Joseph Durzo is the Owner and Principal Executive Consultant of Durzo Development Group LLC, a boutique consultancy in Denver, Colorado providing advisory services to leadership teams of selected clients focused on implementing critical initiatives through the people in their organizations.

In addition to his consulting work, Joe spent seven years on the Board of the Sigma Chi Foundation with the last four years as Vice Chairman and Chairman. While he was in those leadership roles, he helped the Foundation implement new fund-raising approaches and strategies, achieve record year-over-year growth in fund raising and scholarship/grant support and develop a five-year fund-raising and staffing plan. In addition he led or sponsored efforts of the Board to modernize and update its procedures and governance including a new compensation structure for the Foundation’s executive leaders.

Prior to starting his consulting activities, Joe was one of the owners of Énergie Lighting in Wheat Ridge, CO. Énergie partnered with European lighting manufacturers to sell their products to the commercial marketplace in the US and Canada. At Énergie Joe focused his time on marketing and general business management.

Before taking an active role with Énergie, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at
Archstone / Archstone-Smith, one of the nation’s leading owners and operators of apartments.  Joe was recruited to Archstone to lead the effort to create, implement and enhance the Archstone brand and customer service culture.  Working closely with the Operations leaders he and his team developed customer experience measurement systems, improved customer-centered operating processes and implemented company-wide initiatives ranging from new software systems to customer service programs.  Joe also pioneered the development of Archstone’s leadership development programs and was instrumental in the development of both leasing and service team learning programs—all focused on delivering the Archstone brand promise to residents and improving operational results.

Before joining Archstone, Joe spent twenty years (as an executive for a Boston area consulting firm, and in his own company) helping organizations develop and implement strategic initiatives focused on marketing, sales, and customer-centered change in multi-family, health insurance, manufacturing, information systems and financial services organizations. 

Joe received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University with a special focus on learning and change management, but his most important lessons have come from trying to get important things done in organizations. He has had successes and failures, and learned a great deal about leading change from both.