Tony D. Thelen

The highlights: Tony D. Thelen is a lifelong learner whose career has spanned roles in manufacturing, sales, marketing, technology, strategy, and finance. Tony is a lifetime member of Trout Unlimited and currently writes from his home in West Okoboji, Iowa. More info below: Tony is Founder and Principal Executive Coach at The River Coaching and Consulting, LLC. The goal of The River is to help executives become successful and work and at home by removing as much pain, anxiety, and stress as possible in their lives. Success is when they get A's at home and A's at work. Tony has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University, an MBA from the University of Northern Iowa, and a post-graduate diploma from Oxford University in the UK with an emphasis in Strategy and Innovation. He is a certified Neuroleadership Coach, certified in Hogan Assessments, and accredited by the Co-Active Institiute of Coaching. He is a member of the International Federation of Coaches and the Institute of Coaching. His career with John Deere started as a chemical engineer, then went into factory supervision roles, moved on to sales, customer support, and marketing roles, followed by 4 years in leadership roles of Deere's precision ag organization. The last 10 years of his career Tony had various leadership roles in John Deere Financial focused on sales, strategy, and digital transformation, ultimately leading to his appointment as Chief Product Officer and Strategic Advisor. In May 2023 Tony retired after 35 years with John Deere to focus full time on executive coaching. Tony authors a blog on "The River" on LinkedIn as well as a Professional Development weekly column called "Dear Tony" that answers questions from people who are in critical parts of their career. Tony is also the lead author of the best-selling book of 2023 called "Am I Doing This Right? Foundations for a Successful Career and a Fulfilling Life". A few highlights of Tony's skills, experiences, and interests are: Leadership in Agile Transformation | Digitalization | Emerging Technologies | Leadership Development | Mentoring & Coaching Senior Executives | Strategy | Advisory and Board Roles | Career Transitions | When I’m not involved in the above, I can be found doing my best to raise 3 daughters, writing, fly fishing the rivers of Colorado and Montana, or relaxing on West Okoboji Lake in NW Iowa.