Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer is a globally recognized human capital strategist, USA Today bestselling author, and board-certified executive coach. With over 30 years of executive leadership experience across public, private, nonprofit, and multi-industry organizations, she brings a rare blend of business acumen, strategic rigor, and human insight to every engagement.

Cynthia works at the intersection of strategy and soul—helping organizations unlock their workforce's full value and individuals realize their potential's full power. She has advised CEOs, executive teams, and multi-generational enterprises on aligning talent strategy with business growth, leading cultural transformations, and designing human capital investments that turn people into a company’s most enduring competitive advantage.

Beyond her work with organizations, Cynthia is deeply committed to serving the people within them. She coaches high-capacity leaders to reconnect with purpose, reclaim their voice, and lead from a place of alignment rather than exhaustion. Known for her ability to illuminate overlooked strengths and accelerate personal transformation, she guides individuals to see the greatness they carry and the possibilities they’re meant to pursue.

Her contributions have earned her recognition, including being featured in Ingram's "50 Missourians You Should Know," Becker's "143 Women Leaders of Hospital and Health Systems to Know," and being honored as a St. Louis YWCA Leader of Distinction and one of St. Louis's Most Influential Businesswomen.

With an array of academic accomplishments and professional certifications, Cynthia's personal mission is to amplify possibilities and help executives and organizations realize their full potential. Whether in the boardroom, on stage, or across from a leader at a crossroads, Cynthia’s mission remains the same:
Actualize people. Align purpose. Amplify performance.