About Us

Why Organizations Choose ECCO

ECCO can make your specific goals and objectives a reality with our pool of specialized associates. Unlike firms with on-staff consultants, there’s no force-fitting your needs to fit our talent. You can be confident that we only hire the talent that fits your needs.

"We consider ECCO a true Best Buy partner versus being a traditional outsourced consulting firm. We invite them to participate in our training teams and include them in our decision-making about our future direction and how to accomplish specific, strategic goals. ECCO understands the culture, vision, and mission of our company so we greatly benefit by involving them in our planning processes. ECCO has become a "first call" resource for our training initiatives."

- Director, Best Buy Retail Development and Training

We are education-based and business savvy. Our organization development services focus on creating inclusive cultures, leadership and employee development, and global business communication. We believe that each company has specific goals and objectives, so we create custom-designed solutions. Our company is the first call contact for clients’ initiative design and development because we develop solutions that are:

Effective:

We fit "square pegs" in square holes, not round ones. We draw from a pool of independent, specialized associates to match specific expertise needed with your organization's development goals and objectives.

Customized:

Our organization development training programs are made-to-order, not "one-size-fits-all." We've learned no two clients require the same solution, so we design customized solutions based on what you want your outcome to be. And we do it with a keen eye on the budget.

Responsive:

We are "quick-change artists." Because we draw from a pool of associates, we can readily adapt to your schedule, not ask you to fit into ours. Turnaround times are reduced, and adapting to sudden changes can be accommodated to meet your project goals.

Meet The Principal: Amy S. Tolbert, PH.D., CSP

Expertise

Amy Tolbert, Ph.D., CSP, founded Energizing Cultural Change in Organizations (ECCO International) in 1989. She is the Principal of ECCO, specializing in creating inclusive cultures through leadership development, inclusive practices, and global business communication skills.

ECCO develops multicultural organizations and individuals by bringing you cutting-edge topics, such as inclusion initiatives, leadership competency development, style management, and creating breakthrough teams.

Experience

Dr. Tolbert has researched multicultural competencies needed for today’s global organization to address diversity and multicultural issues, cross-cultural training, and inclusive cultures. She has authored several books, and some were translated and distributed in Saudi Arabia and China.

She is a distinguished faculty member, Carlson Executive Education, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.

She presents nationally and internationally with customized learning strategies and keynotes.

She has served several terms as national vice-chair for the Professional Expertise Group on Diversity with National Speakers Association (NSA). She served as president for NSA-MN, lead learning strategist for ILSEP (Institute for Lawful, Safe, and Effective Policing), and serves on the HR connection Advisory Board.

She earned her Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation with NSA. The CSP is the speaking profession’s international measure of experience and skill. Fewer than 10 percent of the speakers who belong to the International Federation for Professional Speakers hold this professional designation.

She has contributed a chapter in the book, “Developing Talent for Organizational Results: Training Tools from the Best in the Field,” published by Pfeiffer.

She authored a video training program (Open Mind, Open World: Improving Intercultural Interactions), which includes leader guides and video clips so you can customize your own series of global education workshops.

She authored several validated diversity and inclusion assessments.

She provides international consultations and training in developing multicultural competency, increasing organizational influence, managing a diverse workforce, and enhancing motivation and leadership skills. Her diverse client list includes Microsoft, Digi-Key, Comcast, USBank, Verizon, Medtronic, AT&T, 3M, Best Buy, Mayo Clinic, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN, Polaris, United Way, Ford Motor Company, Gucci, Becton-Dickinson, and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Education

Ph. D., Human Resource Development, Focusing on International/Cross-Cultural and Diversity Education/Training, University of Minnesota

M.Ed., Communications and Adult Learning, Bowling Green State University, Ohio

B.A., Radio/TV/Film Production, State University of NY, Geneseo, NY