaching; A Guidebook for Action-Based Success in Life and Work (2006)
Doug will not waste any of your time or resources. He expects you to achieve great results. And he always guarantees exceptional value.
Call him now at 704.995.6647 or contact us here or at https://calendly.com/doug-gray/intro-call
For biographies on other Action Learning Associates, Inc leadership consultants and executive coaches, contact us here or review the list of our partners here. We also provide scaled solutions for any-sized organization, anywhere in the world.
