People are hardwired for connection, curiosity, and engagement—all skills Connex Leadership builds with our clients.
Who We Are
Our Story
Approaching leadership as a journey of learning and unfolding potential, Connex Leadership launched from Debra’s personal journey from Sales Executive to Change Leader to CEO. Her experience revealed that it is people who make an organization successful. Business results improved when people became a priority, not just an engagement survey statistic. Creating strong teams, leading authentically, and delivering exceptional business results are what made leadership a rewarding experience for Debra. Now, as an Executive Coach and Trusted Advisor for over 10 years, she draws on both her executive and coach/consultant experience to partner with her clients.
Collaboration and connection are key to delivering high quality results, so Debra engages with a network of highly experienced partners to co-actively support Connex clients.
Debra Bowles
Founder
As former President and CEO of Blue Shield of California Life Insurance Company, Debra utilizes her twenty-plus years of corporate and senior executive experience to assist her clients in navigating changing business landscapes, building high-performing teams, and powerfully leveraging their greatest strengths. Debra’s expertise includes profit and loss accountability at the CEO level and large-scale change leadership, encompassing organization redesign, restructuring and cultural transformation. She is known for her ability to quickly identify and support the resolution of the myriad unexpected problems encountered in every turnaround situation.
Debra’s ability to connect with her clients from the dual perspectives of senior executive and leadership coach supports her client organizations through significant change with outstanding individual and team results. For the last ten years, Debra has utilized her coaching skills to partner with organizations including: AAA Insurance, Apollo Group (University of Phoenix), Blue Shield of California, Deloitte Consulting, Goodwill Industries, John Muir Health, Medley Health, Moore Foundation, Practice Fusion, Recurrent Energy, The Teaching Channel, The Unity Council, Visa Inc., and Walmart eCommerce.
Debra’s coach training is with the Coaches Training Institute. She is certified by the Center for Creative Leadership and holds a degree in Marketing and Communications from St. Cloud State University.
Debra and her family are long-time San Francisco residents and can be found year-round at many baseball fields—from her son’s travel team to the SF Giants. In addition to cheering for her favorite teams, she cherishes time at Northern California beaches, hanging out with friends or a good book.
Sina Johnson
Partner
Sina brings fifteen years of operations experience to Connex Leadership. Translating organizational vision into tactical actions for measurable results is her passion and area of expertise. She thrives on collaboration across diverse skill sets and perspectives to achieve these goals.
Her experience spans a range of industries including executive coaching, payroll administration, benefits administration, and insurance brokerage, while honing her skills to maximize internal and external resources to accomplish growth and change initiatives.
Sina’s operations experience includes knowledge and delivery in marketing, brand development, website development and management, accounting, employee benefits, payroll, sales support, human resources, and project management.
As an avid fan of all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer, Sina and her family can often be found hiking, skiing, dining, and exploring.
“Every leadership model and process is our own process as well. I love seeing the work we do internally come alive with other teams. In this environment of partnership at Connex Leadership—work is truly extraordinary and fulfilling.”