Welcome to Big Woods Consulting!
Hello! I’m Christine Friello-Fini and I am an organization development practitioner with combined skills and consultative experience in organizational psychology, adult learning theory and strategy, curriculum design, training facilitation, and humble and inclusive leadership.
I have over 30 years of experience leading complicated workplace change efforts for highly matrixed global organizations, including their supporting leadership learning and development programs.
Using a people and person-centered approach to designing experiential learning programs, I aim to improve group dynamics and harmony while strengthening individual performance, mindfulness and well-being, employee engagement, and talent retention.
I have strong curriculum design and facilitation skills, and my workshops help people learn and bond, using strategies that enhance communication between people, groups, and teams.
My strength as an empathic, purpose-driven leader helps others embrace ambiguity and constant change while recognizing the systemic forces that affect behavior, mindset, human potential, and personal development.
Christine Friello-Fini
Learning Systems Specialist, Curriculum Designer, and Facilitator
Where the Name “Big Woods” Comes From
The name Big Woods comes from my maternal grandfather’s family name, Broadhurst, an old English name that literally means “broad wooded hill.”
For me, the name became a powerful metaphor.
When you’re deep in the woods, your perspective narrows.
You see only what’s directly in front of you.
But when you step back, climb higher, or look with fresh eyes, a larger pattern emerges.
You begin to see the forest.
Leadership in today’s world requires exactly this kind of perspective shift.
Passions, Partnerships, Participations, and Proficiencies
I enjoy applying my passion for organizational development to support business leaders in creating compelling learning and development programs that align with enterprise-wide goals and provide relevant, timely, high-impact social solutions supporting clients' current and future needs. This work is grounded in a holistic approach to learning, personal development, and growth that empowers people to embrace change and strengthens their capacity for innovation.
As an active member of the Cora Group Consortium, my partnerships with mission-driven organizations include the Albany County Department of Health, City University of New York (CUNY), the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), Humana, and various New York City agencies, including the departments of Chief Medical Examiner, Citywide Administrative Services, Environmental Protection, Finance, Health and Mental Hygiene, Investigations, Parks and Recreation, and Public Schools, to deliver dynamic programs supporting communication, well-being, leadership, and organizational effectiveness in today’s evolving workplace.
An active board member for two nonprofit organizations, I am deeply involved with both organizations' strategic planning and leadership learning and development needs. For ARTZ Philadelphia, I strive to enhance the dignity, quality of life, and well-being of people living with dementia and their care partners through joyful interactions around arts and culture, including facilitating our “Artful Resilience” program, a creativity retreat for employee care partners. For the Green Flag Committee for Children’s Charities, in Cumberland County, I am committed to enhancing South Jersey’s overall quality of life through volunteerism and charitable activities focused on youth wellbeing, resilience, and professional success. Additionally, I am a member of the Port Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Company Station 27 serving New Jersey's Maurice River Township Fire District 3. While my turnout days are now in the past, I remain a dependable volunteer for fundraising activities, community service, and station housekeeping.
I earned my Masters degree in Organizational Psychology and Change Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University, an experience that changed me and changed my life. This work was built on the foundation of my Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute. I am a New York State licensed architect, certified interior designer, and a specialist in the psychology of the built, remote, and hybrid workplace environment and its effect on human behavior and performance. I hold a certification in Human Synergistics International’s Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI) Assessment.
Learn more about me at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-friello-fini/
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