Connie Charles, founder and CEO of Strategic Solutions International Inc., specializes in helping organizations meet their objectives through improvement of the way they motivate, manage and educate their people. She has overseen the domestic and international growth of SSI, which has a client base that includes Aramark, PNC Bank, DuPont, Lockheed Martin, Visa, J.P. Morgan, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, First Data Corp., Boeing and Accenture.
For more than 20 years, Connie has created learning and development processes that integrate the insights from behavioral data into education and coaching. She has worked with top executives on strategies for improving both their own personal performance and the success of the teams they lead, and has served as an executive coach for many who have risen through the ranks to some of the highest positions in their companies. The continuous focus on bottom-line impact has ensured high value for her insights and expertise.
Well-known for her speaking and facilitation skills, she has been invited to lead seminars for boards, conferences and executive teams on such topics as Taking Strategy to Action, Leadership for Turbulent Times, and Selling to Hidden Needs. She has written a reference guide to The Birkman Method that is used extensively by client organizations and consultants worldwide. Connie has spoken to audiences all over the United States and in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom.
In 1993, Connie developed a unique approach to helping businesspeople improve their performance by using the golf course as a classroom. The principles that help a person play a better round of golf are some of the same ones that apply to business improvement.
Prior to starting SSI in 1990, Connie worked in employee development for DuPont’s Electronic Imaging and Printing and Publishing divisions. She also served as the education director for the City of Baltimore’s Office of Employment Development. She holds a master’s degree in education from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., and a bachelor’s in education from Barrington College in Barrington, R.I.
Connie became bilingual at age 9 when her family moved to Lima, Peru, for more than three years. She started off in college as a music major and conducted choral groups and directed children’s musical theater and played piano. When not working, she enjoys playing golf, sailing in the British Virgin Islands and skiing. Her goal is to circumnavigate the globe on frequent flier miles, and she has taken on the challenge of introducing her 15 nieces and nephews to fine dining, great wines, first-class travel and five-star hotels. Connie lives in Landenberg, Pa., with her husband, Walt, and their two dogs, Bunker and Bogie.
Connie Charles
