Senior Lead Family Consultant

Michael Kalikow is a coach and mediator.  His specialty is working with individuals and teams to address the root causes behind conflict, establish trust, and build alignment around shared vision and values.  Michael has been a mediator for 20 years and spent over a decade working with affiliates of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation.  He has worked extensively with families, leaders of Fortune 500 companies across a wide range of industries, nonprofit organizations, and the US military including the Navy SEALs.   

Representative corporate clients include Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Emergent BioSolutions, ExxonMobil, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Lowe’s, MasterCard, Merck, and Under Armour.

Michael is deeply steeped in the linguistic foundations of relationships, leadership, and action.  Whether working with families or executives, Michael’s approach to working with clients is deeply supportive and grounded in listening, rapport, trust, and objectivity.  Yet, he will also challenge clients and help them hold themselves accountable to their personal values and their highest aspirations.

Michael earned his B.A. from Brown University and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at U.C. Berkeley, where he was honored with the Jamison Award for Scholarship and Advocacy.  He holds a certificate in executive leadership coaching from the Strozzi Institute and is currently a member of the Strozzi Institute faculty.

Outside of his professional life, Michael enjoys spending time in nature cycling and cross-country skiing.