Career Services is pleased to provide a referral listing of external, professional career coaches to assist alumni in their career development. These coaches can assist with career assessment, job search transitions, preparing resumes and cover letters, developing interview skills, online presence/social networking, and other career development needs. They have extensive experience in working with mid-level and senior managers and other more seasoned job seekers or those contemplating a career change. These professionals have diverse industry experience, educational training, and are available in a variety of geographic locations. All of the coaches participated in a training session provided by Career Services and are familiar with the resources provided by Career Services.
Please feel free to reach out to the career coaches below to arrange a complimentary initial consultation to determine which services would be most helpful in terms of your particular situation as well as clarifying the associated costs for those services. You may wish to speak to two or three coaches to determine which coach will best fit your needs and can provide resources that align with your career goals. Alumni should also be aware that professional Career Services staff at Penn also work with alumni at no cost for up to three appointments per year. These appointment can be scheduled through Handshake or by calling the Career Services office. However, if you feel that a more intensive or on-going relationship is required to support your career needs, we recommend contacting one of our external, professional career coaches. Any information that you discuss with a career coach is confidential.
Coaches
Lynn Berger, New York, NY
Lynn Berger is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Career Counselor. Lynn has been a Career Counselor and Coach in private practice in New York City for over 20 years. She is the external Career Coach For Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Berger has appeared as a guest expert on radio and television shows across the country and has been featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsday, Huffington Post, Businessweek.com, Monster.com, etc. She authored the book, “The Savvy Part-Time Professional – How to Land, Create Or Negotiate The Part-Time Job of Your Dreams”. Currently she is hosting a show on public access television titled, “Lynn Berger Interviews Remarkable People.” It is available on YouTube, Spotify and Instagram@lynnbergerinterviews. Lynn was awarded the 2014 New York State Career Development Association Award for Outstanding Career Practitioner. Additional information about Lynn and her background is available at www.lynnberger.com.
Margaret Chan is a Certified Executive Coach who works with professionals making career transitions, or changing or relaunching careers. She takes a holistic approach in helping her clients prioritize their key values and identify target careers which best match their strengths and leverage their skills. Her experience includes career and networking strategies, target careers and companies, returnships, resumes and LI profiles, career narratives/positioning, interview preparation, and support and confidence building throughout the process. Clients value her 25 years as an Executive Search Consultant with 18 years at Spencer Stuart and Korn Ferry, the global executive search firms, where she interviewed and assessed over 3,500 executives as they pursued their next opportunity. As a trusted strategic advisor to hiring executives, she understands the critical factors in hiring decisions. Clients appreciate her strategic and practical approach and warm personal style. She has led webinars on Strategies for Relaunching Careers for alumni of universities, including Columbia, University of Chicago, and UCLA. She is an executive coach for alumni of top tier universities, including University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, and University of Chicago. In addition, she is a coach for MBA students at The Leadership Lab at Columbia Business School. She also works with clients to become stronger and more effective leaders by leveraging their strengths and addressing their leadership gaps. Coaching plans are designed to increase their self-awareness, gain insight, and practice new behaviors. Her clients have focused on improving their capacity as they transition to new roles, expanding their collaboration and spheres of influence with peers, enhancing their communication style, and demonstrating more executive presence. She has experience with multiple industries (financial services, private equity, consumer goods, cosmetics/luxury goods, retail, media, technology, consulting, and nonprofit, including education, foundations, hospitals, and social services. Her functional experience includes general management, finance, strategy, marketing, communications, sales, operations, consulting, technology, board directorship, and nonprofit development. Certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF), Margaret also earned an Executive Coaching Certification (highest level) from Columbia University, an MBA from The Kellogg School at Northwestern University, and a BS with honors from New York University. For more information, visit her website at www.chanexecutivecoach.com.
Neil Danzger, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Neil Danzger, CFA, founded Danzger Group to help people find and succeed at fulfilling, rewarding work. He’s coached and advised many ambitious people on careers and job search, allowing them to move into exciting new positions. His career has been largely at the intersection of finance and technology. He’s had extensive experience in human resources and recruiting throughout his career, both on Wall Street as a stock analyst and portfolio manager and as an entrepreneur. He’s hired more than 100 people, conducted several hundred interviews, and reviewed thousands of resumes. In addition to corporate experience at big companies like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, he founded or worked for six startups. Most recently, he co-founded a technology firm that serves some of the world’s largest hedge funds. He earned an MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School and dual undergraduate degrees from the Engineering and Wharton Schools at the University of Pennsylvania as a graduate of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst. To learn more and request a free consultation, visit https://www.danzgergroup.com.
Marc Dickstein, Philadelphia, PA
Marc Dickstein is the Founder of Plus Marc, a national leadership development and career coaching practice. He specializes in helping leaders and mid-career professionals realize their ideal blend of impact and happiness. Through 1×1 partnerships and group workshops, Marc collaborates with those who strive for greatness, engagement, and fulfillment at work, home, and everywhere in between. Recent partnership highlights include: Comcast, Squarespace, Chief, Vimeo, WeWork, General Assembly, First Round Capital, Udemy, and White & Case LLP. For over ten years, Marc led people, operations, and marketing teams in retail, media, and technology. Marc is a Board Member, Coach, and Co-Founder of Out in Tech, a non-profit that unites over 30,000 members of the global LGBTQ+ tech community, and he co-leads PennGALA, Penn’s alumni LGBTQ association. He is a Penn graduate and also a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) through training at The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). Marc has lived in New York City, San Francisco, and he now resides in Philadelphia with his husband, Mark, and the cutest Miniature Schnauzer on the planet, Bubby. Alumni are welcome to reach out with questions and/or session requests via http://plusmarc.com or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcdickstein/.
Arianna (Ari) Emanuel-Wright, Richmond, VA
Ari is dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complexities of the modern job market. Currently a Career Planning Counselor at Bright Horizons, she specializes in major exploration and strategic career planning for high school and college students. Previously, Ari held leadership roles at William & Mary’s School of Business, the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Florida State University. Beyond her professional practice, she is the Founder of Authentic, Reliable, Innovative: Career Consulting, LLC and actively contributes to the community through non profits such as Partnership for the Future and So Kids Soar, where she supports youth development. Feel free to contact her through her website or email at aricareer@aricareer.com or https://aricareer.wixsite.com/website/contact
Dale Fairclough, Allentown, PA; Greater Philadelphia, Greater NYC
Dale Fairclough, founder of Achieve Coaching and Consulting, helps mid-career professionals, engineers, technical leaders, and entrepreneurs break through uncertainty and gain the clarity, structure, and momentum to move forward with confidence. Many clients come to Dale stuck, unsure about major decisions, or struggling to turn ideas into action. He guides them through career transitions and entrepreneurial pivots so they can make strategic moves with purpose and direction. Drawing on 25+ years of leadership across industrial gases, manufacturing, and the energy sector—plus a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (University of Pennsylvania), business and leadership certificates (Cornell), and credentials as a Professional Engineer (P.E.), Project Management Professional (PMP®), and Certified Professional Coach—Dale blends engineering-minded problem-solving with practical coaching and strategic advisory. The result: clients move from stuck to strategic—advancing careers, launching ventures, and building sustainable growth with clarity, confidence, and real-world results. Reach out to Dale at www.achievecc.com to learn more and schedule a complimentary discovery session, or connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddf04/.
Marina is passionate about working with experienced professionals, from mid-career to senior leaders, to help them navigate career opportunities (or obstacles). She will collaborate with you to identify strategies to achieve your professional goals, whether it’s becoming “unstuck” in your career, managing a transition, addressing challenges in your role, or growing into a stronger version of the leader you want to be. Her clients praise her ability to create a safe space that enables them to challenge their thinking, identify their career priorities, and establish strategic next steps. As a Black woman and first-generation American, she is interested in creating an inclusive environment for everyone she serves. Marina’s coaching is informed by her 20+ years of experience working in human resources-related fields, a Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her coaching certification from the Columbia Coaching Certification Program. Her combined academic and work experiences provide her with an enhanced ability to understand her clients’ perspectives and more quickly gain their respect. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. If you’re thinking about what’s next and how to get there, Marina invites you to schedule a free consultation. Click here to connect.
Kelly George, Greater Philadelphia Area
Kelly George, Ph.D., is a career coach serving people who identify as disabled or neurodiverse, as well as those living with chronic illness. She blends over a decade of experience in higher education with evidence‑based coaching to help clients meet ambitious goals without sacrificing their wellbeing. As a scholar, her research centered on understanding the experiences of people with disabilities in their own words and stories. In leadership, research, and teaching roles, she has worked at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, Rutgers University’s School of Social Work, and as an Associate Professor at Immaculata University. Coaching sessions are tailored to each client’s needs and follow the standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Trained through MentorCoach—an ICF-accredited program grounded in positive psychology—Kelly also holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Temple University and an M.A. in Health Communication from Emerson College/Tufts School of Medicine. Drawing on her experience mentoring hundreds of students, she now provides clients with professional growth and business start-up support. Kelly knows first-hand the challenges that can arise from navigating the job market with a disability or illness, including the nuances of disclosure and access. She aims to put her clients in the driver’s seat, allowing them to explore their unique contributions to the workforce while pursuing balance between work and life. Get to know Kelly and what to expect from coaching by scheduling a free consultation at kellygeorgecoaching.com.
Amy Jaller Gleklen, Washington, DC metro area
Amy is an experienced leadership and career exploration coach and the CEO of Next Game Plan. Amy’s “What’s Next” career coaching approach utilizes a combination of assessments, worksheets, and questions to explore your leadership profile (values, personality, interests, skills, and strengths) and brainstorm to develop a career hypothesis that you test and validate through informational interviewing. Amy is also an experienced leadership coach with a track record of helping clients build their leadership capacity and grow their organizations. She helps clients build a leadership development plan based on important feedback, assessments, and coaching goals, and works together them to achieve your coaching goals. She coaches all levels including senior leaders, mid-career leaders and emerging leaders. She has a track record of coaching senior and emerging global leaders and their teams in a variety of functional roles in the corporate, professional services, government, and nonprofit sectors in engagements that have ranged from short-term assignments to multi-year relationships. For 6 years, Amy led Vistage CEO peer advisory boards helping CEOs work together to solve their most pressing problems. She has coached dozens of C-suite executives of companies ranging from small businesses to billion-dollar organizations. Amy serves as an executive coach for the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, working with MBA and Executive MBA students, in Wharton’s Executive Coaching and Feedback Program and peer coaching programs. She also served as visiting faculty for PwC’s Genesis Park global leadership development program. MBA Wharton (WG’86); MS Counseling (Johns Hopkins); MS Wharton (W ’81), Amy has certifications and advanced training including being a Professional Certified Coach, Leadership Circle 360, MBTI, Hogan Assessment, Team Diagnostic Survey, EQ-I, ESCI, DiSC, Enneagram, Team Coaching, Strong Interest Inventory, Positive Psychology, and Positive Intelligence. Find out more at www.nextgameplan.com.
Bill Hyman, Philadelphia, PA
Bill Hyman is a seasoned leadership and career coach who works with his clients to achieve their career goals. He helps individuals clarify their career goals by taking a highly interactive, holistic approach to the clarification process which often includes administering career instruments. Bill has also assisted hundreds of job seekers navigate the job search process including writing an impactful resume and LinkedIn Profile, effective networking strategies, conduct practice job interviews and negotiating the job offer. With more than 20 years of business and leadership coaching experience, Bill is a seasoned Human Resources executive, having worked in a number of industries including large (Fortune 50), mid-size companies, higher education and non-profits. Bill is a Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation. Bill is also certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Profilor. He is certified to teach leadership training by Development Dimensions International (DDI). As the radio talk show host of “Let’s Talk Careers,” Bill interviewed hundreds of guests about workplace issues which aired in Philadelphia for more than 11 years. He holds a master’s degree in Higher Education from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Political Science from Muhlenberg College. Bill and his wife raised their two daughters in the greater Philadelphia area. Bill is the past President of the Board of Directors of CreekSide Food Co-op in Elkins Park, PA. Bill is happy to speak with you to learn more about your career journey by contacting him via his website at www.wahhrconsultingservices.com.
Peter Jacobs, Northern California
Since 2001, Peter Jacobs has coached over 1000 professionals, from entry to senior level, in every aspect of career development. He is passionate about helping people to develop new capacities and competencies, get unstuck, or open up new possibilities. Peter’s clients have said that he has a talent for asking questions that offer new perspectives, finding and reflecting back the essence in each person’s story, and uncovering resources to discover and pursue new possibilities. They also describe him as direct, supportive, and powerful in challenging his clients to explore new ways of perceiving, being and acting in their careers. In addition to seeing clients in his private practice, Peter works with MBA Students and Alumni from UC Berkeley Haas, as well as MBA alumni from INSEAD. Before becoming a coach, Peter worked in a variety of Finance, Procurement and Business Process roles in the U.S. and Western Europe. He completed an MBA at INSEAD in France, and an M.A. in Career Development at John F. Kennedy University. Peter completed coaching training with the Newfield Network and is a Certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors and a Certified Career Counselor (CCC) through the National Career Development Association. Peter will help you in setting career goals and creating strategies to pursue them, becoming better able to manage conversations more skillfully, becoming nimbler at navigating change, taking steps to build a more powerful professional brand, creating a targeted resume and preparing for interviews. Find out more at http://www.gccoach.com/about.html
Shelley Maley, Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley
Shelley Maley, PHR, GCDF is the founder of Dreamcatcher Career Coaching, LLC. She launched her own coaching practice after working as a career coach in higher ed for 8 years. Recognized by Influence Digest as one of the Top Coaches in Philadelphia in 2023, Shelley has both HR and career coaching credentials and has been assisting recent college graduates, young professionals, and burned-out professionals with resumes, career confusion, and all things career-related. With an extensive background in human resources and management in hospitality, healthcare, and higher education, her specialty is helping recent college graduates and young adults to cultivate career confidence, clarity, and connections in order to launch fulfilling careers. Shelley is the Communications Chairperson for The Pennsylvania Career Development Association (PACDA), a volunteer with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Council, and the Apprenticeship Ambassador for a nonprofit in PA, A.I.M.E., which guides students in discovering fulfilling career paths. In addition to career coaching, she also provides training in soft skills and dining etiquette, as well as confidence coaching. Shelley is the host of the Young Professionals Career Catalyst on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcast. To learn more and to schedule a free discovery call, visit her website at https://www.dreamcatchercareercoaching.com or her LinkedIn profile at https://linkedin.com/in/shelleymaleycareercoach
Amanda Triglia, Jersey City, NJ
As a Penn alum (WH’15) and seasoned marketing strategist turned transformational coach, Amanda specializes in empowering mid-career professionals—especially sensitive high achievers, helpers, and people-pleasers—to rediscover their authentic selves and confidently step into lives that feel aligned and inspired. With over a decade of industry experience in marketing, Amanda climbed the corporate ladder only to learn that she had no idea what would actually make her happy. That disconnect fueled her shift into coaching and her passion for helping people who have achieved success on paper but still feel stuck internally. As a Certified Professional Coach, Amanda blends mindset, somatic work, values alignment, and action planning to help clients identify what they want, what’s getting in the way, and how to rebuild from the root up. Her signature three-phase program – Reveal → Root → Rise – guides clients through clearing limiting beliefs, grounding in their strengths and vision, and embodying that clarity through aligned action. The result? Less overthinking, more grounded confidence – and a deep trust in their inner wisdom and the path ahead. To learn more, connect with Amanda on Instagram (@amandatrigliacoaching), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-triglia/) or schedule a free alignment call at https://www.amandatriglia.com/.
