Member Spotlight, Gretchen Asher
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Gretchen Asher
CEO & Change Expert, The Essential CEO (Change Enabled Organization)
Fun Fact
My husband and I built our own home here on the Olympic Peninsula. I learned
how to cut and lay a tile floor, install sheetrock and mud, tape and paint. It was an exciting
project but I’m not sure I want to repeat the same experience. LOL!
Background
I grew up as a tomboy and equestrian in Sun Valley, Idaho. While most might assume I was a ski racer, I actually spent my winters riding horses in an indoor arena and cross-country skiing in the mountains. I earned a BA in Political Science and Asian Studies from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, and later completed an MA in Organizational Development with a strong focus on cultural studies at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.
Path to Change Management
I have been a Change Management consultant for nearly three decades. While much of my career has been spent as an independent consultant, I also spent several years working at PwC and a few boutique firms. As an independent consultant, I have had to become an expert with all aspects of change management, from strategy development to execution. My
favorite focus is on stakeholder analysis and engagement. Without fully preparing stakeholders, organizations won’t see the adoption they expect.
My life in Japan directed me to this career choice. After earning my BA, I was uncertain whether to pursue an MBA or another graduate degree. To give myself time to decide, I moved to Japan for two years to teach English. I soon found myself inside Japanese corporations working with executives on language skills in preparation of a foreign assignment. I loved working with executives to prepare them for working abroad as well as helping them assimilate into their homogeneous culture once they returned home from living abroad. It was then I realized that I wanted to be a “teacher” inside corporations. I applied to grad school and wrote my essay from my apartment in Tokyo.
Biggest Obstacle Getting Established in Change Management
Once I ventured out on my own, the ongoing challenge was securing new clients and projects. Early in my career, I took an opportunity to become a public speaker with a seminar company, delivering a one-day Change Management seminar in a different city each day, two weeks per month. One day, I presented the seminar in San Francisco, where I lived at the time. At the end of the session, a group of attendees from Stanford Health Care approached me and asked if I would be interested in consulting with them. My career really took off, eventually requiring me to hire additional talent to support the workload over the next six years.
Biggest Reward from this Career
I enjoy helping others shine. I have been fortunate to recognize talented individuals
within organizations and support their growth by elevating them to team lead roles and
increasing their visibility to their leaders. It's rewarding to play a part in helping internal
employees I collaborate with on projects get noticed and advance to enterprise-level roles in
change management.
Bucket List Yet to Accomplish
I am embarking on my bucket list item to “AI” some change management tools for
ease of execution. I’m currently working with developers and have gone deep down the Rabbit Hole of AI and I’m loving it! Later this month, my AI stakeholder assessment/gap analysis tool will be ready for testing. Some of my ACMP colleagues are already onboard to help me give it a rigorous test and identify any additional tweaks that might be necessary.
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