Education / Training / Certifications

  • Ph.D. & Master’s in Social Psychology – UNC Greensboro

  • Undergraduate degrees in Public Relations, Business, & French

  • PCC (Professional Certified Coach) – ICF

  • Certified in: Hogan (HPI, HDS, MVPI), Workplace Big 5, MBTI, FIRO-B, TKI, CPI 260, EQi 2.0, Watson Glaser, Basadur, Pearman Integrator

  • Master trainer for ISI, CSI, & DSP

  • Certified in simulations: PressTime, Edge Work, Paper Planes, Inc.

  • Certified trainer – Better Conversations Everyday (Center for Creative Leadership)

  • Tools: Visual Explorer, Boundary Spanning

  • 360 tools: CCL Benchmarks, LVI, EQ-i 360, Hogan 360, DLI 360, ESCI by Korn Ferry

 

Languages

  • English, French

Sam Turner Ph.D., PCC

Location: United States

Sam Turner, Ph.D., PCC, is an executive coach with over 30 years of leadership experience spanning operations, consulting, and global leadership development. His coaching approach helps leaders break through stagnation, foster creativity, and cultivate lasting partnerships. He’s worked extensively with individuals, teams, and organizations, facilitating simulations, strategic planning, and innovation practices such as design thinking. A former VP in the textile industry, Sam brings firsthand operational insight and a global perspective shaped by experiences across 20+ countries.

He supports senior leaders in industries including finance, retail, and healthcare—guiding CTOs, CEOs, and Presidents through transitions, scaling, M&A integration, and succession planning. Sam also leads a long-running regional CEO peer group and contributes thought leadership through conferences and publications. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and is certified in numerous assessments and coaching tools, including Hogan, MBTI, EQi 2.0, and the full CCL Benchmarks suite.

 

 Notable Engagements

  • Supported the CTO of a major public company spin-off in building an internal team, scaling operations, & launching a new software platform.

  • Helped the CEO of NC’s largest private funeral home realign leadership, boost profitability & adapt to market changes.

  • Advised a national e-commerce retailer’s exec team to strengthen leadership bench across all levels.

  • Guided a private equity CEO through integrating leadership of two merged medical device firms.

  • For over a decade, coached cross-regional SVPs at a Wall Street bank on high-impact action learning & leadership development.

  • Advised a CEO & his family on succession planning, transitioning 2nd-gen leaders into President & CFO roles.

  • Partnered with a public retail company’s exec team to develop strategic professional development plans.

Specialties

  • Critical Thinking
  • Decision-Making

Client List

Sam has coached over 1,000 leaders from diverse sectors in for profit, non profit, NGO, military, and multinational firms. A partial list of clients include Walmart, John Deere, Boston Consulting Group, US Army, Whirlpool, American Express, BNP Paribas, Brighthouse Financial, Citigroup, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Coach, Hill-Rom, Ernst & Young, Milwaukee Tools, Norfolk Southern, Google, Lenovo, and Volvo Trucks. He has worked, additionally, with clients in diverse sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and service.