Hey there, I’m stoked you’re here.

I’m Trace, the founder of Tethered Trust™ • Creator of Trust Intelligence • Architect of the Human‑Risk Signal Index (HRSI).

I’m a leadership strategist and the founder of Tethered Trust™, the first framework to quantify trust as a performance driver. After more than two decades leading teams across regions and countries in a conservative, high-stakes, male‑dominated industry, I became one of the earliest advocates for flexible and remote work — long before hybrid became mainstream.

My work centers on Trust Intelligence: the discipline of measuring trust, predicting volatility, and strengthening leadership effectiveness. I created the Human‑Risk Signal Index (HRSI) and Trust Volatility Score (TVS) to give organizations a clear, data‑driven way to understand the human‑risk signals that shape culture, performance, and hybrid stability.

Through my firm, I advise executive teams, leaders, and organizations navigating cultural friction, hybrid complexity, and leadership transformation. My approach blends strategic clarity, behavioral insight, and trust‑centric leadership development.

I’m a strategist, a builder, and a lifelong advocate for autonomy, psychological safety, and human‑centric leadership. I’m also a runner, a crossword junkie, and someone who believes that the right conversation at the right moment can change the trajectory of a team — or an entire organization.

My Philosophy

I believe trust is not a feeling — it’s a system. And when leaders understand their trust architecture, they make better decisions, build stronger cultures, and create environments where people perform at their highest level — whether they’re in the office, remote, or hybrid.

My Beliefs

  • Hybrid work is not a threat — it’s an intelligence test. A prerequisite for entry into future markets.

  • Leadership is measured by behavior, not proximity.

  • Return-To-Office mandates fail because they ignore trust.

  • Culture is shaped by the smallest signals, not the biggest statements.

  • Trust volatility is predictable — and preventable.

  • Trust, autonomy, and psychological safety are now the ultimate performance multipliers.

Experience Matters

I built HRSI from lived experience. Twenty‑five years inside one of the most regulated, risk‑intensive industries taught me how trust actually behaves inside complex systems. I spent my career designing structures where human behavior, controls, and organizational risk collide. And long before hybrid work became a corporate buzzword, I was advocating for remote work (back in 2001) because I saw the performance upside of trusting people instead of policing them. My background isn’t academic. It’s operational, regulatory, human, and proven. HRSI exists because I’ve spent decades watching how trust breaks, how it’s rebuilt, and how it determines whether systems — and leaders — function as intended.

What I Bring to the HRSI Model

  • 25 years building systems where human behavior and risk intersect.

  • Expert at turning complexity into clarity, translating dense requirements into human-usable processes.

  • Creator of analytics to synthesize signals that produce an honest, accurate story about strategy & culture.

  • Designed and led risk assessments and controls testing practices, converting cultural vulnerabilities into measurable frameworks.

  • Conducted high-risk reviews of trading models, algorithms, and tech platforms, seeing how human decisions shape exposure.

  • I have spent my entire career evaluating whether systems function as intended — the same discipline required to evaluate leadership behavior and culture.

*All em dashes and hyphens are not AI.

Want to create trust in a world that’s lost it?

Submit an inquiry form to discuss your objectives and determine how a tailored consulting engagement can advance your strategic priorities and increase employee engagement and morale.