Gayle Whyte

Gayle Karen Young is a culture-builder and a catalyst for human and organizational development. She comes from a rich organizational consulting background with both corporate and nonprofit clients. She was in process of becoming a monk when she became an executive instead, taking on the role of Chief Culture and Talent Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia and its sister free-knowledge projects) until early 2015, when she decided to return to private practice as a rogue provocateur. Born in the Philippines to Chinese parents and raised in the United States, she has a multicultural perspective, an adventurous spirit, and a deep commitment to expanding human freedom.

Gayle works to create dynamic organizational cultures in which people can thrive and thus make greater contributions. She acts as the interface between individuals and the systems within which they work, and fosters the development of both. From high-level strategic thinking to practical implementation, her skills include leadership development, change management, instructional design, training, strategic communications, team building, and personal and organizational transformation. Gayle has a rare capacity to hold multiple perspectives at once, remaining sensitive to the needs of diverse stakeholders and working for higher synthesis. Combining wisdom and warmth with expertise and effectiveness, she elicits trust and inspires transformation. Her clients have ranged from McDonald’s Corporation to Kaiser Permanente to Yale University to Ernst & Young.

Gayle is passionate about global women’s issues and supporting women in leadership. She has worked as a facilitator for the Stanford Graduate School of Business Interpersonal Dynamics course and their Women in Management program, and mentors for programs such as the Unreasonable Institute and Singularity University. She is keenly interested in the intersection of technology and human rights and supports futurist humanitarian causes.

Education

• B.A. Scripps College (1993 — 1997)
• Master's degree Alliant International University-San Francisco Bay (2001 — 2007)
• B.A., magna cum laude University of San Francisco (1998 — 2000)
• St. Joseph High School (1989 — 1993)

Companies

• Activator SheEO™ (2021)
• Faculty & Senior Consultant Full Circle Group (2017)
• Consultant Cultivating Leadership (2016)
• Chief Talent and Culture Officer (CTCO) Wikimedia Foundation (2011 — 2015)
• Advisory Board Member The Ada Initiative (2012 — 2015)
• Board President Spark (2009 — 2014)
• Senior Associate GOTHAMculture (2011 — 2011)
• Executive Coach Emergent Solutions (2011 — 2011)
• Facilitator (Interpersonal Dynamics and Women in Management) Stanford Graduate School of Business (2003 — 2011)

Skills

• Talent Management
• Employee Engagement
• Career Development

Other

Nonprofit Organizations, Culture Change, Emotional Intelligence, Research, Community Outreach, Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Learning, Organizational Design, Leadership Retreats, Instructional Design, Internal Communications, Executive Development, 360 Feedback, Management Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Program Management, Fundraising, Group Dynamics, Employee Relations, Coaching, Thought Leadership, Executive Coaching, Personal Development, MBTI, Management, Facilitation, Strategic Communications, Public Speaking, Nonprofits, Strategic Planning, Team Building, Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Training, Change Management, Leadership, Organizational Development, Leadership Development