About Us
Our History
Since our founding in 1991, we have successfully worked across four decades using a cross-generational approach in the programs and consulting we provide. We have partnered with over 200 clients across the United States and with corporate clients with offices throughout the world. Our breadth of experience makes the Institute for Executive Development distinctly qualified to deliver a full spectrum of Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Strategic Planning, and Procurement & Supply Chain services needed by 21st century leaders. We respect and value what we’ve learned from employees, and we know their insights and perspectives are more critical to leadership success than at any time in the history of organizations. However, it’s how that information is gathered, organized, and presented that makes the difference.
Our offices are in Las Vegas, Nevada, where our Chavez family roots go back nearly a century. As a recognized “founding family of Las Vegas,” we were raised to respect traditions, core values and diversity, and to embrace change which has been a foundation of our community. These values and traditions inform our team and our processes, positioning IED as a leader in our field.
Our Team
Dr. Rick Culley
President, Institute for Executive Development
Rick has extensive experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, working with a diverse group of clients such as the Aria Hotel & Resort, AT&T, Bellagio, BlueShield of California, Booz-Allen Hamilton, Citibank, City of Las Vegas, Clark County Nevada, City of Henderson Police Department, the FBI, Fertitta Entertainment / Station Casinos, Hitachi, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, LAPD, MGM Resorts International, Merrill Lynch, Peat Marwick, Quicklogic, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Culture Heritage, Smith Center for Performing Arts, University of California, Berkley, UNLV, the U.S. Postal Service, and Wynn Resorts.
Prior to starting IED, Rick was Director of Executive Management Development at the New York Stock Exchange. Previously, he worked at the World Trade Center for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey as the Executive Development Administrator.
As an Adjunct Professor at the Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California (USC), Rick teaches Leadership in the Executive Program (EML), as well as a graduate course in Strategic Planning. He has lectured at Columbia University and the New School for Social Research. Rick was an Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University for eight years teaching courses in Leadership, Policy, and Administration. He was the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award.
Rick Culley was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada where he currently lives with his wife, Laura, the Associate Dean for Community Engagement at the UNLV School of Medicine. Over the years Rick has been active in the Las Vegas Community volunteering with and supporting a wide range of organizations including the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas Program and the Paul E. Culley Elementary School. Rick and Laura have three sons: Paul, Luke, and Alex.
Rick received a master’s and a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy Analysis from the University of Southern California. His undergraduate degree is in Political Science / Business Administration from California State University, Long Beach.
Alex Culley
Managing Partner, Institute for Executive Development
Alex Culley is the Managing Partner of the Institute for Executive Development, where he advises and develops senior leaders through executive coaching, leadership development, and strategic planning engagements worldwide. Based in Las Vegas, Alex oversees the firm’s strategy and operations and personally leads its most critical client relationships. Since joining IED in 2017, he has been instrumental in expanding the firm’s reach and impact across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Alex has advised senior leaders at organizations including The Smithsonian Institution, Wynn Resorts, Blue Shield of California, the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council, Harry Reid International Airport, the University of Southern California, Walker Digital Table Systems, Delaware North, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. His work focuses on organizational strategy, executive facilitation, and strengthening leadership effectiveness across multi-generational, cross-functional teams.
Certified in Stakeholder Centered Coaching®, the globally recognized methodology developed by Marshall Goldsmith, Alex is among the youngest executive coaches and leadership consultants working at the national level. He is known for translating leadership theory into practical, behavior-changing experiences that drive measurable impact. Jim Kouzes, a leading voice on leadership, describes Alex as “thoughtful and diligent, combining creative problem-solving, rapid-response agility, and adept use of technology to enhance leadership development experiences.” Alex was selected for the 2022–2023 Best in Class Speaker Program by the Professional Convention Management Association and hosts the podcast Learning the Hard Way the Easy Way, where he engages leaders in candid conversations about overcoming failures.
Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a master’s degree in applied psychology from the University of Southern California. His early career in consumer insights and market research continues to inform his evidence-based, human-centered approach to leadership and organizational development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex led the rapid transformation of IED’s core offerings into immersive virtual experiences, empowering leaders with various levels of digital fluency to learn, collaborate, and lead effectively in remote environments.
Beyond his consulting work, Alex is deeply engaged in the Las Vegas and UNLV communities. He previously served as President of the UNLV College of Liberal Arts Alumni Chapter and as a Director on the UNLV Alumni Association Board from 2018 to 2021. He regularly mentors high school and university students as well as early-career professionals, and speaks with elementary students from low-income communities about the importance of education and civic service. Alex lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Katie, their daughter, Cora, and their Pomeranian, Butters.
Meredith Gibbons
Partner, Procurement & Supply Chain
Meredith leads IED’s Procurement and Supply Chain practice. She is a global procurement executive who has driven large-scale procurement transformation across multinational manufacturing enterprises, strengthening supply chain resilience, sustainability, and long-term enterprise growth.
Most recently, she served as Chief Procurement Officer and Board of Management member at PowerCo Canada, the Volkswagen Group battery company, where she built the procurement function from the ground up for a $6B, 90 GWh battery cell manufacturing plant — the first of its kind in North America. She directed more than $4B in global capital procurement and supplier contracts in support of an investment expected to generate thousands of jobs and shape the global electric vehicle supply chain.
Before PowerCo, Meredith spent a decade with Volkswagen Group of America, where she led North American procurement strategy for Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Electrify America. She launched Volkswagen’s Silicon Valley Strategic Procurement Innovation Hub as a global center of excellence, and built strategic partnerships with AWS, Cisco, Capgemini, SiriusXM, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Salesforce.
Her procurement organizations have negotiated more than 3,000 contracts worldwide and delivered more than $1.8B in financial impact across $8B of spend. She is a keynote speaker at Technology Procurement Summits and Reuters Automotive conferences, advises government and corporate boards on global procurement strategy, and was recognized by Women in Automotive Network as a 2025 Inspirational Role Model.
Meredith graduated cum laude from Southern Adventist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and International Business, and completed international study in Italy.
Clients and Testimonials
Meet our clients and learn more about why they chose to partner with IED to help their organizations grow stronger by investing in Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Strategic Planning, and Procurement & Supply Chain.
