Rich Podurgal, Associate

Rich Podurgal is a senior executive with over 25 years of management experience. He currently serves as an associate at Square Peg Consulting and as the Chief Human Resources Officer at HealthDecisions, a clinical research organization.

Before joining Square Peg in 2007, he was Group Vice-President of Organization & People Development for Constella Group, LLC, a professional services firm addressing global public health issues. As the leader of the HR and Corporate Communications functions and a member of the executive leadership team, Rich helped the company grow from just 180 employees located in three US states to a global company with over 1,400 employees working in 40 countries. During his tenure, Constella received numerous awards for its culture, including Best Places To Work four years in a row. Rich played a key role in the integration and assimilation of six acquisitions and built a robust leadership development and succession planning process. In 2002, Rich introduced Crucial Conversations to the company and positively shifted the way individuals and groups interact and collaborate with one another.

Prior to joining Constella Group, Rich served as Director of Corporate Learning and Development for Glaxo Wellcome, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. As the leader of the learning and development function, Rich was responsible for the overall strategy and execution of professional development, management development, and executive development processes. He partnered with top global executive development faculty from Duke University, the London Business School, and INSEAD to design and faciliate a program for the top 300 executives around the world. He also lead the team responsible for developing, with Columbia University, the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program for senior global managers. Prior to this role, Rich held several other management positions within Glaxo, including Manager of Training and Organization Development for Technical Operations and Manager of Human Resources for Commercial Operations. In this role, Rich implemented a merit-based pay structure for the field sales force, developed a behaviorally-anchored performance management process, and developed a career pathing process for Sales and Marketing staff.

Before joining Glaxo, Rich held management positions within the aerospace, textiles, and trucking industries. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and is qualified to deliver training in Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations, Situational Leadership, Large-Scale Change, Interaction Management, and Targeted Selection. In addition, he is trained and certified in the use of various assessment instruments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Highlands Ability Battery, and SkillsScope. Rich holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Economics from St. Ambrose University and a Master's Degree in Adult Education from North Carolina State University.

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