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MEET OUR TEAM

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Learning how to articulate and establish your dream for success.

A Shared Commitment

Our highly credentialed team of certified coaches provides guidance for clients to establish foundational elements and develop strategies designed to empower them to achieve quantum growth for their organizations. We have a passion for what we do and embrace the opportunity to make a difference in our clients’ lives.

Phil Bender, CLU

CEO & Founder

Jessica Stenzel, MBA, CLF

Women’s Leadership & Lifestyle Coach

Chris George, ACC

Executive Coach

Chad Myers, M.Ed.

Executive Coach

Dan Cormier, Ph.D.

Executive Coach

Jennifer Hensley, CLU, ChFC

Executive Coach

John Wilson, CLU, ChFC

Executive Coach
Lisa Bender
Director of Marketing

Alan Harlam

Executive Coach

Lori J Verrastro, FLMI, PCS

Director of Communications & Client Support

Rob Decker

Director of Business Development
Christy Ogilvie McCreary

Executive Coach

Learning how to articulate and establish your dream for success.

Highly Credentialed Team

When you work with Sea Captain Coaching, you will partner with highly credentialed team that has a diverse range of experience, skill sets and perspectives. These designations represent our commitment to our clients and the executive coaching profession. Our coaches hold a range of industry leading certifications:

ACT Leadership & Performance Coaching Certification

The ACT Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification program through Brown University School of Professional Studies combines intensive study and leadership development curriculum that prepares leaders to meet today’s most pressing challenges. Those that hold this certification are qualified to help navigate leaders through complex change initiatives and better understand how to provide guidance that drives transformation for clients.

International Coaching Federation

International Coaching Federation (ICF) credential-holders are part of a self-regulating group of elite coaches who provide accountability to clients and the coaching profession as a whole. They pursue and complete rigorous education and practice requirements that provide unquestioned legitimacy to their commitment to excellence in coaching.

Associate Certified Coach

Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certificate holders use their knowledge of the ICF’s Code of Ethics to apply the ICF’s core competencies to their client’s goals. ACCs can coach in many different capacities such as in organizations helping team members unlock their skills or solve workplace challenges.

Professional Certified Coach

Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential-holders have demonstrated knowledge and proficient application of the ICF Core Competencies, Code of Ethics, and definition of coaching. Coaches show a commitment to high ethical standards and have demonstrated, through rigorous assessment, competence in using a variety of behaviors and skills in their work with clients. The PCC must be renewed every three years.

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Copyright © 2024 Sea Captain Coaching. All rights reserved.

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Phil Bender, CLU

CEO & Founder

Phil Bender is an awarded industry leader with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services sector. He’s processed and finessed those experiences into a growth-based program to help individuals achieve a CEO mindset. His mission-driven objective is to impact one million people through his writing, coaching programs, workshops, and public speaking.

He began Sea Captain Coaching in 2018, after serving as a Managing Partner in a Fortune 100 firm in the New York City metro area. The pandemic struck just as the business was reaching its stride, and he and his team were ready and able to adapt the program to a remote, virtual business. His more than 250 current clients have seen exponential growth during their time with his practice.
Phil understands the uncharted water of personal growth. By engaging in creative solutions that drive peak performance, he leads discussions around core values clarity and creating visionary success. In other words, he formulates action plans and a foundation for his clients to experience quantum growth. His mission is to meet leaders where they currently stand and walk beside them in pursuit of this new destination.

Prior to founding Sea Captain Coaching, Phil was a Managing Partner, a recognized sales leader and speaker who had served at nearly every level of service for advisors and clients. Career highlights include being a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table, starting a start-up financial services office that grew to 30 Advisors in six years and subsequently growing and managing a team of over 150 Advisors in the greater New York City market for 16 years.

Phil holds a B.S. from the University of Missouri and is a certified coach through the Brown School of Professional Studies. He also is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU ®) and holds his life, health and Series 7, 9, 10 and 63 licenses.

Phil and his wife, Lisa, split their time between Sarasota, Florida, and Middletown, Rhode Island, and have three adult sons and a shelter dog, Piper. He’s an avid sports fan, with St. Louis Cardinals, Missouri Tiger football and Penn State football rounding out his top three. He loves to hop on his bike, as well as hike, travel, write, sing, and play a round of golf. On Saturdays in the summer, you’ll find him driving his 1953 Chevy Ram pickup truck, Little Red, to the beach and Newport Polo for a tailgate. He is on the board of the National Foundation for the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity as well as the Newport Performing Arts Center.

Jessica Stenzel, MBA, CLF

Women’s Leadership & Lifestyle Coach

Jessica Stenzel is a Lifestyle Coach & Consultant who helps professional women step into the highest version of themselves to live a life of abundance. Jessica’s coaching practice focuses on helping professional women elevate their careers to realize their full potential. This includes collaborating with aspiring and current female leaders about how they show up every day and present their leadership brand with confidence.

Jessica prides herself on building strong relationships founded on mutual trust and respect. She embraces the opportunity to help her clients move the needle in designated areas of their lives and her partnerships lead to sustainable, transformational growth for individuals and teams. She encourages clients to advance their capabilities through self-discovery, goal prioritization, and personal responsibility.

Her experience includes serving as a Chief Recruiting Officer for a Fortune 100 company. In this role, Jessica oversaw the development, management, and refinement of sourcing, recruiting, and selecting full time Financial Representative as well as guiding leadership in all aspects of recruiting and selection. In addition, she helped company leaders achieve key organizational goals, such as employee retention, setting performance standards and developing business plans.

Jessica is a Certified Coach who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting from Southeast Missouri State University and an MBA from McKendree University. She also holds a Chartered Leadership Fellow designation from The American College of Financial Services.

Jessica lives in Red Bud, IL with her husband Chris, and their two daughters, Brenlee (2) & Raelynn (5), and golden doodle, Benji. Away from the office, she enjoys traveling with her family, taking walks in nature, reading, writing and cycling on her Peloton. Jess is a true believer in the “Miracle Morning” philosophy, and practices it daily. She is active in her community and promotes women’s health and wellness by hosting events where participants learn about the power of food and how to incorporate better nutrition into their family meals.

Chris George, ACC

Executive Coach

Chris George is an accomplished coach and trainer with a background in retail management, customer service, and performing arts. Chris is nationally recognized for offering individualized coaching focused on refining interpersonal skills to deepen client engagement, creating actionable steps toward achieving goals and metrics, exploring team dynamics to drive performance, and leading with integrity and dynamism.

His background spans a variety of industries and roles, and each of these experiences informs his work as an Executive, Business, and Leadership coach. Chris’s experience includes 15 years working for one of the top international luxury goods companies where he primarily focused on being a leader, trainer, and coach.

Previously, Chris was a competition ballroom dancer and teacher, and he is a published author of “Gotta Ballroom,” an instructional book/DVD on ballroom dancing. He was also an actor, dancer, and singer, performing leading roles in two national touring companies of Broadway shows and dancing at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Chris holds two coaching credentials: the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification from Brown University/ACT Leadership. Additionally, Chris is a certified Emotional Intelligence Consultant/Practitioner through Multi-Health Systems (MHS).

Chad Myers, M.Ed.

Executive Coach

Chad Myers is a Certified Life Coach, international motivational speaker, published author and experienced educator. Chad offers his clients highly specialized expertise in growth mindset, goal setting and achieving, establishing positive behavioral patterns, and clarifying core values to enhance personal and professional lives. He advocates for business leaders to create a culture of belonging where people can bring their true, authentic selves allowing for innovation, creativity and change while building a dynamic work environment.

Chad has delivered keynote speeches, seminars, and workshops for a wide range of organizations such as, Mary Kay, Inc., Mass Mutual, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Farm Bureau. In addition, he co-authored Blind Vision, A Veterans Story from Trauma to Triumph, about his father Howard’s journey of self-discovery from blinded-Vietnam veteran to successful multi-million dollar insurance salesman and motivational speaker. Prior to joining Sea Captain Coaching, Chad was a co-founder of The Mindworks Performance Group and Blind Vision, a partnership that focuses on post-trauma growth life coaching and professional development. His previous experience also includes working for 25 years as an educator in both inner-city, suburban, and international schools.

Chad earned a Bachelor of Science in English from the University of Michigan and Education Technology certification from Michigan State University. He holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Marygrove College.

Chad lives in Sarasota. He enjoys traveling, writing, reading, nature, yoga, and many different forms of exercise. In his community, Chad serves on the education outreach committee for underprivileged youth as a member of the Longboat Island Chapel. He has worked in program development for the Infinite Wishes Foundation and as an educational consultant as well as a Volunteer Head of Education for youth on the Mindvalley education platform in Barcelona Spain.

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Dan Cormier, PH.D.

Executive Coach

Dan Cormier is a former U.S. Army Colonel who is highly skilled at developing leaders to maximize the effectiveness of organizations and connect talent to results. Dan is committed to helping leaders learn and grow, while offering guidance to improve organizational leadership programs.

Prior to joining Sea Captain Coaching, he developed leaders for the United States Department of Defense and government. Dan was a professor at both the Naval and Army War Colleges where he specialized in leadership, national security, and middle eastern studies. In these roles, he prepared future senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State and other agencies, as well as officers from U.S. partner nations, for leadership positions throughout their enterprises. Most recently, he served as the Senior Curriculum Design Manager for the U.S. Naval Leadership and Ethics Center, which delivers role-specific development programs to improve the leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills of Navy Leaders.

Dan spent three decades in uniform leading complex units. He commanded a 1,000-soldier, multi-function battalion that conducted combat operations in Kirkuk, Iraq. He also designed and led a U.S.-French-British team, as part of U.S. Africa Command’s support to counterterrorism efforts against Boko Haram. In addition to his substantive leadership assignments, Dan has extensive experience working with the United Nations, European Union, African Union, NATO, and other U.S. partners. Dan also has experience performing research and analysis to solve Department of Defense problems across the doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities solution spaces. He was selected to be a research fellow to France’s Institut des hautes études de défense national– a prestigious public academic institution that reports to the French prime minister.

Dan holds a Ph.D. in U.S. Diplomatic History from Temple University and an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University. He and his wife Kristy live in Newport, RI and have two adult children. He enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and writing, as well as being an avid New England sports fan. He also tries to train two golden retrievers in his spare time.

Jennifer Hensley

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Jennifer Hensley,
CLU, ChFC

Executive Coach

Jennifer Hensley leverages 20+ years of marketing and sales experience at a Fortune 100 firm, as a master business coach, and athlete to address complex problems with a big-picture understanding. Jennifer helps business owners seize opportunities with strategic and creative thinking that delivers bottom-line results. She has created a winning system that has helped more than 1,500 clients achieve compound growth. 

As an athlete, Jennifer played center mid-field, setter, or point guard. She is highly skilled at seeing the whole field and making key strategic decisions that give the right opportunity to team members at the right time. This inspires everyone else to stick with the game plan to tally more wins. 

She believes in building on a strong sales foundation and connecting all parts of marketing to a strategic, value-based, and consistent plan. The goal is to give her clients a playbook for success with the right solutions when needed and evolve through 90-day programs that provide a competitive advantage. 

Jennifer is a Certified Coach and Trainer who earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. She holds her Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Certified Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations from the American College of Financial Services.

Jennifer is a Kansas City native now residing in the Milwaukee, WI area with her best teammates — her husband, Keith, and daughter, Samantha, who constantly pushes her to play her own game and stay on offense. She believes it is essential to live with intention. 

 

John Wilson, CLU, ChFC

Executive Coach

John Wilson is an Executive Coach who has more than three decades of experience helping Financial Advisors take their practice to the next level by utilizing a proven process that puts them on a path to growth. John’s experience includes working closely with Financial Advisors who are all-time sales leaders and top producers for their organizations. This allowed him to gain deep, intimate knowledge about their successful practices and industry leading sales techniques, as well as insights into how they built long-term relationships, and set and achieved client goals. He is widely recognized by clients and peers for his passion and energy and ability to share the expertise he has accrued while working with the best and brightest in the industry. In his role as an Executive Coach, John conducts group and individual coaching sessions based on Sea Captain Coaching curriculum.

He spent his 30-plus-year career at Northwestern Mutual, and during that time served as Director of National Sales for the company’s Disability Income and Long Term Care product lines, Assistant Director of Sales for the company’s Life Insurance product line, and Western Regional Sales Director for the company’s risk products, annuities, and investments in the Western Region.

John has a BS from the University of Arizona and holds Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations from the American College for Financial Services.

Away from the office, John and his wife Angela split their time between Milwaukee, WI and Scottsdale, AZ, Over the last several years, he began pursuing his lifelong passion for music and, by taking risks and setting goals, began working as a songwriter with producers in Nashville. His songs are now being utilized by artists as well as in TV shows, films and advertising

 

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Lisa Bender

Marketing Director

Lisa Bender is the Marketing Director for Sea Captain Coaching and spearheads all marketing programs and initiatives for the business. Lisa oversees responsibility for strategic planning, content development and execution of all communications across a broad range of platforms including social media, email, websites, public relations, speaking engagements and digital campaigns. She also helps manage and develop new training curriculum for coaches and clients.

Lisa is the go-to person at Sea Captain Coaching for dealing with multiple facets of our operations and client relationships. This includes onboarding new coaches, sales support and navigating compliance requirements. She is detail-oriented and has a deep commitment to client service, which makes her an invaluable member of the team.

In addition, Lisa publishes a blog called “On A Life Bender” that offers insights and tips on life changes, wellness and growth for women. She earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri—Columbia and studied Interior Design at Fairfield University.

Lisa and her husband Phil split their time between Sarasota, FL, and Middletown, RI, and have three adult sons and a rescue dog, Piper. Away from the office, Lisa is active in her community as a Board Member of the Norman Bird Sanctuary, a volunteer for the Newport Preservation Society, Impact 100 Sarasota and the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, as well as a volunteer for the Delta Gamma National Scholarship Committee.

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Alan Harlam

Executive Coach

Alan Harlam’s coaching practice is built on a foundation of experiences ranging from teaching at Brown University, leading a social enterprise and working for more than 25 years as an entrepreneurial business leader. Alan’s coaching is based on a collaborative process that leads to learning, growth, and change. Together with his clients, he commits to the goals they set for themselves and makes a parallel commitment to promote equity and justice in their communities.

Alan listens carefully to his clients’ objectives and supports them at every step of the path toward achieving their vision. He works collaboratively to help clients overcome obstacles, unlock their full potential, and find creative ways forward. The support clients receive often comes in the form of questions that challenge them to examine blind spots, reconsider beliefs around limitations, and make a push toward learning and growth that feels authentic.

Alan believes a crucial factor driving his coaching impact is being fully present in ways that affirm each client’s experience and journey as they work through difficulties with creativity and resolve. He loves helping leaders realize their goals for a just and equitable future because it leverages the expertise he developed in four decades in the private and social impact sectors.

His values around equity and justice are deeply rooted in his family’s experience with the African philosophy of “ubuntu”. It is an eternal philosophy of “Oneness” that is an understanding of the interconnectedness of all life. Alan sees his coaching as an opportunity to walk alongside clients in solidarity with their hopes and aspirations and those of the communities they seek to serve.

He has served as a leader and board member of organizations that are focused on educational equity and social enterprise development. Alan is Board Chair of Eye to Eye, an organization that works to help students overcome the stigma related to learning disability through mentoring and building social emotional skills. In addition, he serves on the Board and as Treasurer of the Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health and has been leading development of social enterprise in Rhode Island as a founding partner and board member of Social Enterprise Greenhouse.

Alan and his wife, Bari have three grown children: sons Jeremy and Gregory and daughter Sophie.

Lori J Verrastro, FLMI, PCS

Director of Communications
& Client Support

Lori Verrastro is our Director of Communications & Client Support and has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Lori has been an integral member of Phil Bender’s team for the past 14 years. She provides key operational support and client service that focuses on the day-to-day administration of the business. Lori concentrates on helping our team with proactive coordination and communication, and keeping clients informed of news and upcoming events.

Lori is detail oriented and possesses a deep commitment to client service. Her goal is to deliver the highest level of personal service and professional support. She takes a thoughtful approach to every client’s individual needs and works efficiently to meet those needs.

Lori holds her life & health licenses and earned her Professional Customer Service (PCS) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations.

She and her husband Joe have five children and three grandchildren. They are avid campers and can often be found on the various hiking trails throughout New England

Rob Decker

Photo by Meghan Sepe | @meghansepe

Rob Decker

Director of Business Development

Rob Decker is a dynamic and results-driven professional who has recently assumed the role of Director of New Business Development at Sea Captain Coaching. With an accomplished sales career of over 25 years, Rob is an instrumental addition to our firm’s leadership team. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his professional acumen and commitment to client success. Rob believes in the power of executive coaching to drive meaningful change and is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals harness their full potential.

As Director of New Business Development. Rob is entrusted with expanding our firm’s presence and visionary leadership in the executive coaching market. He is responsible for identifying new business opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and creating innovative approaches to meet the growing needs of organizations seeking executive coaching and professional development solutions.

His deep understanding of our clients’ requirements positions him well to develop and deliver tailored solutions that meet their evolving challenges based on Sea Captain Coaching’s comprehensive suite of customized, purpose-driven coaching services.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Away from the office, he enjoys traveling and is an avid booster of University of Missouri Athletics as a key member of the NIL group of alum boosters who lead fundraising efforts to champion Mizzou student athletes. He has two adult daughters, Taylor and Haley, and lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his partner Julie and Bernese Mountain Dogs, Stanley and Stella.

Christy Ogilvie McCreary

Executive Coach

Christy Ogilvie McCreary blends her diverse background in the Arts and financial services to offer leaders and small business owners a unique coaching experience focused on building authentic relationships. Her approach emphasizes the importance of meaningful communication and team empowerment, helping her clients transform customers into loyal advocates and cultivate motivated, mission-driven teams. By integrating emotional intelligence, personality assessments, and creative thinking practices, Christy guides her clients in developing dynamic leadership skills that drive both personal and professional success.

With over 30 years of experience as a professional singer and vocal teacher, Christy understands the discipline required for high-level performance and applies this insight to support her clients’ growth. She holds a B.A. in English Literature, manages client relationships for three successful Northwestern Mutual practices, and is an accomplished writer and yoga practitioner.