New year, new CEO 🎉 and what that means for you!

At DevelopWell, we're not fans of the status quo. Even though it may be comfortable to keep things the way they've always been, we tell organizations we work with that it's okay to change. We always want to be open to whatever will create more spaciousness, more creativity, more joy in our business.  

Today, in the spirit of that openness, we're thrilled to announce Holly Witherington as our new CEO! 🎊

If you know us, you already know Holly—since 2019, she's been working tirelessly on DevelopWell's client success, business operations, recruitment, leadership coaching, and so much more. Now, she'll be shifting her focus to long-term business planning and how she can support the DevelopWell team as we expand our offerings. 

At the same time, DevelopWell founder Lola Elfman will become our Principal of Facilitation. If you've met Lola, this move probably makes sense. Lola started this company because she loves gathering people and hosting meaningful events, and now she'll be able to focus on the work she enjoys most. This means new workshops and more retreat offerings in 2024 and beyond! 🚀

You might be curious about how we came to this decision. Well, last fall, Holly and Lola met in New Orleans to talk about the future of DevelopWell. With new service offerings and new team members in the mix, it was time to get clear on their shared vision and how they could each support the company during this exciting period of growth. 

Their time together revealed that the best way to strategically grow the business would require shaking things up—in a big way. It became clear that Holly's strengths made sense for a CEO role, while Lola's strengths and interests align more with the potential of DevelopWell's expanded facilitation offerings. 

If we worked with a client in this same situation, our advice would be a no-brainer. We would 100% recommend making the change! So we decided to take our own advice and restructure the company to match the vision for the work, and we're fired up about the potential that lies ahead.

So, what does this mean for you? We're glad you asked because there are a lot of great things on the horizon:

  • 🌟 Three distinct areas of focus—People Operations and DEI, Facilitation and Coaching, and Talent Management and Recruitment 

  • 🌟 A new Principal of Talent Management and Recruitment starting in April 2024 (we can't share a name just yet, but trust us: this one's exciting!) 

  • 🌟 More robust DEI audits and training offerings from our new Principal of People Operations and DEI Consulting, Akailah Jenkins McIntyre 

  • 🌟 Lots and lots of recruitment to support you in scaling or filling key leadership roles

  • 🌟 The addition of a research and innovation staffer who will help us continually improve our offerings and approach 

  • 🌟 New services, more tools, and more experts on the team (but don't worry, we're still committed to remaining small and nimble!) 

While change can often be scary, this is what we do. We help organizations make the necessary decisions so that everyone can be supported in their leadership. 

Want to chat about how we can help you transform in 2024? Get in touch with us below!