Nancy Capistran
Executive Coach | Risk/Crisis Advisor | Board Director | Internationally Published Author
Growth-minded professional service executives—CEOs, managing partners, and senior leaders whose firms sell expertise, not products. Specifically, those navigating strategic inflection points: rapid growth that's outpacing infrastructure, stepping into a new executive role, or preparing for succession.
If you're already successful and now facing decisions where the stakes feel higher and the counsel feels thinner, you're in the right place.
Strategic inflection points create isolation. The higher you climb, the fewer people you can confide in without consequence. You need someone who understands the weight of what you're facing, sees around corners you can't, and won't flinch when the conversation gets hard.
I bring three distinct lenses to every engagement: executive coach, risk/crisis advisor, and board director. This combination allows me to see your challenges from angles most advisors miss—and provide counsel that's immediately actionable.
I've been called a "velvet covered brick"—firm clarity delivered with unwavering support. Always in your corner, never in your blind spot.
I created the Capistran Personalized Competency Calculator (CPCC)—a strategic assessment tool for evaluating executive leadership and board effectiveness. It provides critical insights into leadership styles, stress responses, and change management aptitude, enhancing decision-making and governance in dynamic business environments.
My proprietary framework, Expanding Human Excellence®, has guided hundreds of CEOs and executive teams across diverse industries to transcend limitations and achieve results that once seemed out of reach.
My experience positions me for Strategic Planning, Governance, Risk, and Ethics Committees.
Mark A. Pfister - 'The Board Architect', Founder & CEO of the International Board Director Competency Designation (IBDC.D) and M.A. Pfister Strategy Group, has said:
"Nancy's deep expertise and experience is coveted among modern, highly effective Boards. Her unique combination of leadership acumen and operational awareness make her an exceptional Independent Director."
I've built three companies from the ground up: Capistran Leadership (Founder), Crisis Interception (Co-Founder, Managing Partner), and SHIFT Coaching & Consulting (Co-Founder, Managing Partner). I know what it means to carry decisions that keep you awake at night.
For nearly six years as a Vistage Chair, I coached CEOs and business owners through growth, transition, and complex leadership challenges—facilitating peer advisory groups and providing one-on-one executive coaching that delivered measurable results.
Before launching my own firms, I spent 13 years at Bose Corporation—a multi-billion-dollar global company—progressing through roles spanning new product development, service, compliance, risk, and crisis management. That operational foundation gives me a lens most coaches simply don't have.
I've coached leaders from revenue-generating startups to multi-billion-dollar global companies across a wide range of industries. The through-line: helping already successful executives make the decisions that define their next chapter.
I hold multiple international certifications that position me uniquely in this work:
Coaching:
- PCC (Professional Certified Coach) – International Coaching Federation
- CPC (Certified Professional Coach) – Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Board Governance:
- IBDC.D (International Board Director Competency Designation) – M.A. Pfister Strategy Group
I'm likely the only professional in New England holding dual international coaching certifications (PCC and CPC) alongside the IBDC.D—meaning I can coach you through executive challenges while understanding the governance dynamics and board-level implications of your decisions.
Education:
- B.S. in Business Administration, Northeastern University
- Master Certification in Project Management, George Washington University
- Graduate, FBI Citizens Academy (active Alumni Association member)
Previous Certifications:
- Certified Corporate Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
My work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Banker & Tradesman, American Business Magazine, Edge Magazine, Authority Magazine, ThriveGlobal, Boston Common Magazine, and numerous other publications and live radio programs.
Select Awards:
- Alumni Spotlight: Top 100 Entrepreneurs
- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Reader Ranking Awards: Best in Executive Coaching, Best in Crisis Management, Best in Business Development Coaching
- USA500 Clubs: Greatest Professional Accomplishment, and Most Inspirational Member
Open Your Eyes and LEAD: Hardship and Wisdom Shape the Best Leaders in Life is my internationally published, award-winning book exploring what separates good leaders from exceptional ones. It challenges the myth that leadership excellence comes from avoiding hardship—revealing instead how navigating difficulty with intention becomes the foundation of elite leadership.
Available on Amazon and Audible (self-narrated).
Powering Performance to Accelerate Your Results
Strengthening Leadership, Smarter Choices, and Better Outcomes.