When Kelly Meerbott began her coaching career more than 16 years ago, she recognized that resilience, adaptability, and strategic agility were among her greatest assets. She understood that leadership coaching wasn’t just about refining executive presence but also helping leaders in high-stakes environments harness their strength, clarity, and resilience to navigate complex and ever-evolving threats. This philosophy was coined by one of her clients, Meerbott Magic—a science-backed coaching methodology that empowers leaders to think critically, lead decisively, and create mission-driven, high-performance cultures in uncertainty.

Kelly’s ability to develop resilient, agile leaders is deeply personal. Growing up, she had a firsthand view of coaching excellence through her father, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour with 80 Top 10 finishes. Watching him, she saw the transformative power of expert guidance—how the right coaching could sharpen decision-making, elevate performance under pressure, and foster unwavering discipline. These lessons carried into her work with executives, government officials, and national security leaders, reinforcing her belief that elite leadership is built on agility, foresight, and the ability to drive results in unpredictable environments.

Today, Kelly is a trusted coach to CISOs, senior executives, and high-ranking military officers—many of whom have dedicated their careers to protecting national security, mitigating cyber threats, and defending critical infrastructure. She has worked with more than 500 high-ranking officers in the U.S. military, including those in cybersecurity, intelligence, and defense strategy, as well as leaders within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her expertise in psychological safety, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and trauma-informed leadership enables her to create a confidential, psychologically secure space where leaders can navigate the pressures of protecting critical data, anticipating cyber warfare, and mitigating national security risks.

Kelly holds multiple coaching certifications in Human and organizational Transformation, Unconscious Bias, Leadership, Cognitive Therapy, Communications, and Improvisation, uniquely positioning her to guide leaders through high-pressure environments where rapid decision-making and strategic thinking are essential. She is also a certified clinical trauma specialist, trained to work with professionals facing high-stakes operational stress and post-traumatic challenges.

Kelly received her undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross and continues to shape the next generation of mission-driven, cyber-aware, and results-oriented leaders who are securing the future of national and corporate security.