Bio

M. Tamra Chandler is a nationally recognized thought leader, author, and speaker known for developing new and effective ways for people and their organizations to perform at their peak. In 2016, she wrote the acclaimed book, How Performance Management is Killing Performance – and What to Do About It. Her second book, Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How to Fix It, was published in June 2019. Tamra brings more than thirty years of experience in strategically partnering with organizations across industries on varied and complex business transformation projects to her role as an EY Americas People Advisory Services leader. Her down-to-earth style and results-driven approach emphasize the human element of organizations while maintaining an unwavering focus on the larger picture. Consulting Magazine recognized her impact by naming her one of the country’s “Top 25 Consultants” in both 2007 and 2014. In 2009, Tamra founded PeopleFirm LLC, one of Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Best Management Consulting Firms” each year from 2016 to 2019 and one of Washington’s largest women-owned businesses. Under her leadership, PeopleFirm was one of the largest women-owned firms in Washington and a go-to partner for more than 125 clients, including Bonneville Power, Nordstrom, Columbia Sportswear, Nike, WorldPay, ChristianaCare, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before founding PeopleFirm, Tamra was Managing Partner for Arthur Andersen’s Business Consulting practice in the Pacific Northwest, and executive in charge of People and Solutions at Hitachi Consulting. Tamra earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Montana State University and holds an MBA from the University of Washington.