Tom Curren: About Me

Business consultant

For 30 years, as founder of Hawthorne Consultants, I have been developing a successful practice to align top teams, improve strategy execution, and shift organizational cultures. As a consultant, thought partner, coach and facilitator, I work primarily at the CEO and Division President level. I have done substantive work in media, oil and gas exploration, leisure products, health care, home building, financial services, retailing, travel, and industrial products.

Marriott Corporation. For 13 years, I served as Senior Vice President for Corporate Planning and Business Development at Marriott Corporation, where I contributed significantly to Marriott’s long-term growth. During my tenure, sales increased from $1 billion to $10 billion, with a compound profit growth rate of 17%. I was a member of the Finance Committee and considered one of the top 10 executives in the corporation. I created and introduced Courtyard by Marriott, currently a $500+ million business and the most preferred brand in the moderate lodging market.
McKinsey & Company. I have also been employed by McKinsey & Company, first as an Engagement Manager in the New York Office, and subsequently as a Fellow at the McKinsey Change Center, where I helped pioneer more comprehensive ways to improve performance and strategy execution.
A New York “Mad Man.” I began my career learning about marketing at Compton Advertising as an Account Executive on Procter & Gamble’s soaps and detergents business.
Naval Officer. I served as an officer in the United States Navy, managing 120 employees at a naval station, and operating off the coast of Vietnam on the USS Tappahannock.

Wharton MBA. I hold an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, with honors and a double emphasis in marketing and finance. I have a BA from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

I live in the open space outside of beautiful Boulder, Colorado with my wife, Donnie, and dog, Tessa. I have three grown children and a 14-year-old granddaughter going on 17.

Certifications in Business Processes

Coach U and BCoach certifications
Cognitive Edge (Cynefin complexity framework)
Dialogue Mapping Trainer
Grid International Trainer
Holacracy Facilitator
Implications Wheel Facilitator (Joel Barker)
Large Group Facilitation (Barbara Bunker)
Polarity Management Facilitator (Barry Johnson)
Corporate Transformational Tools Facilitator (Richard Barrett)
Spiral Dynamics Facilitator
Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership (Werner Erhard, Michael Jensen)

Contractor Work (absorbing a diverse set of approaches)

Alchemy Strategy Group (leadership coaching)
ARC International (vision-based change)
Aveus (strategy boutique)
Blu Skye (transformational systems, sustainability)
Granger Network (leadership coaching)
McKinsey Change Center (strategy implementation)
Trium (strategy + behavior integration)

In-Depth Collective Transpersonal Work

CEO Quotes about Tom Curren

“Tom introduced strategic planning to Marriott Corporation, and during his tenure as head of planning and new business development we grew from $1 billion to $10 billion…. He is an innovate out-of-the-box guy who was the product champion in creating Courtyard by Marriott. He also brought discipline to our team and kept us from getting into a lot of businesses that would have been mistakes for us.”

“Tom has been a trusted advisor to me from the day I took over the business. Over the last three years, he has helped me rebuild my team, clarify our strategy, create a culture of operational excellence, and provide invaluable coaching on numerous sensitive issues…. Now, in light of health care reform, he is helping to “rock the boat” having us look at entirely new business models.”

“Tom is really contributing to the momentum building here at Children’s Hospital. Our first offsite helped our new Executive Team get to know and trust one another…. After McKinsey helped us develop our new strategy, we brought Tom in again to align our team around the accountabilities needed to get it implemented. Along the way, he is teaching us new tools to help us think more clearly and take our teams up a couple of notches in performance.”

“The executive offsite with Tom Curren was the most powerful engagement experience any of us had ever been through.”

“Strategic planning is a process and an art form. Tom Curren was the one that could make both happen simultaneously. Strategic planning also requires an open mind and commitment. Tom held us accountable to do both.”