Mary Key, Ph.D.
Leadership Expert. Executive Coach.
Author. Survivor.
I've spent my career helping leaders find
clarity and meaning in chaos.
Then my own heart taught me the
same lesson from the inside.
Mary's Story
From the Boardroom to the Operating Room
For over three decades, I have coached executives and built leadership programs for Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial enterprises, and government entities. Then in 2013, I survived eight hours of open-heart surgery, followed by a second surgery and months of relearning everything I thought I knew about strength and control.
I discovered something I now teach every client, audience, and reader: being cured and being healed are not the same thing. A cure shows up on a scan. Healing shows up in how you live and lead afterward, and in how you connect with the people around you.
Leadership and healing, I realized, ask the same questions: How do we build trust when the future feels unclear? How do we let go of what no longer serves us? What can emerge if we look at possibilities?
Those questions became the bridge between my life's work and my personal journey, and they inspired both Opened Heart and the Spiral of Healing, the framework that shapes my coaching today.
Mary's Approach & Philosophy
Leadership Rooted in Real Life
LEAD WITH PURPOSE
Purpose creates clarity, especially during uncertainty.
CHOOSE CONNECTION OVER CONTROL
Relationships remain our greatest source of resilience.
EMBRACE CHANGE AS A TEACHER
Transformation begins when we become willing to learn from adversity.
HEALING IS MORE THAN RECOVERY
Healing includes emotional, relational, and spiritual growth alongside physical restoration.
LEAVE EVERY PERSON BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM
Leadership is ultimately measured by the lives we influence.
Master Facilitator & Executive Leadership Coach
CREDENTIALS & BACKGROUND
Experience Built Through Leadership. Perspective Earned Through Life.
Mary Key, Ph.D., is a leadership development expert, international consultant, author, and trusted advisor to executives and organizations worldwide. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, Inc. 500 winners, government entities, and nonprofits across industries including healthcare, technology, finance, and manufacturing, with clients such as Ericsson, CitiFinancial, Raymond James, Nokia, Nissan, BayCare Health System, Stanford University Medicine, and Waymo.
She has coached over 100 CEOs and co-created Inc. Magazine's Eagles CEO program. Dr. Key earned her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and has served on multiple boards and leadership organizations, including the International Women’s Forum (IWF), the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF), and the Private Directors' Association (PDA). She is a lifelong advocate for animal welfare and co-founder of No More Homeless Pets.
Why Work with Mary
More than Experience. A Perspective Few Others Can Offer
Most executive coaches haven't faced a life-threatening health crisis. Most healing frameworks weren't built by someone who has also led boardrooms and coached CEOs. I bring both. Whether you're leading a team through change or finding your way back after your own personal crisis, you get a partner who creates environments where people feel challenged, inspired, and equipped to move forward.
Ways to Work Together
EXECUTIVE COACHING
Partner one-on-one to navigate leadership challenges, career transitions, and organizational growth with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.
LEADERSHIP FACILITATION
Guide executive teams and community groups through vision development, strategic planning, organizational change, and collaborative decision-making that strengthens trust and drives meaningful outcomes.
KEYNOTE SPEAKING
Inspire audiences with engaging presentations that blend leadership expertise, personal storytelling, and practical insights on resilience, transformation, and the human side of change.