Meet Our Team

Scott E. Nelson, M.A.

Scott E. Nelson, M.A. CEO

Phone: +1 612.259.4210

Leadership development has been the constant focus throughout Scott Nelson's career. He is the principal architect behind MDA Leadership's signature "Awaken, Align, Accelerate" framework for leadership development. As a business leader himself, Scott directly understands the challenges faced by other business leaders, who turn to him to build the talent architecture they need to be successful. Scott's clients will tell you he is a straight shooter who is always thinking about the big picture of talent development, as well as ways to measure the impact of development efforts.

Expertise

  • More than 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve their desired state through systemic, sustainable talent development at the individual, team and enterprise level.
  • Deep understanding of the talent implications of current and emerging business challenges.
  • Extensive record of successfully building leadership capacity through large-scale customized development programs and individualized executive coaching.
  • Enjoys working with organizations to develop and refine their overall talent acumen, including selection systems, competency models and succession systems.
  • Experienced working with leaders from a variety of industries, including financial services, consumer products, consumer goods, retail, technology, manufacturing, health care and medical technology.

Impact

  • Particularly enjoys helping organizations achieve and leverage systemic, sustainable talent results for long-term business benefit.
  • Significant success in helping teams understand and address barriers to success, and building self-sustaining team capacity afterward.
  • Takes pride in helping individual leaders optimize their potential and become better-prepared to succeed in future roles.

Credentials

  • M.A., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, University of Tulsa
  • B.A., Psychology, Luther College
  • Member, ISA- The Association of Learning Providers

Scott likes all things related to sports, and he has a particular passion for golf. During the golfing "off season" he enjoys games of chance and can play a mean game of poker. He describes himself as an "engaged and challenged" parent of four children who keep him pleasantly busy and humble.

Let’s begin a conversation.

At MDA Leadership, we know there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for every organization. We take the time to get to know your business and your leadership needs and recommend a range of options that are the best fit for your growth goals. Let's see how MDA Leadership can optimize your Talent Strategy for the Long Run®.