MDA Leadership in The News

Explore our latest news and milestones—including firm updates, leadership announcements, and recognition across the industry.

  • MDA Leadership Announces Retirement of CEO Scott Nelson and Appointment of Sean Allen as President and CEO

    Reflecting the firm’s enterprise growth and strategic impact priorities, Sean M. Allen, MBA, MS Finance, Ph.D. has been promoted to President of MDA Leadership, effective January 5, 2026, announced Sandra Davis, Ph.D., Founder and Chair.

  • MDA Leadership names Sean M. Allen, MBA, MS Finance, Ph.D. as president

    Reflecting the firm’s enterprise growth and strategic impact priorities, Sean M. Allen, MBA, MS Finance, Ph.D. has been promoted to President of MDA Leadership, effective January 5, 2026, announced Sandra Davis, Ph.D., Founder and Chair.

  • MDA Leadership announces new leadership partnership for CEO and Board Services

    MDA Leadership, a premier leadership consulting firm, is excited to announce the appointment of Sean Allen, M.B.A., M.S. Finance, Ph.D. as co-leader of the CEO and Board Services practice area with Sharon Sackett, Ph.D. They will leverage their combined expertise to deliver the highest quality talent solutions to CEOs and Boards.

  • MDA Leadership wins Silver Award for Excellence

    MDA Leadership won a coveted Brandon Hall Group Silver Award for Excellence in the Best Advance in Leadership Development category for Otter Tail Corporation’s Leading the Enterprise program.

  • Honoring the legacy of Lynn Davis

    With great sadness, we announce the passing of Lynn Davis, husband of MDA’s Chair and Founder Sandra Davis. Throughout his life, Lynn was a pillar of strength for those who knew him and a born leader known for mentoring others.

  • MDA Leadership promotes Sean M. Allen, Jim Laughlin, Jennifer Donahue, and Erik Williams

    Recognizing pivotal talent across the organization, MDA Leadership announced four promotions, effective November 1, 2022.

  • MDA Leadership wins Gold

    MDA Leadership won a coveted Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for Excellence in the Best Advance in Leadership Development for The Bench Strength Experience, a unique blended learning program that integrates powerful assessment insights for aspiring leaders with unparalleled opportunities for social learning while simultaneously equipping managers and the organization to engage in talent conversations at every level of the pipeline.

Let’s Connect

At MDA Leadership, we take time to understand your leadership challenge, the unique context of your business, and the stakes involved. Then we recommend a tailored solution that is best suited to achieve your goals. Let’s bring your leadership vision to life.