Company Information

Seated: Myles Golden, President, Ann Golden, Client Services Director, Phil Cook, Senior Consultant in Career Transition and Career Development Standing:  Rich Witowski, Senior Career Transition Consultant, Pam Wessel, Senior Career Transition Consultant and Business Development, Melissa Woodacre, Client Services Intern, Jim O'Connor, Senior Career Transition Consultant, and Terry Hollon, Career Development Consultant

Myles Golden, President
Golden Career Strategies

Myles Golden is the founder and president of Golden Career Strategies, an executive consulting and coaching firm. GCS was established primarily to provide career transition services for executives seeking a more rewarding career. Myles is the former President and CEO of Ivan Allen Company of Greenville, South Carolina. He started his 35-year career in the office products business after graduating from Georgia Southern University with a BA in Marketing. Throughout his business career, Myles has taken advantage of every training opportunity that came his way. He has completed numerous sales and marketing training programs as well as leadership development programs such as Trust and Teamwork and Corporate Business Coaching. He is a member of International Coach Federation (ICF) and a graduate of Corporate Coach University (CCU) executive coaching program. He has served on the advisory boards for the University Center Board of Visitors. A recognized leader in numerous civic and professional organizations, Myles has served as the President of the Greenville Rotary Club, the Metropolitan YMCA, the United Way, Chairman of Rotary International Youth Exchange, and Governor of Rotary District 7750. He is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, a Major Donor, and a member of the Bequest Society in the Greenville Rotary Club. In addition, he is an active member of the Greenville chapter of The Society of Human Resource Managers.

In late 1999, Myles coordinated the sale of his company and its merger with Staples, a global provider of office products. He decided to pursue his true "calling" - helping people - something that had interested him for years and something he had done quite successfully during his business career. Myles joined Right Management Consultants, a global provider of human resource consulting in the field of outplacement and organizational development. The training and experience gained with RMC convinced him that coaching and consulting career-transition and career-development candidates was his passion. In founding GCS, Myles has focused his business knowledge, networking skills and leadership abilities into developing uniquely powerful, individualized and confidential marketing plans for his candidates. Each candidate's plan is action oriented with measurable goals marking the path that will lead to a new, more rewarding career.

Phil Cook

Resumé Development & Interviewing Skills Consultant

Phil Cook provides consulting in the areas of resume development, interviewing skills, leadership development and team building. His extensive background in Human Resources and organizational development and management provide him with vast knowledge and experience in career transition consulting.

In addition to consulting for Golden Career Strategies, Phil runs his company, InterVision Solutions Inc., a human resource consulting and executive/leadership coaching practice. During Phil’s 30 year career, he held the position of Vice-President, Human Resources for major divisions of two Fortune 500 Companies.  In his most challenging assignment, Phil headed the human resources organization for a division with 29 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 11 countries.  This role gave him the opportunity to lead the human resources merger of two aftermarket divisions and the acquisition and merger of a $350 million manufacturing company into his division.  Phil has also led the human resources start-up for five major manufacturing facilities including a cross-border product transfer and a plant start-up and he has had the unenviable assignment of leading the restructuring and closure of two division offices and nine manufacturing facilities. 

Phil holds a B.S. Psychology and Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University and has completed numerous Human Resources and Management Training Programs.

Jim O'Connor
Senior Consultant

Jim provides Golden Career Strategies with consulting services specifically in resume preparation and interviewing skills training. He facilitates several of the training modules offered through the company's Golden Course™, a six-part series including personal assessment and opportunity analysis, resumé development, career campaign correspondence, networking and strategic connections, and negotiating strategies.

During his career, Jim has held key Human Resource management positions with IBM, Smith Barney and Michelin Tire Corporation. He also founded and led the first outplacement firm in South Carolina. His corporate experience spans strategic and operational Human Resource management in both large headquarter settings and small manufacturing plants.

At Michelin, Jim served as Personnel Director at their North American Headquarters providing leadership of recruitment and placement, career development and training of over 2,000 employees. He also conceived, designed and directed a unique in-house program that successfully placed 3,800+ employees over a four year period. This group also helped 280 employees redirect their careers in new directions within the company.

Jim is very active in community affairs and has been an officer and chairman of several non-profit organizations including The International Center of the Upstate, The Urban League of the Upstate, The Ronald McDonald House and The Ancient Order of Hibernians.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology from Niagara University and has completed numerous Corporate and Executive Management Training Programs. Jim is a former Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is happily married for over 40 years and has five grown children.

Rich Witowski

Certified Personnel Consultant

Rich Witowski, CPC, recently retired as president of Sanford Rose Associates - Greenville, SC, an executive search practice filling professional openings within the automotive, power transmission general manufacturing, and service, industries.

In addition to being a Certified Personnel Consultant, Rich has over twenty-five years of manufacturing experience holding positions as Plant Manager, Manufacturing Engineering Manager and Quality Manager.  These positions were for Fortune 500 companies serving the consumer products, machine tool, mechanical/electrical power transmission and aviation industries.

Rich has developed and managed major manufacturing programs including:  "Greenfield" facility design and start up, World Class Manufacturing events including Kaizen, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), TQM and ISO 9002 certifications (UL).

Having filled high-level manufacturing positions both as a recruiter and as a hiring manager, Rich brings an intimate knowledge of the needs and opportunities of potential employers for our clients.

Rich holds a BS in Industrial Engineering, Purdue University and MS Business Administration, Indiana University.

Current and Past Memberships:
Education Director of the South Carolina Association of Personnel Services (SCAPS)
National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS)
Sanford Rose Associates Owners Association, Board of Directors and Past President
Greenville Chamber of Commerce
German American Chamber of Commerce
Rotary International

Ann Golden
Client Services Director

A silent partner throughout the history of Golden Career Strategies, Ann Golden has actively joined the team as Secretary and Treasurer, and to provide client services and marketing.

Ann brings a management background from 15 years as a claims adjudicator and personnel manager in a state agency, 9 years of retail ownership and management, with additional experience in vocational counseling and placement, and in office administration. She holds a degree in Sociology from Georgia Southern University, with a minor in Psychology. Ann is certified in the career and leadership assessments offered in the Golden Course. She is also a certified Associate Public Manager and has completed courses in Coaching, Time Management, Supervisory Skills, Creating Safe Work Environments, Team Building and Facilitating, Change Management, Customer Service, and other personnel management techniques.

Ann is a member of Professional Network Connections, a charter member of The Greenville Evening Rotary Club and president-elect for 2009-10.

Pam Wessel
Senior Consultant and Business Development

Pam Wessel, highly experienced in client relationship management, executive sales and marketing, career, work/life balance coaching and administrative management, provides business development and coaching for both divisions of Golden Career Strategies. In the Career Transition Division she markets GCS’s unique Outplacement Programs of individualized, customized and localized services. In the Career Development Division, she markets GCS’s programs of leadership training, executive coaching, job sculpting, assessment and retention of top talent.

During Pam’s 25 year career at IBM, she served as a sales, career, and balance coach as well as senior sales leader.   As a professional coach, Pam coached her team of fifteen sales representatives, individuals, and managers on topics such career choices, work/life balance, passion, leadership competencies, values-based selling, and sales productivity.   Her sales leadership responsibilities included developing and maintaining executive relationships, leading IBM resources and business partners, and exceeding sales targets.   Pam’s IBM background includes sales, management, marketing, and administration.   

Pam holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, is a Coach U Graduate, and has completed numerous Corporate Sales, Financial and Management Training programs.

Pam is a 25 year resident of Greenville and currently serves in several community and professional leadership roles including President of the Board for Greenville Family Partnership and Secretary for the Upstate SC Chapter of the International Coach Federation.   Past volunteer positions include; President of the Volunteer Greenville Board, Greenville Community Planning Council, Hands on Greenville IBM Team Captain, and Church volunteer.  Download Pam's Bio.

Terry Hollon
Senior Consultant

Terry W. Hollon brings strong management and organizational expertise to his interaction with clients.  With a broad range of experience in the government, service, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, and transportation sectors, he has worked with executives and managers to identify quality, service, sales, and human resource productivity needs and has provided appropriate consulting and training resources to meet those needs.  He has successfully assisted his clients in developing solutions that address critical business and organizational issues for over twenty years. Some of his representative client work includes: Quality Improvement Systems, Customer Satisfaction Training, Consultative Sales Systems, Educational Systems Design, Identification/Assessment and Executive Coaching.

Professional Background:
Principal founder, Hollon Associates, LLC - full-service consulting firm assisting clients with their needs in Attracting, Selecting, Managing, Developing, and Retaining people.
Senior Vice President and General Manager,Manchester, Inc. - Managed executive leadership development, executive coaching, and career transition services for a targeted group of organizations.
Divisional Vice President,The Forum Corporation - Managed business development and consulting/training service delivery to clients, in a 12-state geography.
Regional Vice President,ODI - organizational assessment (TQM), managerial effectiveness, process improvement, design, and development of customized training curricula.
Director, Psychological Services, Spartanburg, SC schools

Education:
B.S. Ed. Secondary Education
M.S. Ed. Psychometry, Kappa Delta Pi
Ed. S. School Psychology, Phi Delta Kappa
Georgia Southern University

Download Terry's Bio

Melissa Woodacre
Client Services Intern

Communications Major and Journalism Minor, Melissa is a rising senior at Clemson University.  With excellent interpersonal and customer relations skills, she will assist with client inventory, data management and public relations.   Melissa has valuable technical skills and an interesting background in Speech and Debate/Forensics Tournaments.  In addition to achieving recognition in art and literary competitions, academic merit and distinctions, she has also participated in community service volunteerism.