About Sagency
Our Methods Reflect Our Mission
At Sagency we believe an organization’s success depends on effective leadership. We know that healthy, thriving companies lead to healthy, thriving people—and vice versa.
Whether you need help filling a leadership position or your existing team could use coaching on how to be more effective, we give you the science-backed insight and tools you need to multiply greatness.
Living Our Core Values
At Sagency, we follow three principles:
- Earn Trust: Trust is the most precious commodity, and we don’t take it for granted. We strive to earn it every single day.
- Be Curious: Finding the best solution requires moving beyond what we already know, asking the right questions to find the truth.
- Own It: We take personal accountability for mindsets, behaviors, and results that contribute to our shared results.
Watch this video to learn more about our company culture and how we apply these values to everything we do.
Meet Your Guides for Growth
Whether you’re looking to find the right person for a leadership role or want to unlock the potential of your existing team, let our collective decades of experience multiply greatness for your organization.
Brittany is the Client Delivery Program Manager at Sagency, where she leverages her background as a former teacher to bring creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication to her role. She is instrumental in fostering inclusive and collaborative learning experiences. Brittany collaborates closely with the Sagency team to create custom curricula that drive positive and impactful change, ensuring leadership experiences are relevant and effective for clients. She is dedicated to designing engaging learning and development journeys and helping clients measure outcomes and return on investment. Passionate about helping people, Brittany is committed to supporting Sagency's mission and contributing to its ongoing success.
For the past decade, Brittany has called Fargo home, where she continues to grow her family. She loves participating in Fargo's vibrant community life and shares her talents and passions through volunteering for various organizations.
Tom Iverson is a partner at Sagency with over 35 years of experience working in strategic planning, executive and performance coaching, succession planning, employee engagement, and organizational and team development. He is a certified Hudson Institute Coach as well as a member of John Maxwell’s team of coaches, trainers, and speakers.
Tom is passionate about seeing individuals and organizations do better, reach higher, and go further than they think possible. His clients can rely on him to develop plans for success that can be replicated, improved, taught, tracked, and measured to provide a productive and more profitable path forward. Through his executive and performance coaching, Tom’s clients grow and develop as individuals to perform at a higher level in their jobs and to be able to contribute more to the community.
Tom believes strategic focus and alignment are critical to an organization’s success and viability, and he uses his expertise to ensure his clients have the clarity, unity, and strategy they need to thrive, prosper, and engage in work that really matters.
Tami Kilzer is a Senior Search Associate at Sagency. In this role, she matches top-level candidates with companies that know the impact and value of their team members, so they can reach full potential together.
After years of working in management for a national non-profit organization in recruitment, marketing, and community outreach, Tami realized that she received the most joy and inspiration from aiding in the career growth of others. Whether through advisory roles, identifying growth opportunities, navigating through conflict resolution, or helping someone find their voice and path, she enjoys helping people develop a strategy for taking the best path forward.
Tami is perpetually curious and inspired by what drives, motivates, and leads people throughout their careers. Through her work at Sagency, she finds it a privilege to work with individuals who are intentional about their personal and professional growth, and she is excited to begin that conversation with new clients and candidates
Larry is a seasoned entrepreneur and former CEO with a passion for helping organizations identify and execute strategic growth initiatives. He is deeply committed to helping leaders maximize their potential—creating value for both themselves and their organizations.
Larry began his career as the National Sales Manager for a major Dutch agricultural processor, where he played a key role in expanding the company's international reach. He led the development of its export division and later initiated an import arm that grew into an industry leader.
In 1987, Larry co-founded Specialty Commodities, Inc., which became a premier U.S. importer of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. Under his leadership, the company expanded through strategic acquisitions, evolving into a major manufacturer and distributor serving the U.S. food and snack industries. In 2008, he guided the sale of the company to a private equity firm and later led its successful acquisition by a global agricultural company.
For the past five years, Larry has worked as a business consultant, advising companies on strategy, growth, and leadership. He has also served on multiple for-profit and nonprofit boards, leveraging his experience to support organizational success.
Larry holds a B.S. degree from North Dakota State University. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, fishing, and spending summers with his family at a scenic Minnesota lake—especially cherishing time with his grandchildren.
Jon brings an entrepreneurial spirit, applied curiosity and decades of leadership experience to his role as Senior Advisor at Sagency where he helps enterprise leaders achieve transformative results. He has guided hundreds of high-potential leaders in shaping the strategic growth of both for-profit companies and non-profits organizations by unlocking new imagination, changing their trajectory and building high-performing boards and executive teams.
Jon is nationally recognized for his work at American Public Media Group, where he succeeded the 45-year founder and led APMG’s remarkable growth, including 8 years as Chief Operating Officer and 10 years as President & CEO. As an entrepreneur, Jon has built profitable companies and pioneering non-profits across a range of sectors, always with a focus on fostering cultures of growth and innovation.
Before joining Sagency, Jon served private and family-owned businesses as an Executive Consultant with Platinum Group. He has a passion for helping owners, senior executives, and boards develop new growth strategies and confidently navigate high-stakes transitions for owners and key leaders. His diverse experience as a founder, owner, CEO and board member gives him unique insights into the importance of leadership and talent development, board and executive alignment, clarity of vision and strategy, and succession planning to build resilient and growing organizations.
In addition to his work with Sagency clients, Jon teaches Entrepreneurship in the Offutt School of Business at Concordia College, investing in the next generation of leaders.
Jon is married to his 5th-grade sweetheart, and they have two daughters. Outside of the office, he enjoys singing in the worship team at church, applauding his five grandkids at their sports and arts performances, listening to audio books, and continuing his life-long pursuit of the perfect pizza.
Mike Meagher is the founder and CEO of Sagency. Under his leadership, Sagency was the winner of the 2020 ChamberChoice Small Business of the Year award.
As a highly-regarded coach and speaker on the topic of healthy and high-performance executive teams, Mike has worked with hundreds of top executives to help them achieve their goals through effective leadership. His insights have been featured in leadership and business publications such as Forbes, Prairie Business Magazine, and FargoINC.
For nearly a decade, Mike has dedicated himself to creating solutions that help executives take the complexity out of building top teams that achieve their desired results. As a coach and advisor, Mike can help any executive overcome team complexity and achieve greatness.
Danielle Paulus is a community-minded, energetic executive search consultant known for her ability to execute any project, no matter how large, multifaceted, or ambiguous. With a diverse background leading within complex family business, Fortune 500, and nonprofit settings, Danielle leverages her expertise to forge meaningful partnerships that drive organizational success.
Prior to joining Sagency, Danielle spent a decade as an executive in a Midwest-based construction, real estate development, and property management businesses. There she honed her understanding of leadership, team dynamics, and shaping organizational culture. Prior to this, she was a Branch Manager at Wells Fargo Financial. Danielle utilizes her experience to help clients navigate hiring challenges with insight and finesse. She approaches each search with tenacity and a tailored approach to meet the unique needs of her clients and candidates alike.
Personally, Danielle is a devoted advocate for community engagement and philanthropy. Danielle is a Trustee for the North Dakota State University Foundation. Recently Danielle held the role of the United Way Campaign Chair, United Way Women’s Leadership Council Chair, and served on the United Way Board for six years.
Outside of work, Danielle is a Hot Yoga Sculpt instructor teaching several high energy classes each week. She also enjoys spending time at the lake with her family, supporting her children’s busy activity schedules, and volunteering at Oak Grove Lutheran School. Her passion for helping others and her commitment to personal growth reflect her dynamic approach to both her professional and personal life.
As Director of Leadership and Talent Development at Sagency, Jackie partners with businesses and organizations to help them achieve their goals, strengthen their cultures, and drive transformational growth by unlocking the potential of their greatest asset: their people.
With over 25 years of experience working alongside leaders and teams, Jackie brings a unique blend of energy, empathy, and strategic insight with a natural ability to add fun to the process. She excels in assessing strengths and opportunities, unlocking untapped potential, and inspiring leaders at every level to achieve meaningful impact.
Before joining Sagency, Jackie served as an Enterprise Client Partner at FranklinCovey, where she worked with organizations nationwide to create lasting change through proven leadership and behavior strategies. Her background also includes leadership and business development roles at organizations such as Augustana University, MIDCO, Wells Fargo, and Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.
Jackie is deeply committed to her family, faith, and community. She and her husband, Tory, are proud parents of four active boys. Outside of work, Jackie is an enthusiastic civic volunteer, contributing her time and leadership to causes and organizations that bring joy and purpose to her life in Sioux Falls and the surrounding region.
Amanda Reil is the Operations Manager at Sagency, where she focuses on streamlining processes, facilitating collaborative problem-solving, and enabling the team to focus on their highest and best work.
Prior to joining Sagency, Amanda worked in nonprofit and higher education within career services. That experience sparked her interest in executive search, where she has since refined processes, strengthened CRM management, and operationalized the search practice. Along the way, she discovered her passion for operational alignment and her drive to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
Amanda also has a keen interest in leadership development and organizational strategy, which fuels her enthusiasm for Sagency’s mission and the impact the firm delivers. Beyond her work, she is community-minded, volunteering on committees and with nonprofits, and is committed to serving as a connector and resource throughout her community.
Kimber serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to Sagency.
With a proven track record of guiding leaders and organizations through complexity and transition, Kimber combines practical insight with a strategic lens. Her work emphasizes aligning people, performance, and purpose to help organizations achieve healthy growth.
As a strategic partner, Kimber contributes her perspective, network, and experience to Sagency’s mission, supporting clients in navigating leadership challenges and building strong, scalable organizations.
Matt Skoy, Ph.D. is a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and coach for helping individuals and teams develop the right mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets vital for organizational success. As Sagency's Director for Leadership and Talent Development, Matt partners with organizations of all sizes to unlock human potential and team success.
For nearly two decades, Matt has instituted and executed leadership programs within businesses, nonprofits, and educational systems. Matt is known for his dynamic facilitation and speaking engagements. He pairs his energy and passion with smart frameworks and psychometric instruments to fully understand the depth and breadth of each client he serves.
Before joining Sagency, Matt was the head of learning and development for Aldevron, an international biotechnology company and one of the fastest-growing businesses in the United States. Matt successfully built and scaled a learning and development framework to accommodate the 600+ new employees onboarded during his tenure. His role also consisted of leading teams, coaching employees, and developing of 180+ people leaders within the organization.
Matt's work history also includes more than a decade of higher education experience as an administrator at North Dakota State University (NDSU). There, Matt collaborated with strategic partners, helped to shape strategy, and developed team and leadership capabilities throughout the university and community. While at NDSU, he was honored to receive two prestigious institutional awards: the Mary McCannel Gunkelman Recognition Award in 2018 and the Doctor of Service Award in 2019.
Matt strongly believes in the value of continuous learning and personal growth. As a first-generation college student, Matt received a football scholarship to North Dakota State University and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration. Matt has a master’s degree from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in Institutional Effectiveness from North Dakota State University.
Family and community are paramount to Matt. He has a wonderful life partner in his wife, and they are raising three beautiful children together. He serves as a board member (past chair) of the American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region, is active in other boards and advisory committees, and volunteers at his local church. As someone who takes nothing for granted, giving back to the community is a top priority, and he works diligently to instill strong values in his family.
Kathy Thornton-Bias is a nationally respected advisor to CEOs, executive teams, and boards navigating growth, complexity, and transformational change. As a Senior Advisor at Sagency, she partners with leaders to sharpen strategy, align teams, and build leadership capacity that drives enduring success.
With more than 30 years of executive leadership experience, Kathy has led high-impact transformations across industries, ranging from luxury consumer brands to mission-driven nonprofits. Her career includes senior roles at Bang & Olufsen North America, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the nation’s largest youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Club. She is known for translating bold vision into operational excellence and measurable outcomes.
Kathy’s strategic lens is matched by her deep understanding of human dynamics. She has guided organizations through brand repositioning, market expansion, cultural renewal, and executive transitions. Her approach is rooted in unlocking the full potential of leaders and teams, ensuring strategy is not only sound, but sustainable.
A committed civic leader, Kathy embeds herself in the communities she serves. She has held board leadership roles with the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Ron Brown Scholars Program, and the University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences. She recently served as a trustee for Versiti Blood Center and was appointed by Governor Tony Evers to Wisconsin’s Unemployment Advisory Council.
Her contributions have been recognized nationally, including honors from Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 and Essence Magazine’s Game Changers.
Kathy holds a BA in Rhetoric and Communications from the University of Virginia and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, she is helping Sagency expand into new markets while delivering transformative results for clients nationwide.
Free Guide
The Ultimate Guide to Hiring With Science
At Sagency, we know that using science within a robust hiring system is the best way to predict performance, job satisfaction, and retention. Our proven process for hiring the best leadership consists of 4 key steps:
- Benchmark the Role
- Assess the Whole Person
- Explore the Gaps and Predict Performance
- Accelerate New Hire Profitability
With our Ultimate Guide, we’ll walk you through each step so you can reduce the risk of a mis-hire, decrease the amount of time it takes to fill open positions, and create environments that drive growth and engagement.
Download your copy today and start seeing a difference in your leadership hires.
