Meet our team of experts
Raphael Crawford
Principal, Executive Coach and Advisor, Boulder24
Raphael Crawford is an executive coach and business advisor with deep experience in enterprise leadership, strategic planning, and organizational transformation. He works with senior executives and leadership teams to strengthen performance, navigate complexity, and lead effectively through periods of growth, change, and market volatility.
Raphael brings more than 25 years of global operating experience across the chemical, industrial, and consumer sectors. He most recently served as President and CEO of Ketjen Corporation and previously held senior executive and corporate officer roles at Albemarle, Rockwood Specialties, Dow, Rohm and Haas, Campbell Soup Company, and AT&T. He also serves as a senior advisor to Egon Zehnder and Emergent Method.
As a coach, Raphael draws on his experience as a CEO and board-level leader to provide pragmatic, candid counsel. His work focuses on helping executives translate insight into action, build credibility with stakeholders, and lead with clarity and confidence in complex environments.
Raphael holds an MS in Finance from the University of New Haven and a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a Leadership and Performance Coaching certification from Brown University. He is also a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Alison Portnoy, M.D.
Executive Coach and Advisor, Boulder24
Dr. Alison Portnoy is an executive coach and physician-leader whose work is shaped by decades of senior leadership in pharmaceutical R&D and clinical innovation. She supports leaders operating at the intersection of scientific rigor, organizational complexity, and high-stakes decision-making.
Board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Alison has held Vice President–level leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline, where she led global clinical and discovery organizations and helped establish the company’s first R&D unit focused on consumer healthcare innovation. Her experience spans early discovery through proof of concept, regulatory engagement, and portfolio strategy across multiple therapeutic areas.
As a coach, Alison works particularly well with physician-executives, scientific leaders, and technically accomplished executives expanding into broader enterprise roles. Her coaching style is direct, grounded, and pragmatic—helping leaders sharpen judgment, strengthen executive presence, and translate expertise into sustained leadership impact.
Alison earned her MD from Yale University School of Medicine and her BA in Biology from Barnard College. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has received multiple industry and academic awards recognizing leadership and innovation.
Tom Griggs
Executive Coach and Advisor, Boulder24
Tom Griggs is an executive coach whose work is shaped by experience leading, teaching, and advising individuals and organizations in mission-driven and nonprofit environments. He brings a reflective and grounded approach to coaching, helping leaders build clarity, resilience, and adaptability amid complexity and change.
Tom’s background includes more than fifteen years in education, the arts, and nonprofit leadership. He has served as a university professor and as a nonprofit executive director, working closely with leaders navigating growth, transition, and resource constraints. These roles required thoughtful decision-making, strong relationship management, and leadership under ambiguity.
As a coach, Tom works especially well with leaders seeking to broaden perspective, strengthen self-awareness, and lead with greater intention. His coaching emphasizes listening, inquiry, and sense-making to translate reflection into purposeful action.
Tom holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Wesleyan University and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Kathleen Spector Ph.D.
Executive Coach and Advisor, Boulder24
Dr. Kathleen (Kate) Spector is an executive coach with deep expertise in leadership development, executive assessment, and organizational effectiveness. She works with senior leaders to clarify priorities, strengthen leadership capability, and navigate complexity in high-accountability environments.
Kate brings more than 35 years of experience working with executives, senior managers, and leadership teams across sectors including telecommunications, energy and power generation, aviation, higher education, government, and nonprofit organizations. Her background includes leading executive assessment and succession planning programs, directing internal consulting and organizational development functions, and teaching MBA-level leadership curriculum.
As a coach, Kate is known for a thoughtful, structured, and highly practical approach. She partners with leaders to increase self-awareness, challenge assumptions, and translate insight into clear, measurable action. Her work emphasizes aligning individual leadership effectiveness with organizational goals while supporting leaders through change, growth, and competing demands.
Kate holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Union Institute & University, a BS in Business from Charter Oak State College, and a Business Certificate in Executive Education from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is a certified administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Art Gechman, Ph.D.
Executive Coach and Advisor, Boulder24
Dr Arthur (Art) Gechman is an executive coach and organizational advisor who works with senior leaders navigating complexity, change, and first-time conditions. His coaching focuses on helping executives learn deliberately from experience and translate insight into sustained leadership effectiveness, organizational impact, improved financial performance and playing at the top of their game.
Art brings more than three decades of experience advising executives and leadership teams across a wide range of industries. In addition to his advisory work, he spent nearly ten years in senior executive roles, giving him firsthand experience with enterprise leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, and organizational accountability.
As a coach, Art is known for a thoughtful, disciplined, and highly practical approach. He partners with leaders to sharpen judgment and performance, increase self-awareness, and strengthen their ability to lead through ambiguity. His work integrates behavioral insight, systems thinking, and real-world operating experience to build resilience, adaptability, and long-term effectiveness.
Art holds a PhD from Case Western Reserve University, with doctoral training in organizational and clinical psychology, and has held fellowships at the Center for Creative Leadership and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Chiara Běslija
Leadership Consultant, Boulder24
Chiara Bešlija is a leadership consultant at Boulder24 LLC, supporting executive assessment and leadership development engagements through research, analysis, and project coordination. She contributes to executive interviews, assessment synthesis, and the development of leadership insights across complex client assignments.
Chiara brings a strong foundation in psychology and organizational behavior. She is pursuing graduate studies in Clinical Psychology and in People, Organizations, and Change at Erasmus University Rotterdam, following a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Amsterdam. In parallel with her advisory work, she is the founder of Ki Lija, an independent slow-fashion brand based in Amsterdam dedicated to creating pieces that support women in their personal expression, grounded in the belief that fashion should align with both individual style and conscious values.
Based in Europe, Chiara works across international and cross-cultural contexts, bringing analytical rigor, intellectual curiosity, and thoughtful judgment to Boulder24’s leadership advisory work.