Dr. Douglas A. Wilson is Chair and Co-founder of the National Talent Collaborative, a CEO-led coalition of more than 30 U.S. regional impact groups closing the talent and opportunity gap by building pathways to good jobs. Doug also advises CEOs, drawing from his past work as a strategy and organizational consultant with Next Solutions, Inc. He is a thought leader on business-led economic development and purpose-driven leadership and has been published in The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review.
Doug is also co-founder and retired Chair and CEO of CEO Leadership Alliance of Orange County (CLAOC), a growing community of CEOs from some of the county's biggest companies working together to build a thriving Orange County for all. Focused on building an innovation hub and a pipeline of skilled talent in the region, today Doug continues to work with CLAOC as a member of its board of directors.
Doug’s work with CLAOC and as an Executive Fellow for Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance extended nationally with the formation of the National Talent Collaborative. This coalition of some of the country’s most innovative civic problem solvers came together for the first time in early 2022. These regional groups and national partners are striving to close the talent and opportunity gap in the U.S. by building pathways to good jobs.
Always centered at the intersection of business and purpose, these achievements are especially meaningful to Doug as they illustrate the power of business being a force for good in the world.
Doug has been the CEO of Next Solutions, Inc. since 1990. Next Solutions contracted with public and private homebuilders to help them grow significantly in their market. The contributions of Next Solutions are acknowledged in the industry and include the first in-depth market surveys of all homebuyers in a marketplace, the first centralized “pull based” production system used in homebuilding, and the first major design center that gave customers choice in the buying process.
In the early 80’s, Doug authored TeamSight, an assessment instrument used to build high performing teams designed to provide insights into both individual and team performance. Today, this assessment is used extensively today in Fortune 500 companies around the world and is available through Wethos.AI.
Doug has a unique background, first as a psychologist with a bachelor’s degree from S.M.U. and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. He also earned a masters degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. From 1980 to 1989 he grew both a clinical practice in Newport Beach California and a parallel business consulting practice.
Doug has also:
Taught part time at the USC Graduate School of Business in Organizational Behavior.
Worked extensively in the 80s and early 90s with Toyota Motor Sales introducing leadership practices and consulting with the head of both H.R. and strategic development.
Co-authored Leadership for Health Care in the Age of Learning with Dr. Michael Maccoby and Richard Margolies. The extensive report focused on integrated health care systems in the United States and was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Maccoby is a world renowned thought leader on strategic intelligence for leaders.
Doug is married to Karen, and they live in Laguna Beach, California. He currently serves on the board of Friendship Shelter, the largest advocacy group for homelessness in South Orange County. Karen is a social entrepreneur and has started and built multiple successful non-profits. Doug loves to surf, mountain bike, hike, and play guitar.