Kelly Plunkett
Facilitator
"Great leadership isn't a destination — it's an ongoing act of becoming. I believe every leader carries within them the capacity for extraordinary impact. My work is simply to create the conditions for that potential to emerge — through honest conversation, deep self-awareness, and the courage to act boldly on what matters most."
Kelly Plunkett brings a combination of firsthand executive leadership and transformational coaching to her work with leaders and organizations. With more than 20 years leading large, cross-functional teams inside a Fortune 20 healthcare organization, Kelly understands the complexity, the stakes, and the isolation that can come with senior leadership. That experience is not background color; it is the foundation of how she coaches.
Kelly's approach is grounded in insights-based decision making. She believes that leaders don't struggle because they lack information — they struggle because the pace and pressure of organizational life rarely creates space for the kind of honest self-reflection that produces real clarity. In partnership with Kelly, leaders develop deeper self-awareness, align their actions with their values, and move forward with the confidence that comes from truly knowing what they're solving for.
As an experienced facilitator, Kelly is equally at home guiding individual leaders and teams through transformation. Her sweet spot is working with leaders who are ready to reduce unproductive conflict, build genuine alignment around a shared mission, and create team cultures where people feel accountable, connected, and energized by the work ahead. Team members often describe a renewed sense of belonging — and a clarity of purpose — that they hadn't realized was missing.
Known for her ability to build high-performing teams from scratch, Kelly brings a practitioner's eye to leadership development engagements. She has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Virginia— a reflection of both her professional impact and her commitment to developing the next generation of bold, purposeful leaders.
Experience
- 20+ years leading sizable, cross-functional teams in a matrixed Fortune 20 healthcare organization
- Substantial executive leadership coaching experience working with over 200 clients across diverse industries, including Fortune 500 companies, tech start-ups, and non-profits.
- Generated $100M+ in annual cost-of-care savings through analytics, optimization, and innovation practices and achieved a 20% ($5M) reduction in administrative costs while improving NPS by 5+ basis points in just nine months through a full organizational overhaul
- Recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Virginia by Women We Admire
Education
- Executive Leadership Coaching Certificate - Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC) - International Coaching Federation (ICF)
- Holding Space Facilitation Certification - The Nebo Company
- B.A. - Columbia Southern University
- A., Economics - The College of William and Mary
- Certification Hogan Assessments with Advanced Interpretation
- GLA-MWV Certified - Global Leadership Assessment
Personal
- Kelly lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and 4 children.
- She is a continuous learner and is often exploring new training to enhance her coaching and facilitation practice. She is also currently an art student learning watercolor.
- Kelly enjoys the serenity of Smith Mountain Lake and spends time there each year to set her intention and strategy for what’s ahead.
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