Meet Our Bench

Seasoned coaches & consultants with real-world experience.

We believe strong leadership starts with the right team. Our clients work with seasoned professionals — not junior consultants or off-the-shelf programs. Whether you’re facing a high-stakes people challenges or leading through change, you’ll be backed by experts with real-world experience and a focus on results that matter.

Meet Our Bench

We believe strong leadership starts with the right team. Our clients work with seasoned pros — not junior consultants or generic programs. Whether you’re facing high‑stakes challenges or leading through change, you’ll have experts with real‑world experience and a focus on results that matter.

Mike O'Neill

Founder & Executive Coach

  • Certified Executive Coach

  • SHRM-SPHR (Senior Professional in HR)

  • 20+ years in Fortune 500 HR leadership

  • Host of the Get Unstuck & On Target podcast

  • Expertise: executive coaching, succession planning, team alignment

  • Advisor to business owners, C-suite leaders, and growth-stage organizations

  • M.Ed., HR Development - Vanderbilt University

Great leadership isn’t about policies — it’s about people. That’s the lesson I learned early in my career and carried through more than two decades of Fortune 500 HR leadership.

Credentials & Highlights:

I’ve led through mergers, cultural shifts, and rapid growth — and learned how strong leadership not only drives performance but shapes culture. That experience led me to launch Bench Builders: a coaching and leadership development firm that helps business owners and executive teams lead with clarity, align their people, and scale with purpose.

Today, I work directly with leaders as an executive coach and advisor — combining real‑world experience with straight talk, practical tools, and a deep commitment to helping leaders thrive.

Rhonda Beard

Senior HR & Leadership Consultant

Rhonda is a seasoned HR leader with over 20 years of experience helping companies build resilient teams and navigate complex transitions. Before joining Bench Builders, she led HR functions in banking, manufacturing, transportation, and nonprofits — working with both Fortune 500 corporations and family-owned businesses.

Known for her practical approach and deep leadership insight, she specializes in aligning culture, equipping managers, and retaining top talent. She holds both SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications and brings a strategic, people-first mindset to every engagement.


Credentials & Highlights:

  • SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

  • Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

  • 20+ years in HR, operations, and people strategy leadership

  • Cross-industry experience in manufacturing, banking, logistics, and nonprofits

  • Specialist in leadership development, culture transformation, and strategic HR

  • Advisor to growing businesses navigating change, engagement, and performance

  • Known for her practical, people-centered approach to leadership and team success

  • B.A. in Business - Finance, University of Michigan-Flint

Mike O'Neill

Founder & Executive Coach

Great leadership isn’t about policies — it’s about people. That’s the lesson I learned early in my career and carried through more than two decades of Fortune 500 HR leadership.

Credentials & Highlights:

  • Certified Executive Coach

  • SHRM-SPHR (Senior Professional in HR)

  • 20+ years in Fortune 500 HR leadership

  • Host: Get Unstuck & On Target podcast

  • Expertise: executive coaching, succession planning, team alignment

  • Advisor to business owners, C-suite leaders, and growth-stage organizations

  • M.Ed., HR Development - Vanderbilt University

I’ve led through mergers, cultural shifts, and rapid growth — and learned how strong leadership not only drives performance but shapes culture. That experience led me to launch Bench Builders: a coaching and leadership development firm that helps business owners and executive teams lead with clarity, align their people, and scale with purpose.

Today, I work directly with leaders as an executive coach and advisor — combining real‑world experience with straight talk, practical tools, and a deep commitment to helping leaders thrive.

Rhonda Beard

Senior HR & Leadership Consultant

Rhonda is a seasoned HR leader with over 20 years of experience helping companies build resilient teams and navigate complex transitions.

Before joining Bench Builders, she led HR functions across industries including banking, manufacturing, transportation, and nonprofits — working with both Fortune 500 corporations and family-owned businesses.

Credentials & Highlights:

  • SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

  • Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

  • 20+ years in HR, operations, and people strategy leadership

  • Cross-industry experience in manufacturing, banking, logistics, and nonprofits

  • Specialist in leadership development, culture transformation, and strategic HR

  • Advisor to growing businesses navigating change, engagement, and performance

  • Known for her practical, people-centered approach to leadership and team success

  • B.A. in Business - Finance, University of Michigan-Flint

Known for her practical approach and deep leadership insight, Rhonda specializes in aligning culture, equipping managers, and retaining top talent. She holds both SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications and brings a strategic, people-first mindset to every engagement.

Skip the theory. Work with a team that's been there.

Join the Leaders Who Are Scaling Smarter, Not Harder

Skip the theory. Work with a team that's been there.

No matter your leadership challenge, we’ll create customized solutions to address it.

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