Who We Are

Shawn King serves as an executive coach and senior consultant at the Center for Intentional Leadership. She received her executive certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science at the University of Rochester, where she also studied at the Eastman School of Music.

Shawn’s three-decade career spans board membership, CEO tenure, and cross-functional leadership in operations, sales, and risk management. Having steered organizations and teams through both rapid growth and complex turnarounds, what truly distinguishes Shawn is her uniquely tuned ear. She listens deeply to harmonize fresh insights with existing context—a confluence that uncovers new possibilities.

Working with an executive coach mid-career profoundly shifted her understanding of coaching’s value and leadership impact as she journeyed to realign creative energy with presence to focus on what really mattered. When Shawn later experienced a bank closure first-hand, she recognized it was no longer about doing (work). It was about being. Being present and calm in the chaos while creating spaces of connection, aligned in shared hope of new possibilities. In this moment, she met with a trusted advisor who is an executive coach. The transformational conversation helped her hear differently, to tune into a new way of being as a coach.

Shawn describes coaching as a joy-filled place to be present with presence; to create incredibly safe, high-resonance space—a sounding board—where people are seen, heard, and valued; and to support individuals, teams, and organizations to be their distinctive best.

Shawn is passionate about music, photography, and sport fishing. She is a Trustee for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and serves on the Commission for Lay Leadership.