Engineer. Leader.
Author. Human.
Hi, I’m Wendy Cocke, a working mother who’s defining success according to my values, so that I can drive results while still spending the quality time needed to raise my children and support my extended family. I am the author of two best selling books and the founder of Engineering Leadership Solutions LLC where I work with high-achieving, technical professionals and organizations who think about work differently.
A chemical engineer by training, I spent over 20 years leading technical teams in Fortune 500 companies prior to opening my own consulting company. I believe that with my experience and my engineering mindset, I can help people find their place at work and thrive once they get there.
My mission is simple: help people think about work differently.
My Journey
About ten years into my career, when my oldest child was still an infant, I pursued a flexible work arrangement that would allow me to balance all aspects of my life. I was told that, though the company supported my desire to pull back, my career would stall and I would never move up in the organization.
Little did they know that the change to my work schedule and my successful negotiation of a flexible work arrangement would be the catalyst that would propel my career as I worked her way from engineer to project leader to manager and then director, serving in R&D, manufacturing operations & supply chain strategy.
Then, on what should’ve been one of the darkest days of my career, I used a corporate restructure as the opportunity to totally change the trajectory of my career. Without knowing it, I had been preparing for this moment for my entire career. I now do more of what fills my tank and less of what drains my energy.
"Top talent is no longer limited to jobs in their geography. They are not only able to choose which role to take, but which leader they want to work for."
Credentials & Experience
Here's what shapes my perspective and the tools I bring to every workshop, keynote, and coaching session:
Corporate Experience
"Wendy's 20+ year journey from entry-level chemical engineer to leader of teams at Fortune 500 companies to director-level in those same organizations before finally embarking on a career pivot into a determined entrepreneur showcases her belief in hard work and perseverance. Today, at ELS, she leads a team of engineering consultants in the areas of program/project management, continuous improvement, business transformation, management systems and quality systems management."
Author & Speaker
"Wendy is the best-selling author of Making Flex Work: Defining Success on Your Own Terms" and "Reimagine Your Work: Managing Your Career Like It's Your Business." She is passionate about redefining the working world. As a working mother and engineer who moved up the corporate ladder in Fortune 500 companies on a part-time schedule, Wendy is an expert on thinking about work differently and loves to work with people and organizations who want to do the same.
Life Beyond Work
I live just outside Atlanta with my husband, our two kids, my mom, and my grandmother — lovingly known as the "rolling circus." Family is everything to me and thanks to their support, I am able to throw myself into all the things I love.
When I'm not working (and often even when I am), you'll probably find me being the mom in the stands at a youth sports event, out to dinner laughing with my friends, or taking a nap…it’s my favorite past-time.