What's Happening?
Close Collins, a Seattle-based executive coaching firm, has appointed Vivienne Long, former Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of REI Co-op, as Managing Director of Close Collins for Organizations and executive coach. This appointment signifies
an expansion of the firm's services beyond executive career advancement to include supporting leaders and teams after they assume new roles. Long will focus on executive performance, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development for corporate leadership teams. Her role comes as companies are reducing management layers and expanding responsibilities for senior executives. Long brings extensive experience from her previous roles at REI and Starbucks, where she managed large corporate organizations. The firm's expansion is a response to the increasing demands on executives who are now overseeing larger teams while retaining individual work responsibilities, a trend supported by recent research from Gallup and Korn Ferry.
Why It's Important?
This development is significant as it addresses a growing need within the U.S. corporate landscape for enhanced executive support and leadership development. With companies flattening management structures and increasing the number of direct reports for managers—a 48% increase since 2013 according to Gallup—executives face heightened pressure to perform. The Korn Ferry 2025 Workforce Survey also indicates that 41% of employees report their companies have eliminated management layers, further intensifying the demands on remaining senior staff. The appointment of a seasoned executive like Vivienne Long to lead organizational coaching suggests a strategic move by Close Collins to capitalize on this market shift. This trend impacts U.S. businesses by highlighting the critical need for effective leadership development programs that can adapt to leaner organizational models and the increasing integration of AI, which Gartner projects will further flatten management structures by 2026.
What's Next?
Close Collins plans to release additional research on senior executive and leadership team performance in early 2027, which could further inform best practices in organizational coaching. The firm's expanded services, led by Vivienne Long, are expected to help corporate leadership teams clarify priorities, establish accountability, and improve execution in an environment where executives have less time to demonstrate results. This move positions Close Collins to grow its organizational coaching business as employers continue to seek ways to improve leadership effectiveness amidst evolving workforce structures and increasing management demands. The emphasis on leadership development within existing responsibilities, rather than traditional workshops, suggests a shift towards more integrated and practical coaching approaches for U.S. executives.
Beyond the Headlines
The appointment of Vivienne Long and the expansion of Close Collins' services reflect a broader transformation in corporate leadership and organizational design. The increasing reliance on AI to streamline operations and potentially eliminate middle management layers presents both opportunities and challenges for executive development. This shift could lead to a greater demand for specialized coaching that focuses on strategic leadership, resilience, and the ability to manage larger, more diverse teams with fewer resources. The ethical implications of AI-driven organizational restructuring, such as potential job displacement and the need for new skill sets, will likely become more prominent. Culturally, this trend may foster a more results-oriented and self-reliant leadership style, moving away from traditional hierarchical support structures. The long-term impact could be a more agile but potentially more demanding corporate environment for senior leaders.
