Susan Bridges
President, William Bridges Associates

For thirty-five years, Susan Bridges has advised leaders in organizations facing significant transitions as a result of non-stop change. She partners with executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs as they work through the disruptions of major business, professional and personal change. Emphasizing the human side of change, her focus is on providing the learning and tools to capitalize on the opportunities for development and innovation that change, and its resulting transition, offers.

In the late 80s, Susan and Bill Bridges collaborated to focus on the direction and growth strategy for William Bridges Associates. In 1998, Susan joined WBA as partner and co-owner. She merged her long-standing leadership development business with the company and became President in 2005. Together, Susan and Bill focused on writing, consulting and speaking about the leader’s role in organizational change and transition, while their affiliates delivered transition management training programs worldwide. Today, Susan continues to lead William Bridges Associates, as the Bridges Transitions work reaches new organizations and individuals around the world.

Prior to William Bridges Associates, Susan held executive positions with international consulting firms before founding her own company. She provided leadership and guidance through start-up, turnaround and growth periods to clients in a broad range of industries in the public, private and non-profit sectors. They sought Susan’s advice on leadership, team development, organizational strategy, public relations, project design, business development and professional services management.

Publications

Susan Bridges updated and revised the 40th anniversary edition of William Bridges’ best-selling Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes in 2019. She revised and updated the 25th Anniversary release of Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change in 2017. She has co-authored widely read articles on Transition Management, including Leading Transition: A New Model for Change, published by The Drucker Foundation.

Education and community involvement

Susan holds a BA in Speech and MA in Communications, with emphasis in Neurolinguistics and Neuropsychology, from the University of Colorado. She has served as a Drucker Foundation Mentor, providing guidance to the business leaders of tomorrow. As a board member for the Institute of Management Consultants, she developed the first nation-wide mentoring and professional development program for management consultants.

Susan is involved in community organizations, presently serving as Advisor to the UCSF Neurohospitalist Program. She has served on the boards of the Lymphoma Research Foundation, March of Dimes and Family Service Agency of Marin, CA.