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Our Team

At Orbis, we’re dedicated to helping leaders become great communicators. So they can become better leaders.

Co-Founder/Principal

DONALD MACINTYRE
Donald is a seasoned communicator, writer and former Time magazine foreign correspondent with 25 years of experience working in Europe and Asia. In nearly 15 years in corporate communications, Donald has worked at major banks in Japan and Singapore and ran the regional communications function for Standard Chartered Singapore’s global retail banking business. He’s also an angel investor in two tech start-ups and has advised start-ups in Singapore. Before entering finance, Donald reported for Bloomberg and Time magazine and was Time’s first permanent bureau chief for North and South Korea. He’s also the co-editor of a book on US media coverage of Korea. Donald has had a lifelong interest in conservation issues.

Co-Founder/Marketing

SOPHIE WON
Sophie is a co-founder of Orbis Leadership and is in charge of global marketing for Orbis Leadership. Her background is in marketing communications and advertising. She’s worked at global companies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, The Walt Disney Company and Samsung’s in-house agency Cheil Communications. She has a Master’s degree from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.
Partners and Advisors

TOM PEDERSON

Senior Advisor - HR/Team Learning Specialist

Tom’s consultancy specializes in leadership development, organizational alignment and talent strategy. In his nearly 40 years in Asia, Tom has focused on growing local talent to become future global leaders. As Group Head of Learning and Talent Development, Tom led the global talent and learning functions for Singapore’s DBS Bank, increasingly recognized as a global leader in digital innovation. Previously, Tom was senior partner and managing director for Korn Ferry’s leadership and talent practice in Japan. He is a former lecturer on leadership in global organizations at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan.

JOOYOUNG JUNG

Advisor-Communication Professor

Joo-Young Jung, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Society, Culture and Media at International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan. Her research focuses on the social implications of new communication technologies in environments such as urban communities and disaster/post-disaster situations.

ELISSA BUXBAUM

Partner - Cross Cultural Collaboration Specialist

Globally recognized DEI expert Prof. Elissa Buxbaum brings Identity Conscious™ to the communications industry. With 20+ years of experience in strategy development, coaching and training, Elizabeth has transformed organizations with upwards of 15,000 employees, including the BBC, FX Networks and over 100 colleges and universities. As CEO of One Us Consulting, she provides data-driven solutions that elevate companies to global standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. Elissa has been interviewed by news outlets from New York to Norway, is published in academic journals / industry magazines, and speaks regularly at conferences such as the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) and SXSW.

MERLYN ROBERTS

Partner - Data Analysis Communication

Merlyn is a collaborator, leader and expert in all things data and analytics. As the principal consultant of RDI Consulting Services, he helps organizations gain a competitive advantage by extracting actionable business insights from their data. Emphasizing a truly collaborative approach to analytical consulting, he offers strategic advisory, BI/analytics solutions development and training to improve data literacy in financial and other organizations.

MARK SCHULZ

Partner - Brand Tone of Voice

A pioneer in brand tone of voice, Mark co-founded the leading verbal identity consultancy True & Good in 2010. With clients across Europe and Asia, Mark oversees writing, naming and training for brands such as RBS, Standard Chartered and Deezer. He’s helped some of the world’s best-known brands solve communication challenges in an agency career spanning BBDO, M&C Saatchi and Grey and advised political parties and government departments on the power of language to bring about change. Mark has been working in professional communication since 1992 and holds an MA in English from Oxford University.

TAEWOO KIM

Senior Consultant- Business Writing w/ A.I.

Taewoo Kim brings a unique blend of experience in leadership training, communications and AI technology. With a master’s degree in computer science from Cornell University, he has held IT roles in Samsung, advised the South Korean president on green growth and was Korea’s first professional blogger. As founder and CEO of Fountains, he offers strategic consulting and marketing to major corporations and helps them integrate the power of AI into everyday leadership, communication and organizational productivity. He's the author of Meconomy and has appeared on platforms such as CNN and Chosun.

ROD ROTHWELL

Senior Consultant - Storytelling

Rod is Korea’s only dedicated business storytelling coach and facilitator and leads the Korea and Japan practices for Anecdote, one of the world’s largest networks of business storytelling professionals. Based in Korea for 20 years, he has worked for Samsung as a marketer and sales trainer and taught MBA courses at both KAIST National University and Sungkyunkwan University. As a specialist in business communications, he sees business stories as a key tool to help leaders build and engage teams, establish credibility and generate sales revenue. His passion for storytelling comes from seeing how the world’s most successful leaders use compelling narratives to influence, persuade and inspire. Rod is currently researching a book on Korean business stories and plans to publish it in late 2020.

DAVID POPE

Senior Consultant - Senior Voice Coach

As a voice coach, producer, director and voiceover artist, David understands the impact of the spoken word – not only what needs to be said, but how it must be delivered. Since starting his career in London at the BBC three decades ago, David has worked in commercials, documentaries, TV series and radio drama. Today he helps his corporate clients understand their voice, maximize their vocal impact and enhance their executive presence. David has worked with CEOs, executives and senior partners at global financial institutions and international legal firms across Asia, including Baker & McKenzie, Mayer Brown, Hogan Lovells, Herbert Smith Freehills, Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered, Nomura, CLSA, Credit Suisse and Weber Shandwick.

HANNAH

Operation Manager

Hannah oversees office accounting and operations for our locations in Seoul and Vancouver. A graduate of Yonsei University with a major in business administration, she brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Daiwa Securities Seoul and Trans Cosmos Inc. Outside of work, Hannah has a passion for fashion and loves spending time with her fluffy friend Bobo.
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