Hi, my name is Les. I am an Executive, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Coach based in New York.

Today, mentoring and coaching are essential tools for building and evolving successful ventures—especially in an era defined by innovation, complexity, and global transformation. I am an ICF® credentialed coach, professionally trained at New York University, and a certified Entrepreneurship Coach and Gold Award Mentor from the University of London. I support founders and senior leaders across the innovation, technology, healthcare, finance, education, and government sectors. As a Leadership Coach at Columbia University, I have worked with executives and emerging leaders from 31 countries, offering guidance in leadership transitions, strategic growth, and navigating hybrid global teams.

Since 1983, I have been based across the EU, the Americas, and Asia, serving multinational corporations including GM, 3M, GE, DuPont, Dow, and Bayer. My work spans organizational transformation, strategic foresight, and futures research in genetics, genomics, and legislative strategy. My coaching philosophy integrates data-informed leadership development with systems thinking and parallel creative pathways—approaches that resonate with Korn Ferry’s mission to unlock potential and shape the future of work.

Specialized in global management and strategy, I hold an M.Sc. in Management from Boston University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels and earned my MBA from California State Polytechnic University, where I specialized in technology transfer and parallel learning systems. I also completed advanced degrees in the UK (MA, PhD) and Japan (MA), with postdoctoral work in Brazil. I am the recipient of multiple international awards, including the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award (India, 2022), Japan’s Monbusho/MeXT Scholarship (1997–2001), the Taiwan Ministry of Education Scholarship (2016), and I have led Fulbright-Hays US Public Diplomacy projects in Mongolia (2014) and China (2017).

Core Competencies

• Group Coaching & Leadership Development

• Cross-Cultural Team Facilitation

• Leadership & 360 Assessment Debriefing

• Strategic Planning & Goal Setting

• Human-Centric Development

• Emotional Intelligence & Empathy Building

• Technology-Enhanced Coaching (Zoom, Airtable, Teams)

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coaching

• Creative Problem Solving & Innovation

• Entrepreneurship and start-up team coaching

• Creative industries coaching to writers, artists, museum professionals, entertainment.

Coaching Qualifications

• ICF Certified Coach (ACC) | International Coaching Federation

• Group Coach Training | GCHQ, New York

• Leadership Coaching Certification | New York University

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coach Mentor | Various Organizations

• Assessment Certifications | Leadership/360 Assessment Debriefing (Columbia)

Education

• Visiting Scholar & Scientist Program | Columbia University, New York

• Ph.D. (Art, Environment, and Technology) | Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

• MBA (International Strategy/ Technology Transfer) | California State University, CA

• M.Sc (International Management) | Boston University and Vrije Universiteit Brussels

• MA | Musashino Art University, Tokyo

• MA (Fine Art) | University of London, UK

• BA (Hons) Fine Art | Central St Martins College of Art & Design, London, UK

• BA (cum laude) in History | Boston University, MA

Testimonials 

“Dr. Joynes is a phenomenal coach who influences how I think, plan, and act, to achieve my ambitions and maximize my potential. His methods combine creative and strategic problem solving techniques that ensure that the paths I define and choose simplify complexities and focus on the most important outcomes. Our work has helped me grow as a more impactful partner to my clients and influential leader and member on my teams” Peter Sun, Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Coaching is recognized today as a value-add resource for international organizations, diplomatic communities and government working in multi-cultural environments. It is my pleasure to recommend Dr. Les Joynes as an experienced and thoughtful leadership coach. Experienced across thirty-five countries, Les works alongside leaders and teams to build strategic goals, team effectiveness, mission focus, and maintain work-life balance. - Anthony Diaz, Chief, Political and Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy

As a venture capital professional, it's easy to get caught up in a daily routine and relegate career development decisions to our "someday" to-do list. A leadership coach, Dr. Joynes engaged unique approaches to align my professional and personal goals and work-life balance. I highly recommend him. - Hugues Dongmo, Vice President, XBTO Humla Ventures, New York

Les’s unique coaching style blends his diverse training and deep experience in both creativity and management enabling him to work effectively with leaders as they build their pathways towards their professional and work-life balance goals. - Paulette Rao MCC, BCC

“I have known Les for thirty-five years from when we were both still studying at the VUB. He continues to impress me as smart, creative, out of the box, and people oriented. An active listener and coaching partner he demonstrates a unique ability to engage clients not only with coaching frameworks but also with a creative mindset which gives executives and leaders a vital edge in decision-making and planning. .” Karsten De Clerck, Chairman Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB), Global Senior Partner Egon Zehnder

For more information contact email.