Meet Luke Wyckoff

By: Adam Cohen Issue: Sports Section: Advisory Board

Founder and Chairman, Wyckoff Consulting, LLC

Meet Thomas Friermood

Luke Wyckoff

Wyckoff Consulting LLC 100 Filmore Street – Suite 500 Denver, CO 80205

p: 720.524.3400 E: [email protected] w: www.wyckoffconsulting.com

Luke Wyckoff is MVP.

(MVP) – Motivated with Vision and Passion is the driving force behind how Luke makes decisions. “It started 20 years ago when a group of my college friends would get together every other Friday and talk about who we wanted to be and how we would get there.” Since that first meeting, the group has stayed in contact, sending our Motivated with Vision and Passion plans to each other every year for critique and accountability. “I knew then that 95% of people do not write down their goals and that if I truly could make a difference in this world I needed guidance and absolute focus.” 20 years later, Luke has made a difference in the business community, not-for-profit sector, and by motivating others to be better.

The EHarmony of Executive Search

Luke saw a gap in how executive selection was being handled at the very senior levels of companies. “I was blessed at a very young age to be accepted to work for Development Dimensions International (DDI), a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in Executive Assessment and Leadership Development.” For 12 years Luke worked with and studied how some of America’s top companies assess and select top talent to meet the demands of Wall Street. During that experience, Luke discovered a hole in how companies were using Executive Search firms to find talent. “It was never about the technical knowledge of an executive position,” Luke states. “The success or failure of an executive lies in his or her ‘fit’ with the company.” Thus was the beginning of Wyckoff Consulting, a firm that combined finding the Executive Talent and assessing them BEFORE presenting them to any board. “We found that a lot of time and investment had been wasted on interviewing candidates that would never be a fit for the culture of the hiring company.” By using behavioral sciences, Luke and his team are able to find, assess, and help select the right executive talent that fits with a client’s culture. “It’s a great feeling to look back years later at clients who retained their talent and know that it was the right fit. I guess you could call us the EHarmony of Executive Search.”

Giving back – it’s in his DNA

Growing up in a town of 700 people in the Midwest has its advantages and disadvantages. “It was my grandparents that taught me that giving back to your community was not just your social responsibility, but the right thing to do.” He wanted to do something more. Luke became socially active when he joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “My experience in the Jaycees opened up a world of opportunity to find new ways to better my community and the world around me.” By rallying people around him, Luke was able to raise funds for Toys for Tots, Goodwill Industries, and many other not-for-profits. With his move to Colorado, Luke became involved as a Board member of the Arvada Center and an active fundraiser with the Colorado Republican Party. “It’s about finding people who have the same passion and motivating them to participate with their time and money.”

The BIG Picture

Luke wants to leave a legacy. “When I look back at the end of my life I want to know that I made a difference.” Luke’s wish is that each person begins with the end in mind. “The day to begin your bucket list is today,” Luke states. If you have wanted to make a difference in this world – start today. If you wanted to learn the guitar, pick up the phone and schedule a lesson today. If you could be remembered on this earth in three ways, what are they, and what are you doing TODAY to bring that vision to fruition?

Luke has a BA in Marketing from Ferris State University and an Executive MBA from the University of Colorado. Luke is an avid musician and can be found playing harmonica or belting out 70’s rock songs with some of Colorado’s finest cover bands.