Meet the Coach

JAMES SHELBY
Executive Coach

As an Executive Coach with CxO Coaching, James brings nearly four decades of proven leadership expertise in the Marines, federal government, and private sector, where he has honed his skills in executive and leadership coaching, professional development, talent management, and business optimization. After leading and developing Marines for over 20 years, James moved to the private and federal sectors in leadership roles including CLO, CHRO, COO, and CEO.

His life and career have provided broad experiences that sparked a passion for helping others reach their full potential. His experience and success across industries and sectors make him a sought-after expert for both speaking and writing engagements. From one-on-one executive coaching and team development, to leading large, distributed HR and talent capabilities, James is a dynamic change agent, successful in developing leaders, solving complex business challenges, and fostering diverse, inclusive, engaged work environments.

FUNCTIONAL EXPTERTISE

  • Executive Leadership (CEO, President, C-Suite roles)

  • Human Resources & Talent Acquisition (HR Operations, Recruiting, HRBP, Talent Mgmt & Development)

  • Operations (Day-to-day processes, Logistics, Supply Chain, Facilities)

  • Strategy & Corporate Development (M&A, Strategic Planning, Internal Consulting)

COACHING AREAS

  • Behavioral Coaching

  • Emotional Intelligence

  • Executive Coaching

  • Leadership Development

  • Transition Coaching

  • Executive Presence

  • Communications

COACHING APPROACH

James believes that people are the foundation of every successful institution or endeavor, which is why his coaching approach centers on building strong relationships grounded in empathy, active listening, and genuine trust. By creating a safe, authentic space for open dialogue, James helps clients explore their challenges honestly, collaborate on solutions, and develop the positive behavior changes that lead to lasting growth.

CLIENT FEEDBACK

"James is an experienced and accomplished professional with a sincere and profound will to help others. He leveraged his extensive experience leading people to provide great advice and drive behavior change. Through our coaching sessions, James demonstrated innumerable times his wit and insight, which resulted in effective and tangible recommendations. I would recommend James to anyone who is willing to continue to evolve and become a more well-rounded executive- 'rising the level of the ocean' for oneself and his/her company."

— Flavio Montini, CFO, 3G Capital