Colleen McFarland

My Story

I've spent my career building relationships—and helping leaders build them, too.

For more than 30 years, I've worked shoulder to shoulder with executives leading large-scale change, from my early days at American Express and JPMorgan Chase through consulting engagements at Beam Suntory, Centric Consulting, and companies navigating transformation across financial services, healthcare, and beyond. Along the way I learned what actually moves people through change: cold, hard facts paired with genuine compassion. That belief became my Warm Demander Leader framework.

I'm the author of two books—Disconnected (2020) and the award-winning Get Gen Z Into the Game (2025)—both about how technology has reshaped not just how we work, but who we are, especially for the youngest people entering the workforce. Since 2016, I've delivered my signature workshop, “How Wrigley Field Made Me a Better Networker,” teaching the Be-Social Method to professionals who want to build confidence and connection.

My foundation is equal parts analytical and human. I hold a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago, and I'm a Certified Professional Facilitator and Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. Just as formative was a volunteer year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, serving people experiencing homelessness on LA's Skid Row and teaching seventh grade in East Los Angeles.

I'm the proud mom of two Gen Z sons, who keep me honest about the very generation I write about. My husband John and I split our time between Chicago and Dunedin, Florida.

My mission is simple: to help leaders—and young people—build the relationships that lead to confidence, belonging, and a healthier life at work and beyond.