Nat Conard

About Nat

Nat grew up in Vermont on the campus of The Mountain School, a small boarding school which his parents founded in the early sixties. As long as he can remember, he worked the school farm surrounded by conversations about leadership and organizational change. He became fascinated with effectiveness: What makes some people really strong leaders while others, whose ideas might be just as good, struggle to get anything accomplished?

Nat found his first post-college job in a classified ad and began teaching in the New Hampshire public schools. Making barely enough to live on, he eventually decided to go to business school. Though he was not naive to what an MBA entailed, his first course in organizational behavior left him mind blown—not only could leadership be studied and developed, but the research confirmed what he had already observed: effective leadership begins by understanding what is important to the people within your organization.

After spending two-and-a-half years at Bain, one of the top strategic management consulting firms in the world, Nat began his independent school career as an administrator. Over the years, he has worn many hats: director of development, director of external affairs, department chair, academic dean, director of technology, unofficial CFO, assistant head of school, and head of school. Analytical, discerning, and full of humor, Nat’s Vermont roots and unusual career path have made him an expert at growing things. From plants to people, teams, and organizations: Nat can plant a seed and do everything it takes to help it thrive.