Jennifer McClanahan

Jennifer McClanahan is the founder and CEO of Leverage to Lead LLC. She is a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and trusted strategic advisor to leaders. As a faculty member at Smith College Executive Education, she brings deep expertise in leadership development and organizational transformation.

Jennifer and her team partner with leaders and organizations to design systems and structures that foster healthy, values-driven work cultures. She is committed to Human-Centered Practices that clarify, operationalize, and sustain organizational values—not just as statements, but as lived commitments.

Her career began on Wall Street in Investment Banking Recruiting, but she soon transitioned to law firm leadership, where she spent 16 years managing HR, recruitment, finance, and business strategy at global law firms. In these roles, she worked closely with firm leadership and partners to build profitable client portfolios, drive operational excellence, and develop high-performing teams. Her deep understanding of law firm economics and talent strategy informs her approach to building sustainable, values-driven organizations today.

Today, as the CEO of Leverage to Lead, she leads a team of exceptional coaches, educators, recruiters, and HR specialists who deliver transformative training, programs, and workshops that reshape organizations from the inside out.

At its core, her work is about revitalizing organizational ecosystems. Jennifer doesn’t just help leaders navigate change—she holds up a mirror to their values, challenges them to build sustainable structures, and equips them to create cultures where people thrive.