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Leadership Development

As your trusted partner, I bring decades of successful leadership experience.

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Business Growth

You can count on me to help you reach your goals and grow your business.

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Team Culture Building

Let’s explore ways to elevate your team’s potential and foster a culture of positivity.

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meet todd

With a rich background in executive leadership, I offer support to small and medium-sized business leaders. Throughout my career, I have built successful businesses, led diverse teams, and garnered international experience in 35 countries. My passion lies in fostering positive cultures and helping leaders achieve their goals. Beyond my professional achievements, I contribute to community development through volunteer work.

Speaking

Engaging speaker with 25+ years of experience inspiring teams, creating resilient cultures, and building successful businesses.

Work With Me

Ready to help you overcome business obstacles, achieve your goals, and thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Perspectives

Success Stories

Todd defines the word genuine. Car’s got a flat a state away? Todd would be there. Short on money for lunch? Todd would spot you. Struggling with a career decision? Todd’s there to provide constructive advice and support.

He is the rare leader who truly and deeply cares about the people working with him, and how he can support them achieving their dreams. He’s there to challenge, question, and drive you to be the best person you can be.

If I had to define Todd in a single expression – I’d say he’s the guy with his hand outstretched to help you – even when everyone else has gone.

—Chris R., Sales Executive

Todd Zive was a great leader and colleague to me during our time at MicroVention, Inc. He always encouraged me to grow and improve and gave me valuable feedback along the way. He has a wealth of experience in building extraordinary teams, which I benefited from immensely.

Todd is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and I highly recommend him as a business coach for anyone who wants to take their career to the next level.

—Carol W., Marketing Director

Todd embodies empathy, a caring spirit, a commitment to giving back, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Todd connects deeply with others, offering comfort, support, and understanding in times of joy or adversity.

His caring spirit shines through in every action whether it is volunteering for local charities, mentoring aspiring individuals, or initiating community projects, he gives back to society thereby making a significant impact on the lives of many.

—Leonard L., Corporate Board Director

Having known Todd a relatively short time, I instantly connected with him. We were both executives in different industries but shared many commonalities. The biggest and most important is our focus on our people in the workplace. Most companies are so profit focused, they often overlook their most important asset – their people. Todd has a very unique view about this as he believes companies can be very successful while being operated by good people. He has proved this mindset to be true as he was one of those good and caring managers new employees wish they will work for.

Todd is genuine and kind and committed to his family and friends. He is a great listener, always makes you feel important and his smile is infectious. I was very fortunate to get to know him and work with him.

—John M., Senior Executive

Todd has become a trusted advisor for my small business and has given me incredible tips and insight that has made all the difference. I know of many others that Todd has coached and mentored to achieve their goals over the years.

—Meredith E., Small Business Owner

I strongly suggest working with Todd for any leader feeling confused or stalled about the next steps in their career path. Todd has guided my professional growth for several years and given me pivotal opportunities, resources, and advice to leverage for years to come. Additionally, he focuses on providing the skills I need to succeed and advance my career. His guidance is a good investment in my professional growth, and I highly recommend Todd to anyone seeking fresh perspectives.

—Regan P., Communications Leader

I had the privilege of working with Todd at a prior company and witnessed his positive leadership style daily. I always admired his natural ability to inspire, encourage, and lift those around him, all while respectfully challenging and driving results. Although I did not report to Todd directly, when I became a new Manager, he took the time to mentor me and give great advice as he has done many times before.

He has positively impacted my career and inspired passion in my everyday life both in and out of the office. Todd is a true leader in all aspects and one of the most genuine people I know. I am thankful our careers crossed paths and look forward to continuing to learn from him.

—Randi P., Finance Planning & Analysis Leader

Trustworthy, inspirational, motivational. Classy, genuine, smart, driven, positive, likable, and enjoyable to work with are just a few words that I would use to describe Todd and it would be easy for me to go on and on. Our paths first crossed back in 2004 when I headhunted Todd for a position that broke him into the Neurovascular space with an exciting start-up in Orange County.

I’ll always remember the first impression that Todd had on me which made me want to get to know him even more made me think “What a great guy”. He was warm, friendly went out of his way to get to know me both professionally personally. I was a stranger calling him for the first time but he made me feel like we had known each other for years. That’s the type of guy Todd is. He treats people with respect and always sees the positives in people.

Todd’s energy and passion to help people succeed in life is contagious. I had the pleasure of seeing this many times over when Todd hired me as his external recruiter to help grow his marketing team. One of the most important things that candidates look for when considering the next chapter in their career, especially when they are currently in a job, is the style and personality of the hiring manager. I was fortunate to have Todd as my hiring manager because this made my job so much easier. The moment people would speak to Todd over the phone or meet him face to face, they simply fell in love with him. They were overwhelmed by his warm, friendly and welcoming personality and the more they got to know his leadership style the more they came to the conclusion that this is a leader that they wanted to follow, that would help grow their career and help take them to the next level, always striving to be the best version of themselves on a daily basis. Someone that would always have their back every step of the way and be there for them as a mentor whenever needed. This gave candidates the confidence to resign from their current employer knowing that the grass was greener on the other side and that they were going to work for a good human being that genuinely cared about their interests and would be their mentor, coach, advisor and friend all wrapped into one. Many of these people that used to work for Todd have gone on to have extremely successful careers and I know that one of the main reasons for this is the belief, encouragement and mentorship that Todd gave them earlier on in their careers. Todd gave them their professional compass to help them navigate their way to a successful career path.

Todd is simply the guy you turn to if you want successful results but done in a very genuine and honest way. Todd is a straight shooter, he cares about people and gains satisfaction from watching people grow and flourish throughout their personal and professional journey in life. If you are ever looking to hire a business coach, executive coach, advisor, speaker, or author that treats people the right way and will guarantee successful results, then I could not recommend Todd highly enough.

Finally, if you look up the word “Mensch” in the dictionary, you will discover that this is a person of strong character, high integrity and honor. Someone that you can always count on. This in my opinion is the definition of Todd Zive!

—Andrew T., Founder & CEO of Executive Search Firm

I have known Todd Zive for three decades, first as his supervisor, then as a successful executive, and now as a coach.  Throughout, I’ve admired Todd’s great listening skills, optimism, intelligence, insight, discretion, and quiet confidence.

While on my team as a student at Boston University, it was clear that Todd was a natural leader.  This recognizable trait set him apart from his peers. As I came to appreciate, he developed this quality at a young age having to cope with and learn from the tragic loss

of his father. In addition, Todd has an innate ability to cultivate and value genuine relationships.  He is always eager to help in any situation and is open to constructive feedback with the goal of improving.

I know Todd’s joy of mentoring and encouraging style will successfully guide his clients on both personal and professional matters toward living their best lives.

—Amy K., Professional Career and College Coach

I had the pleasure to work alongside Todd for over 12 years.  He is a passionate Leader that understands how to bring Teams of people together to effectively tackle and resolve a problem to provide effective long-term solutions.  Todd inspires individuals to rise to their full potential, no matter what seat they are in.  He is always willing to put in the hard work needed to achieve the desired goal with his positive and uplifting attitude.

The possibilities to elevate others are limitless with Todd’s experience and his positive influences. Todd takes the time to listen to others and has a vested interest in them personally and professionally. This is a gift. I am very grateful to know Todd and look forward to future collaborations.

—Cathy D., Corporate Communications Executive

I am writing this letter to endorse Todd as an exceptional enterprise leader. He is an expert marketer, team builder, culture builder, talent recruiter and coach. He has been a trusted colleague, outstanding cross-functional partner, mentor and friend. Todd’s training as an engineer, the MBA he earned and his practical experience both leading teams and driving businesses equips him to bring a unique perspective (and add tremendous value) to business leaders and organizations. The knowledge he can share about organizational structure, growing the market share of mature products, launching new/innovative technologies and identifying (and closing) M & A targets is also priceless.

My perspective and endorsement of Todd is rooted in the 10+ years I worked closely with him (as a cross-functional partner). During this period, it became clear that he is a great listener that is driven by his passion and desire to improve the lives of others. Todd is genuine, reliable and consistent. I would describe him as a “servant leader” who is confident but far from egotistical. He is humble.

During the decade that I worked with Todd, I saw him quickly rise from an uber productive individual contributor to the quintessential enterprise leader…I was a witness to the evolution of a man and leader with strong core values. Core values that I now know are present in both his personal and professional life. His positive energy is infectious. He has a seemingly endless drive to do more, experience more and contribute more.

Among Todd’s greatest attributes as a leader is empathy. He sees employees as “people”…not pawns that can be callously used to serve the company. This is not to say he is a “soft leader”. Rather, Todd recognizes that holding people accountable (including himself) is the primary responsibility of men and women who are in a position to lead and direct others. With that said, even when holding people accountable or providing constructive criticism, Todd never waivers when it comes to treating people with dignity and respect. I point this out because it is not uncommon for leaders to approach employees and colleagues in this manner when things are going well but, I believe very few possess the emotional intelligence (EQ) needed to appreciate the lasting negative impact their tone and choice of words (in these moments) can have on the culture of a company or department. This talent/skill (or instinct) is embedded in the fiber of Todd’s being.

Todd can dissect and analyze your organization and teach enterprise leaders how to evolve as managers. He can show you how to attract, develop and keep great talent. He can help you transform the culture of your business and turn it into one that is more creative and more productive than you ever imagined. A culture where employees feel respected, professionally fulfilled and are excited to go to work.

It has been said that the measure of a person is how they conduct themselves when no one is looking…or how they handle/respond to adversity. This is integrity…this is trust…this is Todd! I can give no better endorsement than to say I would trust Todd with my wife, my life and my kids!

—Mark G., Sales Executive

Todd has a uniquely exceptional ability to connect with leaders and identify areas for growth. His mentorship at the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BCIE) at UC Irvine is a reflection of his deep expertise in business and leadership. As a volunteer coach, he leverages this experience to offer entrepreneurs practical guidance enriched with strategic insights, fostering their personal and professional growth.

In my role as the Faculty Director of BCIE, and knowing Todd since he was an MBA student in one of my classes almost twenty years ago, I have personally witnessed the positive impact of Todd’s coaching. His commitment goes beyond the basics; he uses his extensive background to mentor in leadership and ethical decision-making, fostering a sustainable mindset among our entrepreneurs. This holistic approach, grounded in real-world experience, is essential in preparing well-rounded innovative entrepreneurs for the dynamic challenges of the business world.

Todd’s dedication to nurturing future leaders and his alignment with our mission is not only inspiring but a critical asset to our program.

—Imran C., Executive Director and Distinguished Professor