The Numbers Tell Our Story

11+ Years in Business

11+ Years in Business

60+ Corporate & Nonprofit Clients

60+ Corporate & Nonprofit Clients

65% Client Expansion & Rehire Rate

65% Client Expansion & Rehire Rate

15 Professionals (Executives, Coaches, and Authors)

15 Professionals (Executives, Coaches, and Authors)

12 Leadership Practice Specialties

12 Leadership Practice Specialties

10 Proven Proprietary Methods

10 Proven Proprietary Methods

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Achieving Results Through Leadership

We’re dedicated to helping organizations elevate their culture, achieve results, and meet mission through expert collaborations that produce future-ready leaders, today.

We’re a minority, woman-owned business operating as a small business enterprise. We have a national presence with our 20+ professionals, advisors, and partners located across the country, including in Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, and Jacksonville, FL. And, we have global reach with our seamless support of clients with international operations.

Our Unique Advantage

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Operator-Led Expertise

We're not just consultants; we're experienced business operators with high emotional intelligence and a proven track record.

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Impactful Leadership Training and Development

Our customized, innovation-driven development delivers measurable results for your leaders and your goals.

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The Crossing Meridians® Method

Our proprietary approach cultivates visionary leaders and cultures of continuous improvement for lasting change.

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Meet Our Leaders

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Cynthia Hardy

Managing Principal

Creator, Crossing Meridians® Leadership Development Method

Cynthia Hardy

 

A Leader in Business Transformation

Cynthia is the visionary behind Pivot Global Partners, a professional services firm dedicated to guiding clients through innovation-driven leadership changes that reposition them for success. Her career includes managing and repositioning multi-billion-dollar profit and loss divisions for publicly traded insurance companies, both domestically and internationally. She also has a strong background in law, having practiced as an attorney in both law firm and corporate environments. Currently, Cynthia serves as an independent corporate director and lends her expertise as an advisor to technology start-ups in various sectors.

Distinguished Career Highlights

Before establishing Pivot Global Partners, Cynthia held significant leadership roles, including:

  • Global Head of Agency for AIG
  • President of Encompass Insurance
  • President of Hanover Insurance’s Personal Lines Division

Her experience also extends to various P&L management roles at The Hartford and Progressive Insurance. Early in her career, Cynthia honed her legal skills as a litigation associate at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.

Author, Speaker, and Thought Leader

Cynthia is a respected author, speaker, and lecturer, frequently sharing her unique insights on the crucial intersection of leadership and innovation and the core elements that drive organizational success. Her acclaimed book, Crossing Meridians: Engineering Disruption to Become a More Effective Leader, is utilized as a leadership development tool by Fortune 25 organizations. Kirkus Reviews hails it as 'cohesive and impassioned; a bold, engaging path to effective leadership.'

Commitment to Community and Education

Beyond her professional achievements, Cynthia is deeply committed to community engagement. She actively mentors young professionals, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and holds and holds the position of Director Emerita of the National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C., where she previously chaired the Governance Committee. Her dedication to education and global endeavors is evident through her past service on several boards, including:

  • Boys & Girls Club of Harlem
  • Institute for Student Achievement in NYC
  • Communities in Schools of Chicago
  • World Trade Center Atlanta

Education and Global Perspective

Cynthia's academic foundation includes:

  • Bachelor's Degree (Summa Cum Laude): Economics from Xavier University of Louisiana
  • Juris Doctor (J.D.): University of Notre Dame School of Law
    • Furthered her global understanding through the Notre Dame Mathias Concannon International Law Program in London, England.
  • Recognized by Notre Dame: Celebrated as a 'visionary' and 'different kind of lawyer' for her innovative blend of business, legal, and social impact in leadership.
  • Exchange student: YFU-U.S./Japan Diet Exchange Program – Yokohama, Japan

A Global Citizen Championing Connection

With a history of living on three continents and working in dozens of countries, Cynthia champions domestic and international experiences that encourage individuals to bridge divides and foster connection.

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Maria Foxhall

Principal, Development

Leadership Strategy, ROI & Measurement Systems

Maria Foxhall

 

Maria Foxhall is Principal of Development at Pivot Global Partners, where she spearheads Sales and focuses on leadership strategy, ROI, and measurement systems for clients. With decades of experience across business solutions, financial services, and consulting, Maria is a driving force in optimizing organizational performance and leadership development.

A Career Defined by Impact

Maria's professional background spans over 25 years in insurance, sales and marketing, and risk management. Her financial services career includes senior executive roles in sales with:

  • Marsh McLennan
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Ohio
  • Wells Fargo

Adding to her diverse experience, Maria also co-owned a multi-line insurance brokerage, giving her a unique, hands-on perspective on business operations.

Driving Growth and Cultivating Talent

Maria possesses a strong track record in developing and retaining top-tier sales professionals, relationship managers, and operations staff. She builds robust relationships with clients and their senior leadership teams, consistently achieving:

  • Optimized ROI
  • Revitalized stagnant and declining revenues for a wide range of organizations, from Fortune 100 companies to middle-market firms and start-ups

Strategic Partner and Client Champion

At Pivot Global Partners, Maria doesn't just lead sales and marketing; she's deeply embedded in client success. She collaborates closely with both nonprofit and corporate clients to:

  • Customize development and training programs
  • Uncover and refine talent-related strategies
  • Align client ROI and goals with Pivot Global Partners' services
  • Design effective measurement systems to track progress
  • Ensure the sustainability of the work we do with clients

Expertise Rooted in Transformative Leadership

Maria's approach is significantly shaped by her prior experience in assessing and redesigning strategy and operations. She's driven change for a diverse array of public and private entities, non-profits, and municipal institutions, with a particular focus on talent and leadership development. Her portfolio includes collaborations with:

  • Morehouse
  • Spelman
  • The Atlanta University Center's Woodruff Library
  • Sax
  • RSM
  • All Care Family Services
  • The University Foundation at Chicago State University
  • Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
  • Premier Farnell
  • Health First
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
  • Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority

Academic Foundation

Maria holds an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Notre Dame College of Ohio.

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Allan Lubitz

Advisor

Technology, Innovation & Transformation Leadership

Allan Lubitz

 

Allan Lubitz is a seasoned advisor at Pivot Global Partners, bringing over two decades of transformative leadership in technology, innovation, and transformation. His expertise, honed as a CIO in national and international multi-billion dollar corporations, centers on driving operational excellence and strategic growth across diverse industries.

A Career of Digital Reinvention

Allan's career spans critical sectors including insurance, financial services, healthcare, high-tech, and aerospace. At the heart of his success lies a focus on leadership, enabling him to spearhead or play a pivotal role in:

  • Leadership Transformation
  • Strategic Planning & Roadmaps
  • Innovation & Operational Redesign
  • Sales and Marketing Optimization

He has driven significant impact for both public and private entities, including notable names like Mercury General Corp., Auto Insurance Specialists, Workmen’s Insurance, H&R Block, Option One Mortgage, ANR Consulting Group, Kaiser Permanente, and GMAC/Ditech.

Leading Edge in Insurance Technology

As the chief information officer at Mercury Insurance, Allan was the architect of the company’s enterprise technology and digital transformation vision. He expertly guided investments in crucial areas:

  • Customer Solutions
  • Product Implementations
  • Machine Learning & Data Analytics
  • Advanced Software Systems
  • Global IT Operations
  • Robust Cyber Protection

Notably, Allan’s team achieved a significant milestone by being the first to implement Guidewire’s InsuranceSuite and Portal Solutions.

Revolutionizing Financial Services

Allan's impact on the financial services industry is equally high impact. As Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer at H&R Block/Option One Mortgage, he spearheaded the complete transformation of the core loan origination system. His teams were instrumental in:

  • Building cutting-edge web-based B2B and B2C platforms
  • Introducing rule-based automated underwriting
  • Developing a fully automated loan servicing platform

Earlier in his career, as senior vice president and CIO at a division of First American Financial (which later became CoreLogic), Allan adeptly managed all technology aspects. He forged successful business partnerships that significantly boosted customer competitiveness and profitability. He also led the transformation of core systems, delivering solutions for real estate, mortgages, title insurance, and appraisals.

Beyond the C-Suite: Educator and Advisor

Allan's influence extends beyond corporate leadership. He serves as a university lecturer and senior industry fellow, offering his insights as a consultant, strategic advisor, and board member, including his service as a board director for Option One India Private Ltd.

Academic Foundation

Allan's educational background includes an MBA focused on International Business from Loyola Marymount University, complemented by a bachelor’s degree in Biology and pre-med sciences from Hiram College.

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Chinikqua Maddox

Principal, Operations

Leadership Strategy, ROI & Measurement Systems

Chinikqua Maddox

 

Chinikqua Maddox is Principal of Operations at Pivot Global Partners where she leads operations management and specializes in client leadership strategy, ROI, and measurement systems. She's a skilled business leader with deep expertise in technology, innovation, and operations, adept at translating complex business strategies into actionable results for technology and financial services firms.

Driving Efficiency and Innovation

Chinikqua has a proven track record of success, consistently enhancing productivity, improving access to and utilization of shared information, and boosting efficiency through smart process improvements and expense reductions. Throughout her career, she has excelled at:

  • Identifying strategic initiatives
  • Leading new product innovation through every stage of planning, development, and implementation across various functions and teams

Her approach is fact-based, emphasizing data analytics to make well-informed decisions regarding technology spending and operations management. By effectively partnering with technology service providers, Chinikqua has consistently delivered measurable cost savings, significant efficiency improvements, and profitable growth.

Leading Operations at Pivot Global

At Pivot Global Partners, Chinikqua is the driving force behind all aspects of operations management. This includes nurturing crucial relationships with:

  • Clients
  • Consultants
  • Vendors

With her innovation mindset and systems approach, Chinikqua ensures Pivot Global consistently delivers a superior customer experience. Beyond her operational leadership, Chinikqua also has successfully led client engagements focused on innovation and talent re-engineering.

A Career of Strategic Leadership

Chinikqua's career journey includes key leadership roles across prominent organizations:

  • VP of IT and Business Analytics Operations at Brightway Insurance
  • Leadership roles in underwriting at Citizens Insurance
  • Product Management and IT at Hanover Insurance
  • Strategy at The Hartford
  • Engineering at IBM

She also has successfully led diverse teams, including:

  • Business Analysts
  • Financial Analysts
  • Vendor Managers
  • Various operations groups, such as product managers, underwriters, quality assurance, and project managers

Academic Excellence

Chinikqua is an alumna of Duke University, where she earned:

  • A bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Pratt School of Engineering
  • A MEM (Master of Engineering Management) from the Pratt School of Engineering
  • An MBA from the Fuqua School of Business.
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Fay Cobb Payton

Advisor

Technology, Innovation & Transformation Leadership

Fay Cobb Payton

 

Fay Cobb Payton is an advisor in technology, innovation, and transformation leadership, powerfully shaping the STEM ecosystem. Her thought leadership stands at the intersection of data, artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare, technology, and talent development.

A Career Bridging Academia and Industry

Fay's career has seamlessly woven together significant roles in both the private sector and as a respected academic. She has held pivotal positions at:

    • EY Consulting, contributing to their National Health Practice
    • Time Inc., where she focused on logistics and distribution
    • IBM, making contributions in manufacturing. Her private sector work spanned critical areas including healthcare, technology, finance, and insurance

Academic Excellence

As a professor emerita and tenured full professor of information technology analytics at North Carolina State University, Fay has been recognized as a University Faculty Scholar. In this role, she has spearheaded initiatives that successfully translated cutting-edge research into practical solutions for pressing societal challenges. Her academic research delves into vital areas such as AI fairness, health tech, data science, and tech innovation/entrepreneurship.

National Leadership and Influence

During her tenure at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Fay played a crucial role in advancing scientific frontiers on several fronts:

  • She led the CISE Research Expansion Program
  • She made significant contributions to numerous NSF initiatives, earning the prestigious NSF Director’s Award
  • Her involvement included pivotal programs like NSF/NIH Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of AI and Advanced Data Science, the Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Program, and Excellence-In-Research for CISE

Fay has also lent her expertise to esteemed organizations, serving on committees for the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE, National Academies for Science, Engineering, and Medicine, INFORMS, and the American Council for Education.

A Respected Voice and Prolific Scholar

Fay's extensive scholarship is evidenced by over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference publications, and book chapters. She is a highly sought-after speaker, consultant, and panelist, addressing critical topics such as:

  • Leadership and Talent Management
  • Data and Algorithmic Bias
  • Career Development
  • Tech Excellence

Her insightful perspectives have been featured in media outlets and events, including Scientific American, MIT Tech Review, IEEE Spectrum, Capital B, Forbes, and the Brookings Institution.

Strong Academic Foundations

Fay's educational background includes:

  • A bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Clark Atlanta University
  • A bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
  • An MBA in Decision Sciences from Clark Atlanta University
  • A Ph.D. in Information and Decision Systems (now known as the Design and Innovation group) from Case Western Reserve University.
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Jaye Smith

Senior Consultant & Advisor

Leadership Development & Training

Jaye Smith

 

Jaye Smith is an experienced senior consultant and advisor, specializing in leadership development and training. Known for her engaging, compassionate, yet challenging approach, Jaye serves as an intuitive coach to executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Multidimensional Expertise

Jaye's insights stem from her blended experience as a serial entrepreneur, seasoned executive, accomplished author, and respected university faculty member. She brings a holistic perspective to her work, partnering with a wide spectrum of organizations, from Fortune 100 and 500 companies to mid-sized firms and startups, as a go-to expert in talent, leadership coaching, and team facilitation. Notably, she has been a core coach and facilitator for Prudential Financial for over 24 years.

Jaye is driven by her mission to help others:

  • Uncover their true purpose, direction, and leadership brand
  • Build clear roadmaps to realize their goals and unlock their full potential as leaders

Her specific areas of focus include:

  • Talent Management and Workforce Strategies
  • Strategies for Innovators and Executives at All Levels
  • Communication and Collaboration Enhancement
  • Team Development and Engagement

Entrepreneurial Vision and Impact

As a successful business leader and entrepreneur, Jaye has founded three companies:

  • Reboot Partners (Co-founder): Develops and delivers practical, transformative programs designed to support succession and workforce planning
  • Breakwater Consulting (Founder): Provided executive coaching from the board level down to the C-suite and mid-level managers, equipping leaders with tools to strengthen their impact. Through her expertise in team building and innovative approaches, Jaye has helped over 100 companies assess their needs and culture, craft strategic solutions, overcome conflicts, and align both intact and cross-functional teams with organizational missions and visions
  • Partner's International (Co-founder & President): As a leading woman-owned human capital firm, Jaye and her partner revolutionized service delivery paradigms. At Partner's, she headed the business consulting, executive coaching, and women's leadership practices

Jaye's client roster is extensive, having supported high-potential and senior executive leadership and team development initiatives for scores of companies, including Prudential Financial, SwissRe, Axa, Ernst & Young, BlackRock, Merrill Lynch, Chase, Burberry USA, Pfizer, and HBO.

Educator, Author, and Lifelong Learner

Beyond her consulting work, Jaye is an honored adjunct faculty member at New York University and a lead facilitator for the City University of New York's leadership program, 'Managing for Innovation.' She has also designed and facilitated a crucial leadership program for managers and leaders of community-based initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty.

Published Works & Thought Leadership

Jaye is a published author, having co-authored three books:

  • Venus Unbound: A guide focused on building self-esteem in women
  • The Retirement Boom—The All-Inclusive Guide to Money, Life, and Health in Your Next Chapter
  • Reboot Your Life: Enhance Your Career and Life by Taking a Break

Education & Continuous Growth

Jaye’s dedication to continuous growth is reflected in her academic background and ongoing education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from City College of the City University of New York
  • M.A. in Counseling Psychology from New York University
  • Numerous certifications and courses, including Creativity and Personal Mastery, Master Facilitation with Roger Greenaway, Birkman Certified, Emotional Competence Inventory Certified, Integrative Sound and Music Institute, and Mary Morrissey’s Dream Builder Program.
 
 
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Ready to Build a Different Kind of Leader

If you’re seeking a partner to guide your leadership pivot, connect with us today. Let’s discuss how we can help prepare your leaders to be future-ready, today.

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