John Griffin

John Griffin

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CEO and Founder of Three Mountain Group
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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  • World Wildlife Fund
    Systems Change and Facilitation Trainer
    World Wildlife Fund
    Jan 2025
    Designed and led "Art of Facilitation and Intervention Mastery" training to develop internal change agents at WWF to emerge with tangible tools to be innovative and adaptive facilitators, advisors and intervenors with exceptional precision, empathy and compassion, mastering effectiveness and dramatically enhancing impact.
  • US ARMY
    Organizational Development Consultant
    US ARMY
    Nov 2024 - Dec 2024 (2 months)
    Supported the U.S. Army's core team focusing on transition of scientific knowledge to improve Army capabilities by partnering with academia, government, and industry.
  • QIAGEN
    Leadership and Organizational Development Consultant
    QIAGEN
    Sep 2024 - Oct 2024 (2 months)
    Designed leadership, team building and strategy session for Senior Managers at Qiagen working on generating detailed insights into the building blocks of life to advance science and improve healthcare.
  • USAID
    Organizational Development Consultant
    USAID
    Apr 2024 - Jun 2024 (3 months)
    Designed and delivered custom team building and strategy session for USAID Syria.
  • L
    Leadership Development Consultant
    Dec 2023 - Jul 2024 (8 months)
    Design and delivery of a custom 6-week leadership development program covering three different levels of functioning: Individual Leadership, Organizational Leadership and Systems Leadership. https://threemountaingroup.com/portfolio/leadership-for-snow-leopard-conservation/
  • NASA Glenn Research Center
    Facilitation and Systems Change Trainer
    NASA Glenn Research Center
    Apr 2023 - Jun 2023 (3 months)
    Designed and delivered facilitation and change management training for NASA Senior Managers working on leading edge collaborative change programs within NASA.
  • World Wildlife Fund
    Systems Change Advisor
    World Wildlife Fund
    Mar 2023 - Jun 2023 (4 months)
    Designed and delivered custom team building, leadership development and strategy session for WWF's Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform (NbS-OP) team a unique collaborative effort of forestry, climate change and innovative financing experts working to create a new model of scaling up, aligning, and mobilizing public and private investments in high-quality Nature-Based Solutions under an integrated landscape finance approach.
  • Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Change Management Advisor
    Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Jun 2022 - Mar 2024 (1 year 10 months)
    Change Management Advisor to Broad's pilot initiative to uncover the biological underpinnings of trauma through use of an approach that has proven successful with a range of tough scientific problems, including neuropsychiatric disorders: to gather, generate, and analyze data at a large scale, in an unbiased fashion; to build portals to openly share data and convene a community to tackle this challenge; and to leverage these datasets to generate novel, testable hypotheses on the mechanisms through which trauma exerts its long-term damaging effects. The work of this change effort is focused on breakthrough insights into both cognitive mechanisms and into other bodily systems that have been associated with the damage wrought by trauma to syst
  • Management & Training Corporation
    Organizational Development Consultant
    Management & Training Corporation
    May 2022 - Jun 2024 (2 years 2 months)
    Designed and delivered custom team building and strategy session for Workforce Egypt Project for MTC to help transform the technical education and vocational training (TVET) system to create the skills needed for a globally competitive Egyptian market.
  • Sequoia Climate Foundation
    Organizational Development Consultant
    Sequoia Climate Foundation
    Feb 2022 - Sep 2022 (8 months)
    Designed and delivered team building and strategy session for Senior Management to enhance operational ability to address organizational goals to enhance a world powered by clean energy, where all people are protected by policies that have averted the worst effects of climate change.
  • NASA Glenn Research Center
    Systems Change Advisor
    NASA Glenn Research Center
    Apr 2021 - Jul 2021 (4 months)
    Advised on systems change programs for NASA Senior Leadership to enhance collaboration on mission objectives and assure success of critical program initiatives.
  • Greenpeace
    Systems Change Advisor
    Greenpeace
    Jan 2021 - Sep 2021 (9 months)
    Conducted change management process for Greenpeace International leadership to support efforts for biodiversity, climate and energy and social and economic systems programs. Advised leadership in the development of a Change Management Team and design and implementation of an organizational diagnostic, consultation and dialogue process to improve efficiencies and enhance strategic action and alignment. Consultation and Dialogue process through:
  • Maliasili
    Systems Change Advisor
    Maliasili
    Jan 2021 - Feb 2021 (2 months)
    Designed and delivered custom facilitation skills and change management training for Maliasili to enhance effectiveness of leadership to support their ability to advise high-potential local organizations to accelerate the benefits they bring to people, ecosystems, and climate change.
  • WWF
    Systems Change Advisor
    WWF
    Apr 2020 - Jun 2021 (1 year 3 months)
    Collaborated with a team of leading experts to write breakthrough book on Systems Change -The craft of systems change: Practical Tools for a Complex World https://threemountaingroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Craft-of-Systems-Change.pdf
  • World Wildlife Fund
    Systems Change Advisor
    World Wildlife Fund
    Apr 2020 - Jun 2020 (3 months)
    Designed and Facilitated Preventing Pandemics Initiative for WWF to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders and technical experts to assess how WWF and others might work to protect people from the spread of zoonotic disease to confront the environmental drivers of pandemics.. Led and facilitated a systems analysis and change project to look at the key, human-led drivers that put us at risk including - Increased forest loss, land conversion, and illegally-traded, live wildlife are all contributing to dangerous environments that lead to new spillovers. Identification of transformative actions that support recovery and reduce the risk of future pandemics, creating more sustainable and just societies for everyone. Show less
  • World Wildlife Fund
    Systems Change Advisor
    World Wildlife Fund
    Mar 2020 - Nov 2020 (9 months)
    Developed and facilitate the convening of a change management process "No Food Left Behind" for one of the highest impacts on biodiversity loss and land conversion as well as greenhouse gas emissions by exploring how to reduce food waste and loss in the US across the entire supply chain from farm to consumer. Designed and facilitated a 6-month process of convening and engaging with diverse actors throughout the food supply chain, through interviews, mapping of critical leverage points, deep-dialogue focused group brainstorming sessions to discuss and begin to develop potential interventions and a rapid cycle prototyping supply chain summit to develop actionable and approachable interventions to minimize produce loss and surplus—both on-farm
  • The Nature Conservancy
    Organizational Development Consultant
    The Nature Conservancy
    Jun 2019 - Aug 2019 (3 months)
    Designed and facilitated TNC Executive Team's annual strategy retreat addressing critical strategic and leadership issues to enhance management of the organization.
  • Sustainable Energy For All (SEForALL)
    Strategic Design and Facilitator
    Sustainable Energy For All (SEForALL)
    May 2019 - Jul 2019 (3 months)
    Designed and facilitated design thinking strategic event for the United Nations, convened 115 of the top leading climate change and sustainable energy specialists and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies from 39 countries. https://threemountaingroup.com/portfolio/climate-change-sustainable-energy/ Convened 4 charets that each focused on a key dimension of the issue, generating a small set of coordinated and strategic actions that will add both speed and scale to the ideas. This process incorporated the framework of design thinking i
  • US ARMY
    Organizational Development Consultant
    US ARMY
    Feb 2019 - Apr 2019 (3 months)
  • Georgetown University
    Faculty, Organizational Consulting and Change Leadership
    Georgetown University
    Jan 2019
  • USDA Forest Service
    Leadership Development and Team Building
    USDA Forest Service
    Jan 2019
  • WWF
    Systems Change Advisor
    WWF
    Nov 2018 - Apr 2019 (6 months)
    Collaborated with a team of leading experts to write to breakthrough book on Systems Change -THE ART OF SYSTEMS CHANGE: Eight guiding principles for a green and fair future https://threemountaingroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Art-of-Systems-Change.pdf
  • The World Bank
    Leadership Development Consultant
    The World Bank
    Sep 2018 - Nov 2018 (3 months)
    Designed and delivered leadership development training on improving Institutional and team Effectiveness for Libyan civil servants.
  • Chemonics International
    Strategy and Conservation Advisor
    Chemonics International
    Jan 2018 - Jan 2020 (2 years 1 month)
  • World Wildlife Fund
    Systems Change Advisor
    World Wildlife Fund
    Jan 2018 - Jan 2020 (2 years 1 month)
  • Mongabay
    Systems Change and Conservation Advisor
    Mongabay
    Jan 2018 - Jan 2019 (1 year 1 month)
  • The Rockefeller Foundation
    Change Management Consultant
    The Rockefeller Foundation
    Jan 2017
    Facilitated International Event on the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Global Mega-Infrastructure including energy, transport, water and communications. Assessed the impacts of infrastructure as a major contributor to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and through rapid cycle prototyping explored leverage points for shifting practices. Looked at the impact of growing infrastructure requirements and the role of G20 and OECD in increasing infrastructure investments globally and the impact of future Carbon intensive energy and transportation. In addition to other outcomes, the meeting served to identify solutions for minimizing unsustainable infrastructure investments and scaling up sustainable infrastructure investment, including t
  • NAMI
    Change Management Consultant
    NAMI
    Mar 2016 - Oct 2023 (7 years 8 months)
    Advised the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to bring diverse stakeholders together to innovate on collaborating to advance neuroscience discovery for serious mental illnesses. The Advancing Discovery Summit Series from 2016-2021 was a platform for advancing neuroscience discovery for depression and schizophrenia was a powerful first step to bring together representatives from academia, government, industry, and advocacy – breaking down barriers, sharing resources, and strategizing for common progress. Facilitated various national summits with NAMI, the Broad Institute and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that convened over 30 thought leaders from academia, private industry, government, and private research institutions to
  • Gates Foundation
    Change Management Consultant
    Gates Foundation
    Jan 2016 - Jan 2017 (1 year 1 month)
    Designed and facilitated a multi-stakeholder National Emergency Aid Summit for the BMGF looking at the problem of lack of college completion as a result of students relatively small but time-critical financial crisis. The summit led to the creation of the Emergency Aid Lab an innovative design thinking program to tackle this complex issue with solid and tangible results.
  • RWJF
    Change Management Consultant
    RWJF
    Jan 2016 - Jan 2017 (1 year 1 month)
    Leader of the Health Equity Lab with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), focusing on making progress on addressing health disparities and health inequities in the USA.
  • RMI
    Change Management Consultant
    RMI
    Jan 2016
    Facilitated a Strategy Summit for the core coalition of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) - consisting of four non-profit organizations that combine deep expertise in transforming energy markets: BSR’s Future of Internet Power, Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI) Business Renewables Center, World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Electricity initiative, and World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles (also supported by World Resources Institute). The coalition works with more than 150 large renewable energy buyers — including corporations, universities, cities, hospitals and local agencies — along with renewable energy project developers, service providers, utilities and other stakeholders. Facilitated a multi-stakehold
  • The Nature Conservancy
    Leadership, Team Building and Organizational Development Adviser
    The Nature Conservancy
    Jan 2015 - Jan 2019 (4 years 1 month)
    Designed and delivered a series of leadership trainings CEOs and EDs of over a two dozen African led and based Conservation NGOs that are implementing partners with TNC know as the ALCN African Conservation Leadership Network. In addition, conducted leadership trainings for TNC-Africa Leadership.
  • S
    Strategy and Organizational Development Advisor
    Jan 2012 - Jan 2013 (1 year 1 month)
    Advised on team building and organizational improvements and designed and facilitated the steering committee meetings of two international Cocoa Programs bringing together key private sector, non-profit and government players to enhance sustainability of the Cocoa Industry “value-chain”.
  • NASA Glenn Research Center
    Organizational Development Advisor
    NASA Glenn Research Center
    Jan 2010 - Jan 2012 (2 years 1 month)
    Designed and facilitated group process dynamics retreat with NASA Glenn Research Center’s Senior Engineering Management Directorate to enhance collaboration, improve functionality and working effectiveness of operation between four divisions spanning design to manufacturing to deliver on short and long-term Agency critical projects and be more responsive to on-going change. Designed and led Leadership Training for NASA Senior Management with a specific focus on leadership presence and effectiveness. Show less
  • UNDP
    Organizational Development Advisor
    UNDP
    Jan 2010
    Designed and facilitated a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder dialogue and brainstorming session between the HIV (Health), Gender Equality and Environmental movements. Dialogue focused on addressing long-term multi-sectoral development challenges to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ways for leveraging synergies. The roundtable dialogue served to raise best practices and innovate together new paths forward to accelerate development impacts
  • Chemonics International
    Organizational Development and Conservation Advisor
    Chemonics International
    Jan 2009 - Jan 2015 (6 years 1 month)
    Advised two USAID funded conservation projects in Africa, providing conservation and wildlife management technical advice and strategic planning and leadership development. Designed and facilitated numerous regional workshops on critical wildlife conservation and regional development themes for the Okavango River Basin, including the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park (Botswana, Angola, Namibia) and for the Limpopo including Kruger National Park (South Africa/ Mozambique/ Zimbabwe/ Botswana). Show less
  • Miga
    Organizational Development and Change Management Advisor
    Miga
    Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 (1 year 1 month)
    Change Management advisor to MIGA organizational-wide strategy and renewal process, including Executive Coaching to the Senior Management Team.
  • The Nature Conservancy
    Organizational Change Advisor
    The Nature Conservancy
    Jan 2009
    Designed and facilitated a cutting-edge forum on investing in sustainable businesses. Sponsored by the EcoEnterprises Fund this meeting convened private, public and non-profit stakeholders to look at a decade of high impact investing efforts and the nuts and bolts of eco-investing from pipeline to structuring to portfolio management considerations
  • Conservation International
    Organizational Development and Strategy Advisor
    Conservation International
    Jan 2007
    Designed and facilitated global multi-stakeholder Bushmeat Control Task Force strategy session to determine future directions and next steps for collaboration in the management of the international wildlife trade.
  • WWF
    Organizational Development and Conservation Advisor
    WWF
    Jan 2006
    Designed and implemented a rapid organizational assessment and evaluation of the Sulu-Sualwesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME) conservation program funded by USAID. Provided technical support on organizational development and capacity issues during the development of the Action Plan for an area noted as one of the “Seven Most Endangered Wonders of the World” – the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia) and area with the greatest concentration of marine biodiversity in the world with over 75% of all coral species known to science in the world Show less
  • USAID
    Leadership, Team Building and Organizational Development Advisor
    USAID
    Jan 2005 - Jan 2012 (7 years 1 month)
    Designed and facilitated numerous senior management and staff wide leadership, team-building and strategy sessions for various USAID missions to inspire innovative reforms, enhance leadership and develop renewed sense of team cohesiveness and set strategic direction for the country missions, including in Liberia, Serbia and Ukraine.
  • Wildlife Conservation Society
    Transboundary Conservation Advisor
    Wildlife Conservation Society
    Jan 2005
    Facilitated cross-organizational learning initaitive funded by USAID for WWF, WCS, TNC, CI and AWF to evaluate approaches to large ecoregional land/seascape scale conservation.
  • The World Bank
    Organizational Development Advisor
    The World Bank
    Jan 2004 - Jan 2013 (9 years 1 month)
    Designed and facilitated a private-public sector roundtable between Private Investors for Africa (PIA) (Barclays, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken, Lafarge, Standard Bank and Unilever) and World Bank Senior Management – including President Zoellick and the Regional VP for Africa. Designed and facilitated Leadership Symposium with participation of senior thought leaders globally in the field of Leadership. Change Management advisor to WBI renewal process. Strategic planning, team-building and change management advisor to the Zimbabwean Ministry of Education as part of the World Bank’s re-engagement with the country and sector. Designed and facilitated multi-stakeholder events in Ghana, Liberia, the US and the UK, and facilitated interactions of w
  • National Park Service
    Change Management and Conservation Advisor
    National Park Service
    Jan 2004 - Jan 2007 (3 years 1 month)
    Designed and led innovative training „Transcending Boundaries: Facilitating and Managing Complex Large Systems Change” . The trainings were attended by US NPS Staff as well as staff from Parks Canada, EPA, NOAA, UNDP, Yale, IUCN, USAID, and the Packard Foundation whose responsibilities are collaborative management and partnering. Facilitated the strategic planning and development of an international action-learning project to address the critical issue of protecting the natural environment around urban centers. Show less
  • The World Bank
    Organizational Development Advisor
    The World Bank
    Jan 2003 - Jan 2009 (6 years 1 month)
    Advised dozens of social change initiatives of the World Bank, in virtually every sector from Health Care to Education, as well as facilitating key organizational transformations leading to enhanced efficiencies and dramatically impacting some of the worlds most complicated issues with creative, tangible and lasting results. Designed and facilitated an international forum to discuss, provide feedback and brainstorm on the World Bank’s Environmental Safeguards. Advised the Global Tiger Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal to define strategic actions to save the wild tiger from extinction including the longer-term change management efforts of this multi-stakeholder effort spanning 15 tiger range state countries and numerous global entities. Show less
  • IFC - International Finance Corporation
    Organizational Development and Strategy Advisor
    IFC - International Finance Corporation
    Jan 2003 - Jan 2005 (2 years 1 month)
    Facilitated an organization wide change process to align technical assistance (TA) and investment operations. Designed and facilitated meetings with Senior Management, Regional and Industry departments and Staff and Technical Specialist Groups to determine means for improving effectiveness, efficiency and clarity of delivery of TA.
  • UNITED WAY
    Organizational Development Advisor
    UNITED WAY
    Jan 2003 - Jan 2004 (1 year 1 month)
    Supported a re-engineering and organizational change process to transform the United Way into a „community impact“ focused organization, concerned with delivery and results, dramatically shifting from the organizations past focus as mainly a „funding and fundraising“ organization
  • National Geographic
    Transboundary Conservation Advisor
    National Geographic
    Mar 2001 - May 2001 (3 months)
    Served as transboundary specialist and technical editor for article on transboundary conservation - “Without Borders: Uniting Africa’s Wildlife Reserves”
  • Global Environment Facility
    Protected Area Management Advisor
    Global Environment Facility
    Jan 2001 - Jan 2002 (1 year 1 month)
    Advisor to Turkish National Parks Department: Facilitated a large systems change initiative to improve organizational effectiveness and enhance capacity building efforts. Developed new organizational processes and structures, designed and implemented capacity building programs and initiated multi-stakeholder collaboration - local communities, government agencies and the private sector.
  • C
    CEO and Founder
    Jan 2000 - Current (26 years 10 months)
    Progress on What Matters Most - We partners with leaders and organizations making crucial national and international impacts in Conservation, Mental Health, Sustainability, Education and other vital sectors. We take the utmost care to leverage every moment with our partners to create a transformational future for them. When we invest our creativity with courageous organizations of the world, the results are nothing short of audacious. https://threemountaingroup.com 3MG focuses solidly on business results for our clients with a clear emphasis on the human element of change and performance. Our client’s range across the spectrum: including
  • USAID
    Senior Global Biodiversity Advisor
    USAID
    Jan 1999 - Jan 2000 (1 year 1 month)
    Global advisor on capacity building, multi-stakeholder collaboration, organizational development and large-scale conservation initiatives. Capacity building and social advisor on the evaluation team of the Nepal Country Program which led to the design of an innovative strategy combining environmental and democracy and government initiatives enhancing internal collaboration of programs and enhancing external capacity building efforts with program clients and stakeholders.
  • WWF
    Transboundary Conservation Area Advisor
    WWF
    Jan 1998 - Jan 1999 (1 year 1 month)
    Conducted an 11 country strategic planning process in Southern Africa focused on the development of large scale transboundary collaborative conservation initiatives with participation of private sector, non-profit (NGO), donor, community and government organizations. Designed and facilitated several multiple stakeholder workshops with representatives from various organizations and countries, with meetings in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
  • C
    Conservation Advisor
    May 1997 - Jul 1997 (3 months)
    Conservation advisor representing EBCD at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in June 1997.
  • FAO
    Protected Area Management Advisor
    FAO
    Jan 1996
    Analyzed Tanzania’s National Park’s policy and management, designed and facilitated national workshop and recommended revisions in institutional approaches and legislation and developed park specific management plans, including for Lake Manyara National Park.
  • IUCN
    Protected Area Management Advisor
    IUCN
    Jan 1994 - Jan 1995 (1 year 1 month)
    Developed a 5 year management plan for the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks, Botswana, which successfully brought the „Pans“ into a wider tourism circuit with the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari. Designed the management planning process for the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. Provided technical assistance on community based natural resources management (CBNRM) and protected area related issues to the IUCN Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA).
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
    Natural Resources Management (NRM) Specialist
    Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
    Jan 1993 - Jan 1995 (2 years 1 month)
    Developed with local communities innovative program for leading social change efforts with sustainable environmental impacts. Trained extension staff and designed and facilitated workshops at various levels. Served as coach and mentor for senior and mid-level government officials. Innovative forms of management regimes were created by this institutional change and capacity development initiative
  • The World Bank
    Social Advisor
    The World Bank
    Jan 1987 - Jan 1991 (4 years 1 month)
    Served as Social Advisor to the Operations Evaluation Department (OED). Analyzed the planning and execution of supervision in World Bank financed projects worldwide and made recommendations including institutional changes which led to improvements in project implementation efforts in all World Bank operations worldwide. Evaluated the World Bank's experience with 134 water supply and sanitation projects worldwide resulting in institutional reforms that enhanced efficiency of operations and improved delivery of services and reduction of environmental impacts Show less
  • BNY
    Executive Management Trainee
    BNY
    Jan 1985 - Jan 1987 (2 years 1 month)
    As select member of “executive management training program”, developed lending proposals for small, medium and large enterprises and trained in a variety of aspects of commercial banking. Determined the banks participation in Mexican Debt Restructuring and proposed innovative financing, which enhanced lending to enterprises in Latin America.
Education verified_user 0% verified
  • Georgetown University
    Post Graduate Certificate, Organizational Development
    Georgetown University
    Jan 2000 - Jan 2001 (1 year 1 month)
  • Humboldt University of Berlin
    doctor, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Human Geography
    Humboldt University of Berlin
    Jan 1994 - Jan 1998 (4 years 1 month)
  • Asian Institute of Technology
    master, Master’s Degree, Natural Resources Management, Ecology
    Asian Institute of Technology
    Jan 1991 - Jan 1992 (1 year 1 month)
  • Hamilton College
    bachelor, Bachelor's degree, International Relations and Economics
    Hamilton College
    Jan 1982 - Jan 1986 (4 years 1 month)
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