Stephen Hrop is an associate with RHR international who has more than 30 years of experience. This includes executive roles in talent management and leadership development at three Fortune 500 companies (e.g., he was the chief learning officer at Asbury Automotive Group) and as an external executive coach and leadership consultant in the U.S. and Europe. He has worked with organizations ranging from start-ups and founder-led firms to Fortune 500 companies in a range of industries, including automotive, pharmaceuticals, insurance, financial services, and more.
Over the course of his career, Steve has led the successful design and implementation of programs focused on leadership development, executive assessment, mentoring, and feedback for thousands of leaders.
In addition to creating programs with large-scale impact (e.g., action-learning projects linked to the organization’s strategic objectives), he also works with individual executives to hone their leadership skills. Using some of the tenets he learned earlier in his career while working as a mental health counselor with individuals in recovery, Steve helps business leaders identify what they can control (acceptance) while stepping out of their comfort zone (courage) to grow, change behavior, and enhance their impact. This involves providing a psychologically safe and nonjudgmental environment to encourage honest reflection and create progress that sticks.
Steve holds a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Akron, a master’s degree in research psychology from Cleveland State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kent State University. Outside of work, Steve plays tournament chess competitively and is the author of Defending Under Pressure: Managing Your Emotions at the Chessboard. Based in New Jersey, he also enjoys cycling and visiting the many wonderful museums in New York City.