Gary Thomas
Career Coaching that Delivers Results from a Former Ford Senior Director
Successful clients at
Available Monday
Starting at 2:00 PM UTC
Thank you for your interest in having me as your coach! I would love to work with you! If you are unable to find a time that works for you, please feel free to email me at [email protected] to find a time that works. Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Stacy
Questions?
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Work with Gary
Career Development Start-to-Finish
$4,050
Discover a Career Path
Starting at
$1,125
Advance your Career
Starting at
$1,125
About
Stacy Balzer is an accomplished leadership coach, keynote speaker and former Senior Director at Ford Motor Company, with over 30 years of experience driving success in the automotive industry. Throughout her tenure with Ford Customer Service Division, Stacy held influential senior leadership positions, supporting a nationwide dealership network and 50,000 technicians, and ultimately leading an organization of more than 600 people. Stacy’s approach to leadership and coaching centers on balancing results with people. She has consistently delivered measurable business improvements enhancing profitability, technician retention, customer satisfaction, and operational productivity while fostering cultures built on trust, accountability, and personal development. Her leadership style is deeply influenced by her firsthand understanding of the transformative power of encouragement, as well as the consequences when it is absent. Executive/Leadership Coaching with Stacy: She challenges those she coaches to think about conventional, pressure-driven leadership paradigms and demonstrates how disciplined encouragement, clear expectations, and belief-based feedback empower teams, strengthen organizational culture, and elevate performance, particularly in high-stakes, rapidly changing environments. Stacy guides leaders to become Encouraging Catalysts, helping them build workplaces where people feel supported, valued, and equipped to lead confidently while achieving meaningful results. Stacy is also a passionate advocate for women, having served on several professional and industry boards. She has devoted much of her career to mentoring and sponsoring women leaders.
Gary also coaches for Leadership Coaching, Customer Support, and Customer Success. View all.
Gary’s Career Coaching Qualifications
Coaches professionally
Experience level: Director
10+ Career Coaching clients
Welcome to my profile! With over two decades of experience at Ford Motor Company, including roles as Senior Director and Global Chief Engineer, I have honed my skills in leadership, customer service management, and strategic development. As the CEO of Uplift Coaching and Consulting, I leverage my extensive background to help professionals navigate their career paths and achieve their goals. My approach focuses on building leadership capabilities, enhancing customer-centric strategies, and driving innovation through data analytics. Whether you're looking to advance in your current role or pivot to a new industry, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. Let's connect and create a tailored plan for your career success!
Gary can help with:
Career Planning
General Exploration
Interview Prep
Leadership
Networking Strategy
Personal Branding
Professional Networking
Skill Building
Why do I coach?
I coach because leadership is one of the few forces that can change both results and lives at the same time. Over the course of my career, I saw capable, driven people step into leadership roles without the support, feedback, or development they needed to succeed. Too often, leadership became about pressure, pace, and performance alone—leaving people disengaged, burned out, or unsure of themselves, even when the results looked good on paper. Coaching creates space to slow down, reflect, and lead with intention. It helps leaders strengthen self-awareness, sharpen judgment, and reconnect with who they want to be as leaders—not just what they need to deliver. As leaders grow in clarity and confidence, they become better equipped to develop their teams, navigate complexity, and lead through challenge. At the heart of my coaching is a belief in encouragement—not as praise or softness, but as a disciplined leadership practice. When leaders learn how to set clear expectations while genuinely believing in their people, they don’t just build stronger teams—they grow themselves. That’s why I coach: to help leaders lead with confidence, develop others well, and create results that are sustainable for both the organization and the individual.
Work Experience
Chief Executive Officer
Uplift Coaching and Consulting
January 2026 - Present
Senior Director - Service Engineering Operations
Ford Motor Company
September 2022 - January 2026
Hiring Manager
Lead all Global activities (600+ direct US employees; 500+ global functional employees). Responsible for: Recall, Concern ID and Resolution, Warranty, Technical Support (call center and field), Technical Training, Service Information Development, Diagnostics, Vehicle Health, Service Product Development, Upstream Service • Modernize the service experience for Ford customers; evolve our customer repair process • Lead “voice of service” with Product Development Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality to ensure the design of vehicles with repairs in mind • Ensure the appropriate technician recruiting and training is being done by Ford dealers and ensure technical support, technical training is available • Coach and build capability of leaders to become effective people leaders • Deliver on Ford’s commitment to provide best in class customer and product experience by collaborating closely with key internal and external stakeholders (Ford/Lincoln Dealers) • Track and maintain all financial, technical recruiting, dealer support and customer repair metrics. • Leverage data analytics to provide greater customer insight, drive innovation, and improve efficiency and productivity • Maintain a customer centric mindset focused on streamlining and eliminating bureaucracy Customer Service Management, Customer Retention and +11 skills
Senior Manager, Emerging Technologies
Ford Motor Company
October 2017 - August 2022
Hiring Manager
Developing Customer Service Division strategy for AV, EV, and CV. Responsible for Customer Service Engineering (Service Cost of Ownership, Concern ID and Resolution) and Service Product Development (Vehicle Personalization Engineering and Reman Engineering). Customer Service Management, Customer Retention and +14 skills
Global Chief Engineer - Customer Service Engineeering
Ford Motor Company
January 2016 - September 2017
Hiring Manager
Responsible for Global Service Cost of Ownership and Concern ID and Resolution. Automotive Engineering, People Development and +5 skills
Education
University of Michigan - Dearborn
Master of Science - MS, Engineering Management
1998 - 2000
Kansas State University
Bachelor of Science - BS, Chemistry
1990 - 1995
Kansas State University
Bachelor's Degree, Chemical Engineering
1990 - 1995
4.8 average review
29 reviews
Overall rating
Gary has helped Leland clients get into Ford Motor Company
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