Marc Dorfman

Senior Consultant

Marc is a training and development specialist with expertise in leadership, management, and persuasive business communications. He is also a certified professional coach, with a proven track record of helping senior executives reprogram negative thought patterns to overcome limiting beliefs. In addition to his technical coaching skills, what sets Marc apart is a gift for connecting with people and establishing trust. This happens (almost) instantaneously, providing a supportive space that results in performance breakthroughs and transformational outcomes.

Marc also brings a healthy dose of “real world” business experience to his role in professional development. In 1997, he co-founded a Hollywood-based production company that catered to independent filmmakers. Through his experience of building and running a business, Marc gained valuable insights that continue to impact his work with clients. In particular, Marc knows what it’s like to be a leader, manager, and one who has ultimate responsibility / accountability for business success (and failure).

Marc holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA in Behavioral Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He is also a member of Psi Chi, the international honor society in Psychology.

Career Highlights

  • Led 100+ corporate training programs that help senior executives, department managers, and rising stars improve their leadership skills, selling skills, and executive presence. Clients include Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and Univision.
  • Appointed the first in-house Instructional Design Expert and Teaching Skills Coach for all adjunct and tenured professors at Columbia Business School. Raised the Teaching Quality grade from B to A in Business Week’s rankings of top-tier MBA programs.
  • Led Fortune 500 project teams through competitive problem-solving activities and debrief sessions on the streets, and in museums, within metropolitan US cities. Clients include Pfizer, General Motors, and Exxon Mobil.
  • Designed and facilitated multi-day / on-ocean team building programs that take place aboard yacht-sized sailboats and culminate in a competitive boat race around an offshore racecourse. Modules include Sailing Theory, Boat Handling, and Racing Tactics.
  • Held Adjunct Professor appointments at NYU Stern School of Business and The Georgia Institute of Technology. Taught MBA courses that equip students to excel as effective leaders within dynamic and competitive business environments.

Areas of Specialization

  • Leadership
  • Team Building
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Executive Presence
  • Experiential Learning
  • Persuasive Communications
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • Goal Setting & Attainment
  • Change Management
  • Time Management

Unique Attributes

  • Olympic-class target archer.
  • Private airplane pilot and hang-glider pilot.
  • Former radio talk show host on WQXI AM 790, in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Competitive sailor, certified sailing instructor, and licensed Master Captain in the United States Coast Guard.
  • Produced 200+ independent films, commercials, and music videos. Taught independent feature filmmaking at UCLA Film School and the American Film Institute.

  • Hobbies

    Sailing, archery, motorcycles, hang gliding, photography

  • Food

    Burgers & italian

  • Band

    Bruce Springsteen

  • Movie

    Saving Private Ryan

  • Super Power

    Empathy

  • TV Show

    Seinfeld

  • Book

    Shantaram

  • Quote

    “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein

Consultant Insights

  • My ideal client is someone [an organization] that:

    Are individuals and organizations that strive to make things better, without egos and politics getting in the way.

  • The highlight of my career so far has been:

    My appointment as the Instructional Design Expert and Teaching Skills Coach for the faculty at Columbia Business School.

  • My superpower as a coach is:

    Helping clients overcome perceived obstacles to achieve excellence in ways they never thought possible.

  • My philosophy on life is:

    “Do no harm, and treat others with kindness, caring, and respect.”

  • I hope my legacy is one of:

    Making a positive impact on people’s lives.

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