About Karen Failes-Coad

Karen Failes-Coad is a certified executive coach, seasoned business leader and leadership consultant working with individuals, teams and organizations to help them recognize that they have the capacity and tools to create positive change, both personally and professionally.

Karen brings over three decades of experience as a senior leader with a broad expertise including team leadership, P&L ownership of 3 multimillion-dollar businesses, human resources and executive coaching. Her most recent corporate experience was the Principal Consultant responsible for the strategy and execution of the Executive Coaching Program at the Target Corporation. She served in this role for over 4 years, coaching senior Target leaders and orchestrating the program that delivered coaching to over 200 clients in this time frame.  

As an executive coach, Karen connects whole-heartedly with her clients to help them identify their core values, talents, and opportunities which leads them to improved leadership abilities.

Representative Assignments

• As a retail organization, Target Corporation has numerous divisions in the enterprise. Karen coached newly promoted Senior Directors, VPs and SVPs in many areas, for example:
  • Legal – Assistant General Counsel, General Counsel Target Canada
  • Marketing – SVP, Chief Creative Officer, VP Target Canada
  • com – Chief Digital Officer
  • Finance – VP Process and Technology, SVP Business Development/ Treasurer
  • IT – VP Digital Technology, SVP Technology Services
• CEO of a media start-up who spent more than 20 years as a news anchor and investigative reporter as he began his first venture as a CEO and leader of an organization.
• Partner from a top 100 full-service law firm with more than 30 years of experience as he moved into the role of Executive Director of a nationally affiliated non-profit.
• Female senior leaders in male dominated industries and organizations as they prepared for promotion to the next level.

Additional Experience and Approach

Prior to certification as an executive coach from the Hudson Institute of Coaching, Karen  ran profitable businesses for 14 years, sustaining increased sales and profits year after year and gained knowledge of team building, strategy development, supplier relationships, supply chain, negotiation, marketing and all the other components of managing a P&L. Additionally, 16 years of Human Resource leadership provided expertise in succession planning, leadership development, talent management, organizational structure, diversity strategy and more.  She is known for her ability to think things through by looking at many perspectives, listening intently, articulating what is possible and what it will take to get the job done.  

Her ability to authentically relate with a wide variety of people creates a safe environment for her clients which allows her to pose candid challenges yet provide genuine support. This approach leads her clients to identify their desired change, to set actionable, meaningful goals and to hold themselves accountable to better results and improved leadership ability. 

Karen served as the National Chair of the Conference Board’s Council on Executive Coaching. She is the Past President and Board Member for the International Coach Federation, Minnesota Chapter, is a pro bono coach with Giving WoMN and the Constellation Fund. She serves as adjunct faculty for the Executive Coaching in Organizations coach certification program.