Transforming successful executives into exceptional leaders
As one of the industry’s most sought-after leadership coaches, David Bishop uses his unique blend of experience, intellect, and heart to help his clients create lasting change.
David has been guiding leaders through the complexities of organizational growth and change for almost a decade. His passion lies in helping executives—particularly CEO founders—navigate the challenging transition from hands-on operator to strategic leader.
A Deep Understanding of What It Takes to Thrive as a Leader
Whether it’s a startup founder hitting an inflection point after securing major funding or an established leader steering your organization through market disruption, the pressures and uncertainties of leadership can be isolating:
- “How do I step back from day-to-day operations without losing control?
- “Why isn’t my team as passionate about our mission as they were when we were smaller?”
- “How do I maintain our culture and performance as we scale?”
David’s decades of experience as an executive in the entertainment industry give him deep insight into the unique challenges today’s leaders face.
Before becoming an executive coach, David served as President of both Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and MGM Home Entertainment, where he led global organizations through periods of explosive growth, market disruption, and digital transformation. During his tenure at Sony, his leadership contributed to over $20 billion in gross revenues, even during challenging economic conditions. At MGM, he successfully grew revenues from $300 Million to $1 Billion while maintaining award-winning customer service standards.
David has also had a significant impact as a board chair. With Parrot Analytics, David helped achieve contracts with companies like Amazon and helped lead a major raise. As chair of Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, he led a $165 million raise.
And this real-world experience is what really sets David apart. Because he’s not just a coach; he’s a leader who has personally navigated the complexities his clients are navigating.
David brings both academic rigor and practical wisdom to his coaching practice. In fact, his experience and success as a coach led to him becoming a Fellow and Strategic Advisor for Harvard’s Institute of Coaching and co-author of significant research on leadership during times of uncertainty.
Download David’s Harvard Institute of Coaching ebook
“David helped me elevate strategy and get out of the details, and my whole team has benefitted from clearer leadership. Personally, it’s been refreshing to work as a mission-driven CEO with complex challenges instead of being bucketed as a ‘female founder.’ I’m having more fun and more success as an entrepreneur than ever before.”
Kruti Kanojia, CEO/Founder
Healthy Gamer
The Power of High-Performance Team Building
David’s approach centers on helping his clients discover their most evolved selves as a leader so they can build engaged, high-performing teams that can thrive in any business climate. He helps leaders:
- Make the crucial transition from tactical operator to strategic leader
- Build and maintain high-performing teams during periods of rapid growth
- Create psychological safety and open communication within leadership teams
- Develop strategic alignment across the organization
- Foster a culture of accountability and innovation
A Proven Process for Sustainable Leadership Development
Drawing from his extensive experience and advanced certifications, David employs powerful assessment tools including:
The Predictive Index
Revealing how individuals work best and helping leaders understand how to get the most from their teams
The BURKE Learning Agility Inventory
Supporting improved financial performance through enhanced leadership capability
The Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI)
Uncovering thinking preferences to create more self-aware and effective leaders
360-degree assessments
Gathering comprehensive feedback from all organizational levels to illuminate leadership blind spots and accelerate development
David also holds a certification from the Global Team Coaching Institute (GTCI), a systemic, evidence-based approach to unlocking a team’s full potential, transforming team dynamics, enhancing performance, and creating lasting cultural change.
“Transitioning to a leadership role was a significant step in my career, and David provided the guidance and support I needed to navigate this change with clarity. His insightful approach not only reinforced my existing skill set, but also challenged my thinking and encouraged innovative solutions. This helped me identify and prioritize key considerations, ensuring a smooth and effective transition. David would be a valuable advisor for anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills and drive meaningful organizational change.”
David Espinosa
President of distribution at a major media company
Making Impact Through Partnership
David uses his unique blend of experience, intellect, and heart to help his clients create lasting change through:
- Active listening and thoughtful questioning that leads to deeper insights
- Creating accountability structures that drive real behavior change
- Building self-awareness that allows leaders to leverage their authentic strengths
- Fostering strategic thinking and organizational alignment
- Developing communication strategies that engage and inspire teams
“David and I started working together two weeks before our first major crisis evolved a result of 4X personnel growth in 9 months. He helped me manage the company and was key in coordinating our efforts to turn that crisis into a positive growth opportunity for the company. I now feel much more in control of the company, my employees are happier with my performance, and we’ve instilled a culture of self reflection and improvement at the company.”
René Morkos, CEO/Founder
Alice Technologies
Beyond the Boardroom
David is based in Southern California, but serves clients across the country. His commitment to Santa Barbara leadership development extends beyond his coaching practice—he serves as Chairman of the Board of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and has been recognized with the Keystone Award from Los Angeles Team Mentoring for his community impact.
A lifelong musician who occasionally performs with his band, David brings creativity and adaptability to his coaching approach, and his 50-year meditation practice informs his ability to stay present and focused while helping leaders navigate complex challenges.
Ready to transform your leadership journey? Contact David to explore how he can help you and your team reach new levels of performance.
I first met David almost a year ago. Since then I have been shocked at the impact he had had on my life and the lives of the founders I work with. His perspective, calmness, and clearly defined courses of action have helped me navigate some of the most difficult times in my career, and have saved founders I work with both time and money. Most importantly, though, David has helped me and my founders be better leaders.
David brings a deep level of compassion to leadership. He recognizes that high employee engagement directly ties to delivery of superior financial results. He moves easily between energizing large groups to mentoring individuals. As a merchant, David is laser-focused on the customer’s needs. He and his Team consistently anticipated market trends, both with key digital and traditional retailers. He continues to have a deep understanding of evolving consumer trends.
I cannot speak highly enough of my professional experience with David. He is smart, fair, even keeled and a great leader. He possesses a warmth and sense of humor that helped to create a great work environment among the hundreds of employees that he managed. Additionally he was and continues to be respected enormously by industry leaders and key customers.