CSG Principals

“Many organizations have responded to the current economic downturn by minimizing their Human Capital Management (HCM) improvement efforts.  But the “best of breed” are doing just the opposite.  They’re using this time to step up their efforts to revitalize their HCM capabilities. They know that making the right investments now will position them for continued success when the inevitable business upturn begins.” 

Grace Ahrend

Grace Ahrend, a seasoned communications specialist with over twenty years of diverse corporate and consulting experience, is a cofounder and principal of Collaborative Solutions Group, Inc. Grace provides support needed to develop and improve communications skills of staff at all levels; improve individual and organizational collaborative capability; and accomplish successful change. Grace provides start-to-finish support -- from assessing readiness and ability to achieve desired outcomes to designing and implementing solutions and evaluating their impact.

Major Accomplishments

• A two-year effort to strengthen the communications and problem-solving skills of the Senior Management Team, managers, and members of self-directed work teams within the MIS function of a major US retailer. Results enabled the organization to eliminate inadequate performance; generate new and innovative solutions; deliver business applications faster; improve teamwork; and complete projects ahead of schedule and/or below budget.

• A six-month effort to work individually with selected executives from a major communications company to develop their product-introduction training presentations for a global sales conference. Speaker ratings for "meeting objectives," "relevance," "effectiveness," and "helps to meet customer’s needs" were among the highest in each category across the field of over 100 training sessions

• A six-month effort to create a report of the findings of a European study on the impact of deregulation on a number of industries, including transportation, banking and financial services, and utilities, in various European countries. A global training company used the completed report as a basis for developing industry-specific sales strategies and sales training materials.

• A three-year effort to create and develop a series of key strategic-level presentations for a Sr. Vice President of a major US retailer. These messages improved understanding of the impact of the organization’s accomplishments and challenges and positioned change initiatives that launched a successful organizational transformation.

• Various 1-3 year efforts to develop training curricula and/or materials for major manufacturing, banking and financial services, insurance, and consumer products companies. Results improved market position, customer service, and customer retention; lowered selling costs; and increased sales, revenue, and profits.

Selected Clients

Xerox Learning Systems; IBM; Chase Manhattan Bank; Sony Electronics, Inc.; MONY; Shaklee Corporation; Dow Chemical Corp.; Koppers/Wolman Protection Products; Phillip Brothers; Howmedica; Citibank; Chemical Bank; Phillip Morris U.S.A.; Aetna; Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.; Westinghouse/Group W; Glaxo Pharmaceuticals; Port Authority of NY & NJ; Nynex Computer Services; Olin Chemicals; Lucent Technologies; Toys "R" Us; Cigna HealthCare; Pepsi-Cola, Inc; BankBoston: The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company.

Education

• BA (Speech and English), 1965, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY

• MA (Industrial Communications), 1967, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY