With over three decades of experience in leadership, corporate affairs, communications, and operations, Charlene Wheeless is a trusted advisor to executives and teams seeking to inspire, transform cultures, and strengthen leadership capability. Through her firm, Charlene Wheeless LLC, she partners with executives and organizations to drive leadershp development, communications and executive presence coaching, and organizational transformation to companies worldwide.

As a business inspirational and motivational speaker, Charlene delivers dynamic, engaging keynotes on leadership, resilience, and empowerment. She is especially passionate about speaking to women leaders, helping them navigate challenges, embrace authenticity, and lead with impact. Her TEDx talk, Choice, Not Chance, and bestselling book, You Are Enough!, have inspired audiences worldwide with practical strategies for making bold choices and achieving personal and professional success.

Before launching her firm, Charlene served as Principal Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Bechtel Corporation, a $40 billion global infrastructure company. She led corporate communications, reputation risk management, issues management, crisis response, and executive counsel in this role. She also worked with foreign governments and led the rebranding of the 100+-year-old firm. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Raytheon, CGI, and PRC (now part of Northrop Grumman), where she handled M&A communications and high-stakes corporate crises.

Charlene intentionally focused on leadership because she believes that evolving leaders and businesses is the key to evolving the world. She has worked with Fortune 500 leaders, coaching and advising executives, speaking at companies like Google, Cisco, and Lockheed Martin, and providing strategic guidance on leadership and culture transformation. A member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches community, Charlene holds leadership transformation certifications from Georgetown University and the International Coaching Federation. She also has a BA in Journalism/PR, an MA in Public Communications, and an MBA with a focus on marketing. Her book has been recognized as a blueprint for reclaiming life and career with purpose and passion. Named to PRWeek’s Power Book for five consecutive years, Charlene has received accolades such as the Network Journal’s 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business and the Washington Business Journal’s Woman Worth Watching award. Charlene serves on several boards, including NO MORE, the Page Society, and the Institute for Public Relations. She is a past chairman of the Page Society, the Diversity Action Alliance, and HCA Virginia-Reston Hospital. Additionally, she was chairman of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and was a commissioner on the Loudoun County (VA) Economic Development Authority. Passionate about leadership, communication, and helping professionals maximize their presence and impact, Charlene is committed to transforming organizations one leader at a time. She lives in the Washington, D.C., metro area with her husband Greg and two standard poodles—Amaretto and Cosmopolitan—and enjoys a life built on purpose, passion, and unapologetic authenticity.