Denise Thomas

Denise Thomas is the President and Owner of The Effective Communication Coach, LLC, a consultancy focused on transforming emerging and existing professionals into extraordinary leaders by mastering the art of effective communication.

With 19 years of experience in working for Fortune 500 companies, Denise has honed the ability to deliver and receive messages across language, cultural, and communication-style barriers. She has been recognized for excellence in leadership from companies including Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, PepsiCo, General Electric and MillerCoors. Denise continues her focus on empowering people by traveling and teaching effective communication to professionals worldwide including Egypt, China and Israel.

Denise is a Lead Facilitator at St. Norbert College as part of the School of Business’s Center of Exceptional Leadership and also an Instructor for the Cardinal Stritch University Mission Fuel Leadership Program. She serves on numerous non-profit organization’s Board of Directors and Advisory Councils including Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County’s Women United Leadership Council and Cardinal Stritch University College of Business Advisory Council. She is also a certified Hogan Assessment and CEL 360 Coach. Denise is a graduate of Cardinal Stritch University in Business Management and a proud member of The Links Incorporated – Milwaukee Chapter.

Her existing portfolio of clients include Kraft Heinz, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Northwestern Mutual and Manpower Group. Organizations she’s consulted and coached include the National Black MBA Association, National Urban League, Thurgood Marshall Leadership Institute, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.

Over the years, her formal accolades include NV Magazine’s 2016 “Movers and Shakers” award, the MillerCoors Diversity and Inclusion Award and as the Featured Alumni during the Mission Driven Leader Series at Cardinal Stritch University in 2017. Denise was recently recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal as a 2019 Woman of Influence and a Top 100 Power Broker in 2018 and 2019. In November of 2019, Milwaukee Magazine listed her as a “Women of Distinction” and BizStarts recognized her as a “Inspiring Entrepreneur” during their annual “BizStarts Honors” event. The Milwaukee Times Newspaper recently recognized Denise for her “Excellence in Business” during the 35th Annual Black Excellence Awards.

She is a proud mother of two future leaders, her daughter Dominique and son Daren.