Susan Coskey, JD, MBA

Adelante Global Partners, LLC, Founder and Principal

Known as an ethical, innovative and impactful leader, Susan Coskey approaches her work with analytical rigor, strategic pragmatism, empathy and deep understanding of cross-functional systems and human dynamics. Her collaborative and authentic leadership style, combined with her business, financial and legal acumen, enable her to optimize how organizations engage with and empower their people to contribute at their highest levels and achieve operational and strategic results. 

Susan is a quick study and deep thinker, able to toggle effectively between vision and implementation. As a seasoned operator, board member, executive, attorney, and certified coach, she provides measured and insightful guidance and expertise in achievable strategy development, operational effectiveness, processes and structure implementation, people strategies, workplace culture and DEI, risk management, sustainable change and legal and HR operations.

Susan has most recently held the position of President/Chief Operating Officer for Francis Energy, an EV Charging installation and operations company with the stated mission “to transform the electrification of transportation by ensuring equitable, affordable, reliable and safe access to public charging stations across America, leaving no community behind.” Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Francis has distinguished itself as the nation’s most successful recipient of federal grant dollars under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. First as a member of the Advisory Board, and then in her role as President/COO, Susan shepherded the significant transformation of Francis from startup to scale-up, with responsibility for all company functions including, operations, construction, government relations, grant management, sales, finance, legal, compliance, risk management and HR.

Susan’s prior roles include serving as Chief People Officer and General Counsel at Cap Hill Brand and Chief People Officer/lead HR Executive for Holland America Group (four brands of Carnival Corporation), where she was responsible for a workforce of 60,000 shipboard people on 40 ships across the globe, including during Covid. Through her career, she also has held roles as: Chief People Officer with two other public companies; Director of the City of Seattle Department of Human Resources; Principal of Seabold Group Consulting; Principal in the Employment Law Group of Garvey Schubert Barer (now Foster Garvey); Counsel to a US House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee; and law firm associate.

Susan’s board roles include: current board member of Jewish Family Services of Seattle; past Advisory Board Member, Francis Energy; past Board Officer, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky; Former Board Chair and Member, YouthCare (homeless youth wrap around services); past Board Vice Chair and Member, Privacy Fund (GLBTQ Civil Rights); past Member, Holland America Group Retirement Fund; past Member, City of Seattle Deferred Compensation Board and Retirement Fund; and staff member to various board compensation committees. She has solid ESG experience within environmentally sensitive and regulated industries, leading multiple organizational social initiatives, and engaging directly in issues related to governance and compliance.

A hiker, traveler, water-lover and dinner conversation aficionado, Susan lives in Seattle enjoying the company of her two grown sons, partner, and a constellation of family and close friends.