John Schulenburg, MSW, GRCP, CA-AM
With deep roots in the behavioral sciences field and over 35,000 hours of direct experience navigating change and critical relationships across multiple sectors and market cycles, John provides a rigorous body of work that draws from neuroscience, systems theory, developmental psychology, evidence-based decision-making, crisis management, and risk mitigation.
“John facilitates a level of introspection and insight that is uncommon in the corporate setting. His clarity at identifying key issues and uncovering clear strategic solutions can only come from someone with his unique perspective and extensive experience."
– Erin Barfels | Chief Human Resource Officer | ARAG – A Global Legal HR Provide
Formally trained and mentored as a psychodynamic-oriented psychotherapist, John started his career in the trenches of community mental health, practicing in an inpatient and outpatient psychiatric unit.
In response to the need for a higher level of front-line crisis intervention, John implemented a county-wide crisis intervention program. In one single, consecutive 14-month period, he successfully implemented 334 suicide/homicide interventions without losing a single person.
During this period, John successfully negotiated a collaborative relationship among three hostile physician groups to help ensure better treatment outcomes. His performance under pressure and his ability to effectively bridge relationships and build partnerships quickly propelled him to the state level.
Working for the State of Illinois, one of his many tasks was to foster a working relationship between the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Human Services. This effort faced ongoing conflicts and hostility, which he addressed using shuttle caucusing techniques that proved successful.
"Schulenburg is a Natural. He can see the underlying complexity of a situation in ways others miss. He gives trusted counsel, and during tough decisions, he would be the last one to leave the room."
- David Bertauski | Founder & Senior Partner - The Hunter Group (Retired) |
President & CEO of Provena Covenant Medical Center
True to the core nature of the Summation Round Table talks, John is relational in his approach with a focus on building value. He understands the intrinsic value in the creative dynamics that unfold between people. When bridging corporations and leaders, John continues to utilize a hybrid shuttle-caucusing approach that he developed at the state level. His subtle and intuitive style draws from his extensive experience in the behavioral science field.
John is a strategic outlier. His range of effectiveness transcends sectors and situations. He has brought value to Fortune 30 executives, mediating between scientists working on particle accelerators and neutron generator solutions, to helping establish a governance structure with an international manufacturing company navigating a complex generational transition, to record label owners, bank executives, multi-billion-dollar trading institutions, governmental policy groups, and a broad range of healthcare and humanistic institutions tackling the wicked problems that consume our world.
Selected Training & Education
Lesson Learned - The Power of Connection
"I met Michael Costello while attending a mediation course at Harvard Law. He was one of the students in the class, and despite being surrounded by fifty distinguished attorneys—of which I was the only non-attorney—Michael was treated with a sense of reverence by both the faculty and his peers.
During our time together, I came to learn that Michael was the Australian diplomat who successfully assembled a coalition comprising the United States, China, Vietnam, and the ASEAN nations to dismantle the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia through the Paris Peace Agreement of 1991. He played a crucial role in brokering one of the most successful UN-led peace settlements in modern history by borrowing a plane and holding a series of thirty major meetings with key players in thirteen countries over a period of just twenty-one days.
As I think about Michael, I am reminded that a single person, fueled by deep conviction and the courage to take action, can accomplish remarkable things. I carry this lesson forward, firmly embracing the transformative power of personal, in-person connections." - John