Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching

President's Welcome

I am honored to serve as president of GSAEC this year and, on behalf of the Board of Directors, welcome you to the GSAEC website.

It is an exciting and pivotal time for the Alliance.  As the demand for organizational and executive coaching continues to grow exponentially, two questions are emerging with increasing strength and clarity:  Is Executive Coaching a profession?  If so, what is the educational discipline that provides it with a solid foundation and framework?   Believing that the former is possible only as an outcome of the latter, GSAEC is committed to leading the effort for graduate schools (with their unique capacity for academic rigor and substantive research) to set the standards of excellence for the evolving field.

In 2008, GSAEC, with its infrastructure firmly in place, curriculum guidelines written and ready for distribution, and a significant research project well under way, will be expanding its membership to those dedicated to professionalizing the practice through graduate education.  We invite you to join us.

Ruth L. Orenstein, Psy.D.




What is Our Mission?

To establish and maintain standards for education and training provided by academic institutions for the discipline and practice of executive and organizational coaching.


What is Executive Coaching?

Executive and Organizational Coaching is a development process that builds a leader's capabilities to achieve professional and organizational goals. A leader is an individual who has the potential of making a significant contribution to the mission and purpose of the organization. This coaching is conducted through one-on-one and group interactions, driven by evidence/data from multiple perspectives, and is based on mutual trust and respect. The coach, individuals being coached, and their organizations work in partnership to help achieve the agreed upon goals of the coaching.