Event
Boyden Joins as Sponsor of CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference 2026
Rick Popp
Senior Advisor, Leadership Consulting, United States
Rick Popp is a recognized authority on leadership and organization development. As a leadership consultant and HR executive and practitioner for over 30 years, he has provided thousands of people with the tools to reach and maintain peak performance. He works with clients in multiple industries, from startups to multinationals, to unleash the full potential of their teams and organizations.
Professional Focus
- Three decades of experience as a leadership consultant; retired human resources executive from a Fortune 15 company
- Extensive expertise in leadership development and HR, including organization design, executive recruitment and succession planning, global HR business operations, human capital strategy, customer call center operations, performance coaching, team dynamics, corporate culture
- Speaker and facilitator of strategic planning sessions to create or reinvent business strategies, restructure organizations, cultivate winning teams and cultures, optimize performance, and develop HR policies & programs
- Author of The Game of a Lifetime: 9 Lessons for Young Athletes (and Everybody Else) to Achieve Real Success in Sports, Career, Family, and Life
Business Expertise
- Independent Leadership Consultant
- Nearly 30 years in leadership roles with Ford Motor Company, most recently Executive Director of Human Resources, North America, Autonomous Vehicles, Electrification, & Global Markets; prior roles included Director of HR, Global Marketing, Sales & Service and Autonomous Vehicle & Electrification; Director of Employee Benefits; various other HR leadership assignments including HR Director, Ford of Mexico
- Multiple board and community leadership roles
Additional Expertise
- Human Resources
- Leadership Consulting
- Automotive
- Manufacturing
- Higher Education
- Board Management
- Healthcare
Areas of Expertise
Education & Certifications
- Master's degree in public administration, with emphasis in personnel and labor relations, from Northern Michigan University
- Bachelor's degree in computer science from Northern Michigan University
- Wharton Fellows Program in eBusiness, Wharton Executive Education, University of Pennsylvania
- Organization Design Institute, Ford Motor Company
Affiliations & Awards
- Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Northern Michigan University
- Founding Board Member, Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation
- Former Board of Trustees Member, Northern Michigan University (appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder; twice elected Chair and once Vice Chair)
- Former Board Member, Dentemax, subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Board Member, Camp Sancta Maria, summer youth camp
- Former Board Member, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), non-profit health plan
- Founding and former Board Member, National Institute for Health Care Reform (est. by United Auto Workers and Ford)
- Former Ford Motor Company Representative, Economic Alliance of Michigan
- Former Executive Committee Member, Conference Board Research Council on Employee Benefits
Case Studies
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From Transition to Transformation: CFO Leadership in Premium Wine Operations
How Boyden navigated a high-stakes CFO search for a global wine producer’s U.S. subsidiary.
CEO Succession for a Global Precision Manufacturer
Boyden partners with a highly engineered products manufacturer to recruit a CEO who combines strategic pedigree with entrepreneurial execution, positioning the company for its next phase of growth.
Strategic Turnaround: A CFO’s Role in Rebuilding Culture and Financial Leadership
Boyden supports a major charter school network with the recruitment of the right CFO to bridge strategy, execution, and collaboration.
Thought Leadership
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Articles & Papers
Navigating Uncertainty: Global Instability Reshapes the Private Equity Playbook
In this edition of Navigating Uncertainty, explore how global instability is reshaping private equity as firms adapt through diversification, defensive strategies, and AI-driven value creation to turn uncertainty into opportunity.
Articles & Papers
The 6 Types of CFOs and How To Find the Right Fit for Your Business
Looking at the 6 types of CFOs and their roles can help you think about finding a leader who aligns with your business strategy.
Blog Post
Finding the Right Talent to Lead Your Strategic Initiatives
One of the most difficult challenges real estate private equity managers face in finding executives to run product platforms or geographic sectors is the scarcity of leaders with the right blend of investment acumen, operational expertise, and sector-specific knowledge.
Articles & Papers
The Essential Need for CFO Succession Planning in Healthcare
To cope with high turnover and severe financial pressures, learn what healthcare CFOs prioritize in their successors and the need for CFO succession planning in healthcare.
Media
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Curiosity vs Expertise—Why Leaders Are Generalists with Xenia Wickett Founder of Wickett Advisory
Podcast
Boyden with Texas A&M: What we Celebrate and what we Tolerate
Podcast
Why Planning Your Career Can Hold You Back with Laurent Therivel, former CEO of UScellular
Podcast
Leading Through Complexity with Dee Smith, CEO of Strategic Insight Group
Podcast
Contact Rick Popp today and let's get started