Our people
Steve Cornwell
Co-Founder and President
Steve Cornwell is a human resource professional and entrepreneur. He has spent over twenty years serving in various leadership roles, including founder, president and CEO of several business start-ups and growing companies. Having been a business owner and partner of several organizations, he is keenly aware of what it takes to build an organization with a sustainable comparative advantage.
Steve has been responsible for directing the selection, hiring, and personal and professional development of thousands of employees. He is a highly skilled certified consultant in The Birkman Method® and also holds additional certifications in Living in the Now®, Responsibility Centered Management, DISC, PIAV, Tri-Metrix, and MBTI®. Through the use of these tools, methodologies and his wealth of experience working with teams at all organizational levels, he has been successful in applying problem-solving prescriptions for selection and development issues that go straight to the bottom line.
Steve has also been successful as an executive in both Fortune 500 firms and privately held enterprises. He has coached executives and high-level senior managers to develop their managerial and leadership skills. He has a diverse background with specialized knowledge and expertise in the areas of human resources, organizational development, and recruitment. Prior to co-founding Symphony Advantage, his career included corporate positions working with Dollar General Corporation and Hollywood Entertainment, where he managed human resources professionals across a 30-state area and was responsible for employee relations, recruiting, training, executive succession planning, workers’ compensation and legal compliance.
Always putting people first, Steve is a proponent of the stakeholder economy in which leaders and employees support one another and thrive together.
Kent Gregoire
Co-Founder and CEO
Kent Gregoire is a serial entrepreneur, consultant and investor who believes in aligning profits with people and the planet. He is passionate about helping other business leaders unleash the full potential of their organizations.
Kent launched his first manufacturing company at age 14. Since then, he has founded or co-founded more than 15 companies. He has been the CEO of several companies including a live-answering call service, corporate event planning, financial services, medical devices, college and university administrative software, non-ancillary healthcare benefits, web media, branding, executive centers, commercial playground equipment manufacturing, accounting and more.
In addition, Kent has raised over $250 million in capital and negotiated the successful exit of 15+ companies, including his own and that of his clients. He has been providing consulting and coaching services to C-level executives for over 35 years and is one of the first certified conscious capitalism consultants in the world.
In particular, Kent is a sought-after consultant who helps his clients build a 21st-century business model, foster a caring work culture and provide strategic coaching for professional salespeople to C-level executives.
Kent is a coveted speaker who has shared his experience and insights to engage audiences around the world in venues such as the United Nations, the Entrepreneur’s Organization, FintechSouth, and many others. He is a published author in the Harvard Business Review as well as a contributor to Inc.com and Forbes.