Meet Our Team
At Kandu Leadership, our strength lies in our people. We are a team of seasoned industry veterans, with decades of experience in human resources, executive leadership, and organizational transformation. Our backgrounds span multiple industries, from high-growth startups to established enterprises, giving us the insight and agility to meet your unique challenges with practical, results-driven solutions.
But we’re more than just experts—we’re listeners, strategists, and partners. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter approaches. Instead, we take the time to understand your organization, your people, and your goals, ensuring that every engagement is tailored to your needs.
Whether we’re guiding executives through change, coaching emerging leaders, or helping teams build resilience, our mission is simple: to provide you with the right tools, at the right time, in the right way. No rigid frameworks, no one-size-fits-all solutions—just real expertise, applied with care.
Esther Kantner
Co-Founder, President
Esther Kantner is a seasoned HR leader with over 30 years of experience driving talent and organizational growth across domestic and global businesses. As co-founder of Kandu Leadership, she partners with organizations to turn HR and talent development challenges into strategic opportunities.
Throughout her career, Esther has scaled companies, doubled workforces while preserving culture, built HR functions from the ground up, and implemented award-winning diversity and retention programs. She has a track record of designing global HR practices that support international and remote teams, restructuring HR departments for performance, and aligning leadership to accelerate business results.
At Kandu Leadership, Esther delivers practical, high-impact solutions through executive leadership alignment, operational excellence, leadership enablement, and HR augmentation services. Her approach blends strategic insight with hands-on execution, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their people.
Christine Duer
Co-Founder, CEO
Christine Duer is a leadership strategist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations unlock potential through human-centered development. As co-founder of Kandu Leadership, she partners with small and mid-sized businesses to transform leadership challenges into growth opportunities.
Christine's career spans sectors from youth development and nonprofit healthcare to logistics and Fortune 500 companies. She has led large-scale learning initiatives, shaped global talent strategies, and guided organizations through complex change. Her work consistently empowers leaders to align around purpose and drive meaningful impact.
A Certified Hogan Leadership Coach, Christine is also a Certified Everything DiSC® Practitioner, a Five Behaviors® Facilitator, and holds a master’s degree in Adult Education. She brings deep expertise in leadership development, change management, and navigating conflict. Known for making the complex simple, Christine blends proven tools with practical insight to create those “aha moments” where leaders discover their true capabilities.
At Kandu Leadership, Christine helps organizations turn vision into action—because great leadership isn’t confined to the boardroom; it lives in how people show up every day.
Kristen Walker
Chief Operating Officer
Kristen Walker is a strategic organizational development leader with over 25 years of experience guiding global organizations through complex change, operational transformation, and leadership alignment. As a partner at Kandu Leadership, she specializes in turning complexity into clarity through structured, scalable solutions.
Kristen has led strategic planning and operational excellence initiatives across 40+ countries, most recently as Senior Director of Global Management for an international healthcare organization. She has also served as COO for a multi-county nonprofit, driving digital transformation, implementing new operating models, and strengthening team engagement during times of change.
With deep expertise in change management, cross-cultural leadership, and strategic facilitation, Kristen has helped organizations streamline operations, align executive teams, and build systems that support sustainable growth. Her background spans sectors from pediatric healthcare to international development, and her work includes global project leadership in Angola and the Czech Republic.
Known for her ability to create order from chaos, Kristen combines strategic vision with practical execution. She holds an M.S. in Child Development from the University of Pittsburgh and certifications in conflict management and organizational facilitation.
At Kandu Leadership, Kristen empowers organizations to navigate complexity with confidence—turning challenges into aligned action and vision into reality.
Sheri Lohman
Business Operations & Supply Chain Expert
Sheri Lohman is a seasoned business operations and supply chain leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic transformation across industries. As founder of Lohman Consulting Group, she partners with organizations to optimize operations, streamline processes, and align execution with business goals.
Sheri has led complex initiatives in global health, life sciences, and consulting, including directing global operations at Operation Smile and managing vaccine supply strategy during the COVID-19 response. Her work spans supply chain optimization, risk analysis, and cross-functional project leadership for companies like MedImmune, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Beaufort CRO.
Certified in PMP and Six Sigma, Sheri combines analytical rigor with strategic insight to improve performance, reduce costs, and deliver measurable results. She holds a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from George Mason University.
With deep expertise in operations strategy and data-driven execution, Sheri helps organizations turn complexity into clarity—and operational challenges into lasting success.
Libby Bunker
Global Health Strategy & Equity Expert
Libby Bunker is a global health strategist and maternal health advocate with over a decade of experience advancing health equity through systems-level change. As a DrPH candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she focuses on the intersection of maternal health, social justice, and health system design—particularly in underserved communities.
Libby's career spans work in over 35 low- and middle-income countries, where she has led health system strengthening initiatives, built cross-sector partnerships, and supported workforce development in global surgery. Her research centers on the lived experiences of Black birthing people in Mississippi, using qualitative methods to illuminate structural barriers and drive community-informed solutions.
With an MPH from George Washington University and a background in international studies and Spanish, Libby brings cultural fluency, strategic insight, and deep commitment to equity in every facet of her work. She has held research and consulting roles with organizations such as the G4 Alliance and Six Dimensions LLC, a woman- and minority-owned nonprofit in Mississippi.
At Kandu Leadership, Libby draws on her expertise in health equity, research, and global collaboration to help mission-driven organizations design smarter systems and lead with purpose. A proud military spouse and mother of two, she brings both personal passion and professional rigor to the work of creating healthier, more just communities.
Sarah Lawyer
Digital and Social Media Strategist
Sarah Lawyer is a digital strategist and creative technologist with a talent for turning vision into vibrant, results-driven online experiences. With deep expertise in website design, content creation, and platform strategy, she helps mission-driven organizations and entrepreneurs build a digital presence that not only looks good—but works hard behind the scenes.
A self-taught web designer and tech-savvy problem solver, Sarah has built websites for clients across industries and developed a successful course empowering others to do the same. Her holistic approach blends research, brand clarity, and intuitive design to ensure that every platform—from websites to social media—serves a clear strategic purpose.
Sarah specializes in content that captures attention and drives action, including blogs, YouTube videos, reels, and branded visuals. She brings a marketer’s eye and a builder’s mindset, using keyword research and competitive analysis to craft content that’s as smart as it is compelling.
At Kandu Leadership, Sarah helps organizations amplify their voice, grow their reach, and streamline their digital footprint—so technology becomes a launchpad, not a limitation.
Carrie Bach
Executive Leadership & Strategic Advisory
Carrie Bach is an accomplished executive leader, coach, and strategic advisor with over two decades of experience guiding organizations through pivotal moments of growth, transition, and transformation. From global NGOs and Fortune 500 partnerships to high-growth startups and mission-driven nonprofits, Carrie brings a rare blend of strategic vision, operational discipline, and entrepreneurial drive.
She has served in senior leadership roles within top U.S. health systems and international nonprofits and has built businesses from the ground up as a founder and early-stage executive. Her expertise spans interim leadership, board engagement, strategic planning, and organizational alignment—helping teams not only chart bold futures, but execute with clarity and speed.
A 2023 Director’s Scholar at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, Carrie also mentors emerging women leaders in international business and serves as a trusted advisor to executives navigating complex change. Her approach combines practical insight with deep relational intelligence, earning her a reputation for building trust across teams, boards, and global stakeholders.
At Kandu Leadership, Carrie helps organizations harness change as a catalyst—aligning leaders, accelerating progress, and translating vision into lasting impact. She’s known for her candor, clarity, and ability to turn challenge into confident action.
Lizzie Petherbridge
Clinical Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Counseling
Lizzie Petherbridge is a trauma-informed mental health counselor with a deep commitment to helping individuals, couples, and families move through life’s most difficult transitions with clarity, compassion, and resilience. Specializing in relationship dynamics, trauma recovery, and somatic therapy, Lizzie creates safe, affirming spaces where clients can reconnect with their inner strength and experience meaningful change.
As a queer-affirming therapist trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)—a fast-acting, evidence-based approach similar to EMDR—Lizzie helps clients process trauma, anxiety, grief, and self-perception challenges with remarkable efficiency. Her work supports healing that goes beyond talk therapy by addressing how past experiences are held in the body and guiding clients toward lasting emotional release.
With advanced training in marriage and family counseling and a somatic emphasis in clinical practice, Lizzie is passionate about working at the intersection of relational health, identity, and nervous system regulation. She offers specialized support for navigating infidelity, shifting partnerships, and complex family dynamics with honesty, empathy, and empowerment.
At Kandu Leadership, Lizzie brings a human-centered, wellness-informed lens to leadership development, team coaching, and organizational culture—helping leaders and teams prioritize mental health, communication, and sustainable connection.