Maria Badali is an accomplished management consultant with over two decades of experience across industries and geographies. As the Principal of Arkle Consulting Group, she specializes in change management, strategic & succession planning, team effectiveness, and leadership development. She serves as a critical partner to nonprofit, private and public sector organizations – helping them not only identify challenges but also implement inclusive and effective solutions that truly last.
Maria created numerous strategic plans for mission-driven clients; designed and led signature training and development programs to build skills and capacity for client organizations; partnered with Fortune 500 clients to design and implement Diversity & Inclusion strategies and supporting organizational systems; and advised leaders on implementing and managing major organizational changes.
Maria’s diverse portfolio as a facilitator, consultant and executive coach includes long-term engagements with industry leaders such as Credit Suisse, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Unilever, public institutions like FDNY, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Park Service, NYC MTA, and mission-driven organizations like AABDC, Dramatist Guild Fund and Highlights Foundation. This breadth allows her to bring a unique cross-sector perspective to every client.
Beyond her consulting practice, Maria brings deep governance experience, having served on several boards. A dedicated advocate for the consultants to mission-driven organizations, she developed and has continuously led the annual Nonprofit Consultants Institute under the umbrella of the Association of Nonprofit Specialists – a signature program now well into its second decade of success – setting the benchmark for professional excellence and ethical standards in the field.
Maria holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Finance from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and a Master’s degree in Linguistics and Pedagogic from the University of Petrozavodsk, Russia.
