Best Executive Coaches in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Executive Coaching Services

Philadelphia has long been known as a city of grit, intellect, and heart, a place where innovation meets integrity and leadership is rooted in purpose. From its historic cobblestone streets to its thriving corporate and nonprofit sectors, this city continues to shape some of the nation’s most values-driven and forward-thinking leaders.

In this vibrant landscape, executive coaches play a defining role: helping professionals rise above daily challenges, refine their leadership presence, and build sustainable, people-first organizations. Whether it’s cultivating emotional intelligence, managing complex team dynamics, or fostering inclusion, Philadelphia’s executive coaches bring a mix of empathy, strategy, and real-world experience to their clients.

At Digital Reference, we’ve spent countless hours researching, evaluating, and connecting with the region’s top executive coaches. Each of the professionals featured below has been selected based on proven impact, client testimonials, and a consistent record of advancing leadership excellence across industries.

The Best Executive Coaches in the Greater Philadelphia Area

Below are some of the most respected leadership and executive coaches serving the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD corridor. Each brings a distinctive approach to leadership growth, blending psychology, strategy, and purpose to help leaders thrive in both their careers and personal lives.

♦️ Gretchen Schmelzer

Leadership Coach, Writer, Psychologist & Co-Founder at Center for Trauma and Leadership
🔗 LinkedIn

Dr. Gretchen Schmelzer is known for her deep understanding of trauma, resilience, and human development. A licensed psychologist, she brings decades of experience helping leaders and teams navigate complex emotional and organizational systems. Gretchen’s coaching often bridges the gap between clinical insight and professional growth, empowering leaders to lead with courage, self-awareness, and compassion.

💡 Key strengths:
🔹 Expertise in trauma-informed leadership and organizational change.
🔹 Integrates psychology with leadership development frameworks.
🔹 Recognized speaker and author on healing and resilience in professional contexts.
🔹 Known for helping leaders develop emotional endurance in times of uncertainty.

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♦️ Mary Beth Toczek, PCC, CPCC

Certified Career & Leadership Coach, Founder at Honor Your Purpose
🔗 LinkedIn

Mary Beth Toczek is a certified executive coach who partners with leaders ready to align their professional paths with deeper purpose and fulfillment. Through her practice, Honor Your Purpose, she helps clients uncover core values and lead authentically. Her background in corporate communications and leadership transitions uniquely positions her to help professionals evolve through clarity, courage, and intentional change.

💡 Key strengths:
🌟 Certified PCC and CPCC coach with extensive leadership development experience.
🔹 Skilled in guiding clients through career transitions and self-discovery.
✳️ Focuses on purpose-driven growth and mindful leadership.
🔹 Known for her compassionate yet results-oriented coaching style.

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♦️ Julie Cohen

CEO and Founder, Work. Life. Leader.
🔗 LinkedIn

Julie Cohen is a powerhouse in career and leadership coaching, bringing more than two decades of experience in helping individuals craft meaningful and balanced professional lives. Through her firm, Work. Life. Leader., Julie focuses on building strong, self-aware leaders who thrive across both personal and professional domains. She is also known for her engaging workshops, speaking engagements, and practical tools that foster real change.

💡 Key strengths:
🔹 Expert in work-life integration and sustainable success models.
🌟 Proven results with mid-career professionals and emerging leaders.
✳️ Strong focus on actionable strategies that produce measurable outcomes.
🔹 Advocates for resilience and adaptability as key leadership assets.

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♦️ Gina M. Wilson, MS

Founder & Principal, System Strategies Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn

Gina M. Wilson brings a systems-thinking approach to executive coaching, helping organizations optimize structure, culture, and communication. She’s known for designing leadership frameworks that strengthen collaboration and trust. Her coaching emphasizes alignment, ensuring leaders’ goals, team processes, and organizational missions work.

💡 Key strengths:
🧭 Systems strategist specializing in organizational health and culture design.
🔹 Deep expertise in process improvement and leadership dynamics.
🌟 Skilled facilitator for executive teams navigating strategic change.
✳️ Trusted advisor to senior leaders in both nonprofit and corporate settings.

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♦️ Leah C. Murphy

Founder and CEO, Gems For The Journey Coaching LLC
🔗 LinkedIn

Leah C. Murphy is an award-winning leadership strategist, speaker, and author who empowers women and leaders of color to excel in their professional journeys. Through Gems for the Journey, she creates transformative programs that build confidence, strengthen emotional intelligence, and inspire excellence. Her passion for equity, mentorship, and authentic leadership has made her a sought-after voice in corporate development spaces.

💡 Key strengths:
🌟 Expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership coaching.
🔹 Recognized for cultivating confidence and self-advocacy in underrepresented leaders.
✳️ Skilled speaker and workshop facilitator on empowerment and performance.
🔹 Dedicated to long-term growth through mentorship and authentic connection.

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♦️ Romy Gelles, PhD, MS

Executive Coach and Consultant
🔗 LinkedIn

Dr. Romy Gelles merges her expertise in psychology, organizational systems, and leadership to help clients unlock performance potential. With advanced degrees and decades of experience, she provides insight-driven coaching tailored to executives navigating complex interpersonal and organizational challenges. Her calm, perceptive coaching style has earned her a reputation for transforming the way leaders think and act.

💡 Key strengths:
🔹 Extensive academic and professional background in psychology and leadership.
🌟 Skilled at improving executive presence and decision-making clarity.
✳️ Focused on emotional intelligence and systems thinking in leadership growth.
🔹 Trusted mentor and thought partner for leaders in transition.

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♦️ Veronica Scarpellino, BCC, PCC

Executive and Career Coach, Founder at Goldfinch Leadership LLC
🔗 LinkedIn

Veronica Scarpellino is a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with an approach grounded in neuroscience, positive psychology, and organizational effectiveness. With years of experience partnering with executives across industries, she’s recognized for her thoughtful, empowering methods that drive tangible behavioral change. Veronica’s coaching helps clients clarify their leadership vision and embody the confidence needed to lead teams through stability and transformation.

💡 Key strengths:
🌟 Deep expertise in neuroscience-based coaching and leadership behavior.
🔹 Strong record of helping executives build confidence and resilience.
✳️ Combines structure and empathy to create lasting leadership habits.
🔹 Proven success guiding high-performing professionals through career transitions.

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♦️ Peace Ike

Founder, Set the Table LLC
🔗LinkedIn

Peace Ike brings an innovative and relational approach to executive coaching through her work at Set the Table, an organization that creates inclusive spaces for authentic leadership and courageous dialogue. She focuses on helping leaders cultivate belonging, navigate identity in the workplace, and build equitable teams. With a background in corporate facilitation and DEI strategy, Peace is deeply committed to transforming organizational culture through empathy and truth-telling.

💡 Key strengths:
🕊️ Expert in inclusive leadership and belonging-centered team development.
🔹 Skilled facilitator of challenging conversations that promote growth.
🌟 Integrates coaching with equity and cultural fluency principles.
✳️ Passionate advocate for authenticity, justice, and personal transformation.

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♦️ Scott Aronow

Founder and Executive Coach, E. Scott Coaching
🔗 LinkedIn

Scott Aronow is an executive coach and leadership consultant with a background in law and organizational development. His firm, E. Scott Coaching, serves leaders seeking clarity, confidence, and stronger decision-making skills. Scott’s unique coaching lens integrates practical business experience with psychological insight — helping leaders cut through noise, improve performance, and foster collaboration.

💡 Key strengths:
🔹 Combines legal acumen with coaching expertise for holistic leadership growth.
🌟 Focuses on strategic thinking, communication, and self-awareness.
✳️ Trusted partner for C-suite executives navigating complex business environments.
🔹 Known for balancing direct feedback with compassionate accountability.

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♦️ Dr. Helen A. Richardson, PCC

Founder, President, and CEO, Career Cornerstone, Inc.
🔗 LinkedIn

Dr. Helen Richardson, a certified PCC coach, is a dynamic executive coach, DEI consultant, and leadership development strategist. As the founder of Career Cornerstone, Inc., she has helped hundreds of executives and organizations build inclusive cultures and grow their leadership pipelines. Her thought leadership in human capital strategy and diversity advancement has earned her recognition across the Philadelphia region and beyond.

💡 Key strengths:
🌟 PCC-certified coach with over two decades in leadership and DEI consulting.
🔹 Expert in organizational transformation and workforce equity initiatives.
✳️ Known for empowering leaders to embrace authenticity and courageous leadership.
🔹 Skilled at aligning business goals with inclusive people strategies.

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♦️ Lani Nelson-Zlupko, PhD, LCSW

Executive Coach, Therapist, Consultant, LNZ Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn

Dr. Lani Nelson-Zlupko is a psychologist and consultant known for helping leaders and teams create resilient, high-performing workplaces. Through LNZ Consulting, she blends clinical expertise with executive development, enabling clients to manage stress, communicate effectively, and sustain thriving work cultures. Her programs are research-based yet deeply personal, helping organizations shift from reactive to proactive leadership.

💡 Key strengths:
🌿 Expertise in resilience building, stress management, and emotional intelligence.
🔹 Strong background in team dynamics and interpersonal leadership.
🌟 Empowers leaders to adapt to change with authenticity and confidence.
✳️ Trusted advisor for organizations investing in well-being and culture transformation.

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♦️ Eric Doroshow

Lawyer Life Coach & consultant 

🔗 LinkedIn

With a career rooted in advocacy and mentorship, Eric Doroshow brings a unique voice to leadership coaching in the legal and professional services sector. His approach is grounded in integrity, clear communication, and the development of ethical, empathetic leaders. Eric leverages his decades of legal experience to help professionals navigate career pivots, manage stress, and lead teams with fairness and conviction.

💡 Key strengths:
⚖️ Deep expertise in professional ethics and decision-making under pressure.
🔹 Focused on developing clarity and confidence in emerging leaders.
🌟 Known for his practical wisdom and supportive mentoring approach.
✳️ Passionate about empowering professionals to lead with values and purpose.

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♦️ Amory Landis

Leadership Coach and Organizational Consultant
🔗 LinkedIn

Amory Landis is a leadership coach who helps professionals navigate transitions, define personal success, and lead with purpose. With experience in organizational development and human capital strategy, she supports clients in achieving balance and effectiveness in work and life. Amory’s approach is reflective and empowering: inviting leaders to step into authenticity and sustainable performance.

💡 Key strengths:
🌟 Skilled in coaching through transitions, burnout prevention, and career clarity.
🔹 Strong emphasis on self-awareness and mindfulness in leadership practice.
✳️ Combines empathy with structured accountability for measurable progress.
🔹 Advocate for authentic communication and emotionally intelligent leadership.

Executive Coaching in Philly: Building a City of Growth and Heart

From corporate boardrooms to nonprofit organizations, these Philadelphia-based executive coaches exemplify what makes the region’s leadership culture distinct — a blend of ambition, empathy, and community. Each of these professionals contributes uniquely to the city’s dynamic workforce, empowering leaders to evolve not just for business success.

Their approaches — grounded in systems thinking, inclusion, purpose, and resilience — reflect the heartbeat of Philadelphia itself: strong, resourceful, and deeply human. Whether you’re a new manager or a seasoned executive, these coaches represent the best of what this region offers: expertise that transforms leadership styles but entire organizational ecosystems.

If you’re navigating leadership growth, weighing philosophy versus fit, or seeking to embed coaching within your culture, we invite you to explore more insights and resources here:
▪️ Best Life Coach & Consulting Services in the USA
▪️ How to Hire a Human Resource Consultant: A Complete Guide for Growing Businesses
▪️ Best Keynote Speakers in Philadelphia‍

At Digital Reference, our mission is to connect organizations with the trusted experts who help them grow — from leadership coaches to HR strategists and consultants worldwide. Through rigorous research, evaluation, and thoughtful storytelling, we spotlight professionals who exemplify excellence and integrity in their fields.

If you found this list helpful, explore more insights and curated directories at Digita Reference, where growth meets guidance, and leaders find their next trusted partner.