ClearRock President, Laura Poisson, featured in Boston Business Journal
Laura Poisson could sing the praises of her company in more ways than one. She could take the conventional approach, politely rattling off her ClearRock Inc.’s accomplishments as a Boston-based leadership development, executive coaching and outplacement firm — including its list of high-profile clients or its nearly $3 million in revenue. Or, as a longtime lover of music and former member of the Up With People — and now leader of her own “pop and soulful” band, LP & the Vinyls — she could take the less-conventional approach, literally singing away.
“I’ve always loved singing,” says Poisson. “When I was young, I would be wearing my mother’s clothes, standing on a chair and use a hair brush as a microphone as I sang.”
Today, as the head of the 15-employee firm she hopes can eventually triple in size, she has a lot more keeping her busy than a desire to sing. ClearRock, which Poisson purchased two years ago after working at the firm since 2011, helps companies and nonprofit institutions to map out their hiring needs, conduct leadership assessment and training programs, and manage other personnel issues via its coaching consultants. ClearRock also helps companies with outplacement needs to part ways with employees who just aren’t working out.
Among ClearRock’s clients are Harvard University and Boston University, and the firm has clients in tech, biotech and health care companies in the Boston area.
“Their coaches have done real good work with some of my executives,” said Ed Boyajian, chief executive of EnterpriseDB Corp., a Bedford database-software company with 330 employees. “We use all of the services that ClearRock offers. They have a unique niche, helping companies with their staffing (strategies) and offering a great range of services.”
He said such “talent management” services are particularly important for tech companies like his that are growing fast and “need to grow well.”
