DR. Kevin Groves

Kevin S. Groves, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Groves Consulting Group, and Professor of Management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School. Dr. Groves is a leadership scholar, speaker, and consultant, and a recognized expert in executive succession planning and leadership development practices. He is a frequent speaker at company events, academic conferences, and professional associations, and his research is widely published in academic and industry journals. His recently published book (Winning Strategies: Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline through Talent Management & Succession Planning) integrates the key findings from his research and industry projects on succession planning and talent management best practices. At the Graziadio School, Dr. Groves teaches doctoral and master’s level courses on executive leadership, talent management, organization design, and organization development and change. He is a former management consultant in the Strategy & Organization practice at Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson).

An active speaker, Dr. Groves regularly delivers presentations, keynote addresses, and facilitates executive team sessions. Adopting a collaborative approach with clients, he delivers engaging presentations that integrate industry best practices from leading hospitals and health systems, rigorous research findings, and healthcare trends.

In Dr. Kevin Groves' book, Winning Strategies, his approach to succession planning encompasses not just the CEO, but the entire leadership pipeline. Winning Strategies is the culmination of his work with healthcare organizations over the past 10 years to identify evidence-based succession management and talent development practices. Much of the data comes from his Healthcare Talent Management Survey—a standard in the industry. Reinforced throughout is the imperative of presenting top leadership teams with clear, compelling evidence that talent management and succession planning capabilities are vital investments. Four case studies—Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, HCA, and the Cleveland Clinic—illustrate why healthcare organizations must implement Groves' Talent Management Capabilities for leadership development & continuity. Written for those seeking to establish, revitalize, or asses their organization's succession management and talent development practices, Winning Strategies will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for your team.

As an Associate Professor of Management at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School, Dr. Groves teaches a range of graduate courses including leadership competency development, organization design, organization development and change, and part-time MBA programs at the Malibu and West Los Angeles campuses. Prior to joining the Graziadio School faculty, Dr. Groves served as an Assistant Professor of Management and Director of the PepsiCo Leadership Center at California State University, Los Angeles. As Director, he managed a $1.45 million PepsiCo Foundation grant that served the leadership development needs of students, community members, and local business leaders. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Groves worked as a management consultant in the Strategy & Organization practice at Towers Perrin (now Towers Watson).

An active leadership scholar, Dr. Groves’ research is currently focused on talent management and succession planning practices, particularly the ROI of such practices across industry sectors. He conducts national benchmarking survey studies, including the semi-annual Healthcare Talent Management Survey, intensive case studies of organizations with exemplary talent management practices, and quantitative assessments of the financial impact of talent management best practices. Dr. Groves’ research is widely published in business, leadership, and healthcare management journals, including Health Care Management Review, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, Academy of Management Learning & Education, Group & Organization Management, Human Resource Development Quarterly, and many others. His book Winning Strategies examines talent management and succession planning best practices in healthcare delivery organizations, specifically the impact of these practices on hospitals’ clinical, financial, and workforce metrics. Published by Second River Healthcare in 2017.

Dr. Groves holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration from Eastern Washington University. He earned his master of arts (MA and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degrees in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University.