About Yolanda
Her formative years spent as the youngest of a Peace Corps family, Yolanda lived in such far- flung places as Caracas, Venezuela and Monrovia, Liberia. Her adventurous beginnings continued into her adult life with ‘adult onset athleticism’ leading her to find her passions in running and soccer along with her love for gourmet cooking, great wine and spending time with her husband Eric and two daughters. So, what about the work?
Using her sense of discovery and building on a successful career in accounting and marketing, Yolanda found her future in human and organizational development. She provides the unique ability to assess and design change that creates leadership growth and meaningful team experiences. Using her intuitive spirit and systems based approach, Yolanda partners with clients to create processes that produce sustainable outcomes and take individual and organization leadership to the next level. She holds an MA in Organizational Systems Design and Renewal from Seattle University and a BA in International Studies from the University of Washington along with post graduate certification in Leading and Designing Emergent Change.
Her consultative skills draw on 20 years of experience serving as Controller and Vice President. Working with clients such as City of Tacoma, Providence Health & Services WA/MT, frog design inc, National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), Whidbey Institute at Chinook, Rise n’ Shine, C&D Zodiac and Community Schools of Orting, Yolanda understands the demands on leaders and the development necessary to build self-awareness and integrity within leadership.
Testimonials
The Whidbey Institute Board was so pleased with Yolanda’s retreat facilitation. We wrestled with a couple perennial “sticky” issues and made significant progress with clear next steps. Not only is she wise and skillful with group dynamics, but she is also delightfully playful and imaginative, so we had a great time in the process as well! Kudos!
-Dianne Shiner, Executive Director
Yolanda’s customized facilitation was spot-on for our somewhat skeptical manager team. Not only did she approach the event with the perfect combination of creativity and business acumen, but her enthusiasm for the work and confidence in a positive outcome was contagious and helped alleviate anxieties and trepidation that our time together would be a waste. Each participant came away from their experience with Yolanda feeling a renewed commitment to their work, greater trust in their colleagues, a deeper understanding about their unique contributions as individuals as well as developing some new ideas for how they could begin to build greater capacity in areas they needed to strengthen. To a person, we were energized by the time we spent together and committed to future interactions where we could continue the work Yolanda initiated.
-Kim Church, Director of Administration
K&L Gates Seattle
Yolanda Christianson
Seattle Office
5428 Delridge Way SW, Suite A
Seattle, WA 98106
206.719.5529
yolanda@activateleadership.com
not bear the how.
-Victor Frankl


