Leadership Advisory

Fostering growth.
Building robust teams.
Navigating ambiguity.

A seasoned leadership development expert drawing upon 30 years of technical and operational experience. Designing and delivering programs intended to help managers and executives thrive in organizations with complex dynamics.

Alex J. Couture

As Director of Technical Operations at Google Ads, I direct a team of ~30 technical SMEs and 100+ Vendors in the deployment of critical infrastructure.

This demanding role transcends typical functional expectations, requiring constant strategic decision-making, adept navigation of ambiguity, effective influence without direct authority, and rigorous prioritization.

Core Competencies

With 30+ years as an operations leader, my expertise drives organizational scale across multiple dimensions.

Leadership & People Development

Strategically fostering growth and cultivating talent through dedicated mentoring and executive sponsorship of organization-wide initiatives.

Technical Operations

Supporting enterprise systems infrastructure across massive global industries, including Finance, Real Estate, and Display Advertising.

Client Consultation

Mapping project assignments and managing critical relationships between top-tier clients and internal technical engineering areas.

Financial Operations

Defining, deploying, and rigorously managing vendor operations and fiscal responsibility at an enterprise scale.

Training & Content

Leading comprehensive teams responsible for global training content production and the management of technical learning platforms.

Executive Leadership Roles

A consistent dedication to continuous self-development has established me as a recognized multiplier of talent, resulting in invitations for significant organizational-wide responsibilities.

2024 - Present

Executive Sponsor

gTech Mgr Development Programs

Providing high-level strategic guidance and executive oversight to global manager development programs, ensuring alignment with broader organizational objectives.

2023 - 2025

Executive Sponsor

Global Platforms & Tools Org

Sponsored massive global initiatives, shaping the culture and operational capabilities of the platforms and tools division.

2021 - 2023

Executive Lead

gTech L&D Steerco

Directed the steering committee for Learning & Development, architecting the overarching educational strategies for technical teams.

2018 - 2022

Facilitator

Google New Manager Flagship Program

Delivered foundational leadership training to newly appointed managers, embedding core operational principles and managerial effectiveness.

2014 - Present

Mentor & Career Coach

Executive Advisory

Providing ongoing, highly individualized guidance and developmental coaching to emerging organizational leaders.

Programs & Impact

Strategic leadership and hands-on involvement in key programs have driven significant growth, equipping hundreds of leaders with critical skills in change management and strategic decision-making.

Executive Sponsor • 2024

gTech Global Manager Summits

Oversaw the development of 800+ managers across three countries. Collaborated with Korn Ferry to implement frameworks and facilitated keynotes with Ann Hiatt, delivering measurable improvements in leading through change.

Global Reach
Designer & MC • 2023

gPTO Manager Dev Summit

Designed and served as MC for a 3-day summit for 100+ global senior leaders. Coordinated leadership sessions with Neil Alger and conducted intense decision-making case studies to equip leaders with strategic capabilities.

Senior Leadership Focus
Session Coordinator • 2024

gAPT Global Staff Summit

Coordinated a comprehensive session with Ann Hiatt on core leadership principles, featuring a fireside chat aimed at inspiring attendees to integrate essential leadership tenets directly into their daily execution routines.

Culture Integration
Coordinator & Facilitator • 2022

gPTO Manager Dev Summit

Coordinated the "5 Leadership Mindtraps" session for 150 global managers. Led a high-stakes collaboration exercise for 20+ product leaders to physically demonstrate the impact of individual inference on team dynamics.

Behavioral Architecture

Speaking & Insights

Leadership in Product Mgt Keynote

Stevens Institute of Technology — Providing actionable insights for emerging technical leaders.

Apr 2025

Collective Genius Fireside Chat

With Ann Hiatt — Inspiring integration of fundamental leadership tenets into daily execution.

Oct 2024

Cognitive Bias in AI

University of RI Business School — Exploring human decision-making pitfalls affecting AI development.

Oct 2022

Future of Education & Tech Leadership

Fireside Chat with Shantanu Sinha (VP Google for Edu) — Discussing the intersection of learning and leadership.

Oct 2018