Testimonials

Working with Giombetti Associates has been a game-changer for us at Auxo Investment Partners. Their ability to assess executive candidates goes far beyond traditional evaluations—they have an uncanny accuracy in predicting not just a candidate’s strengths, but also their quirks and potential pressure points. That level of insight has been invaluable as we assess not only how someone will fit into the fabric of a company’s culture, but also how they’ll perform given the company’s specific stage in its investment lifecycle.

What sets Giombetti apart is their holistic view of fit. They enable us to think strategically about how a candidate will align with the needs of the management team, the board, and our partnership dynamic as investors. It’s not just about ticking boxes on experience or credentials—they help us anticipate how an individual will influence, lead, and integrate into a complex organizational ecosystem.

We trust them deeply and view them as an essential partner in our investment and leadership decision-making process.

Brandon Walsh

Vice President

Brandon Walsh Vice President

So you want to be a superstar? This assessment is not only accurate, it’s fun! I now know my own behavior in personal and professional communications. It has been extremely helpful in sales and conflict management with fellow team members and business associates.

—Ken Stacey, Sales Engineer: Belt Technologies

Ross shared a story in class about a guy who was always walking ahead of his family, it was like he was describing me. My family and I went to a pumpkin patch over the weekend and I made a conscious effort to SLOW down and move at their pace. I intentionally did not mention anything about my pace and could feel a better energy from my wife and kids from not being rushed around.

 I mentioned it before but feel it warrants being brought up again. I truly felt like I had known the Giombetti staff for years. It seemed that they all were there to help me be a better person. I know that we all make money doing our jobs, but you would have thought you guys were getting paid millions of dollars for each smile you invoked from the group. To me it felt like a real connection from the beginning. THANK YOU!

—Ernie Edgell, Manager C&I Field Sales: IGS Energy

I have personally developed my own leadership style during the past 12 years with this tool to substantial success. I continually use it as a development tool for my staff and selected high or low performers to determine what we all can do to help drive continuous improvement in the effectiveness of their leadership styles.

—Rob Lindner, Vice President, Quality, Continuous Improvement & Consumer Service: Sunbeam Products, Inc.

I have been in leadership positions for over 25 years. I have been to leadership and management training with at least ten different companies. I have used dozens of agencies to assist with hiring and employee development support. When it comes time for me to make the most important hires, the biggest team or personnel decisions, maximize a well-staffed team’s performance, or bring a group of extremely diverse views together for the greater good of the business, Giombetti Associates is the one place I return. They understand business and they understand people better than any similar entity I have ever worked with.

—Jeff Carpenter, CEO: ProTech Industries

We started using Giombetti several years ago when they were strongly recommended to us when I mentioned to another business leader that we were struggling to hire capable people that fit our culture. We are a small company, but growing rapidly, Giombetti has helped us hire and onboard about 20 people over the last several years and we are so pleased with the results. We are now bringing on top quality people who truly fit our culture. As we continue to grow, Giombetti is helping us develop the leadership team and improve our management staff. I consider them an essential asset to our continued growth and success.

—Dan Rocconi, President & CEO: Bixby International

As Managing Partner of a private equity firm, I dedicate the majority of my time to talent—because leadership, culture and people are the driving forces behind growth and innovation at Incline and our portfolio companies.

I first met Ross while evaluating the many talent assessment options in the market. What stood out—and has continued to prove invaluable—is the proprietary Performance Dynamics® system developed by Giombetti & Associates. Their assessment offers remarkable insight into 17 core personality traits that drive individual behavior and performance. There are no “good” or “bad” scores—just an honest, data-driven profile of what makes someone tick. This enables clear, objective discussions around personal effectiveness, team dynamics and leadership development.  Perhaps most importantly, it helps explain why individuals get the results they do. That self-awareness opens the door to targeted behavioral shifts and better outcomes. Many of our leaders describe their first feedback session as an “aha moment”—unlocking clarity about their challenges and path forward.

We also partner with Giombetti for talent evaluation in hiring. Ross and his team take the time to understand not just the role, but also the company’s culture, team composition, pace and strategic context. This nuanced understanding ensures better hiring decisions—placing high-performing individuals who thrive within the unique environment. As a result, we’ve significantly reduced turnover across the portfolio.

Giombetti has been our trusted partner for years, and their impact on our growth has been substantial. Their ability to unlock potential in people is unmatched, and we’re proud to have them as our exclusive partner for talent assessment and development.
— Jack Glover, Managing Partner

Jack Glover Managing Partner

If you’re not really sure what makes you tick, this exercise will remove all doubt. Rick is the best at working you through the intricacies of the dynamics of your personality and helping you chart a course to deal with those inner demons.

—Mike Callahan, CFO: RiverBend Medical Group

I have learned so much about myself and how I can relate better with others, accomplish tasks better and quicker, and significantly decrease stress in my life. My ability to relate to others has improved dramatically across the board. Because of the understanding I have for my own skills and abilities, I am more prepared to handle most anything that I encounter.

—Sharon Orr, Co-owner and Manager, Admin & Finance: Notch Mechanical Constructors

I had an incredibly positive experience working with Ross and the rest of his team while I was in high school, so I pushed for my younger sister Julia to go as well, knowing now the positive impact it can have on your future.

—Liz Mastrio

I won’t lie, at times hearing and then accepting some of the characteristics I possess was VERY hard, but how can I change those things without being aware of them? I can honestly say that within the last month I feel as if I am an entirely new person. There are days that I feel as if a gigantic weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am much more aware of who I am as an individual now. It is beyond refreshing. This program has given me the chance to become a leader.

—Heather Caisse

The programs offered by Giombetti Associates were beneficial in both my personal life and my career in human resources. If I could have changed only one thing, it would be to have participated in this program much earlier in my life.

—Deborah Beauchemin, Human Resources Supervisor: Atlas Copco Compressors, Inc.

Giombetti Associates has been integral in my growth and development as a leader. The many phone calls and meetings have helped me to better understand how I can be the most effective leader where I am while continuing to work on my areas of opportunity. I recently accepted a promotion within my organization and Giombetti is a big reason why I was prepared for that opportunity. I will continue to use Giombetti as my career evolves for myself and my teams.

I am truly grateful for your team and your passion to help me (and others) get better!

—Kevin Kapostasy, Market Manager: IGS Energy

Hey guys,

I wanted to take a few days to reflect and absorb the training and see how some of the suggestions and realizations from last week played out once I was back in “the real world”, before sending this email to you. I won’t lie and tell you that I did not come into this training with a certain amount of skepticism. I have done a few of these types of things over my career before and quite frankly, I thought they were a great way for the people presenting to make a living. I mean, you get to stand up in front of a room full of people and tell them how to be a better (fill in the blank here), and how to contribute to their companies in a more effective manner. And get payed for it!

A few things that I observed to help make this a different dynamic are as follows.

1. You all sat at the same level as us.
   • There wasn’t any feeling of this being a PRESENTATION. It truly felt like a discussion. Which I’m sure was by design. It made it so comfortable to actually share thoughts and ideas. It’s much easier to check out when you are being “talked to”.
     1. I have tried to be mindful of my body language and positioning when I have had discussions with team members, co-workers, or family.
2. You allowed us to have different goals.
   • What I mean by this is, you allowed us to have different end games for this training. I know some of the team wanted to try to reach problem employees or be a better manager, while some others wanted to focus on how to be a better husband, father or friend. As well as the evolution of that goal. Some of the statements about the takeaways at the end were not in line with what they thought they would get out of it.
     1. No names, but several folks that said they wanted to be a better manager or better leader at the end talked about not being real or open with personal relationships versus the professional aspect. I think the correlation between who you are outside of work, as a person, and who your team thinks you are was eye opening. At least it was to me!!
     2. I have made a concerted effort to try to make sure that I am sensitive to the fact that different people want/need different things. And that’s OK!
3. You were real!
   • This is huge for me. I like to think that I have a pretty good B.S. meter and the minute the needle starts to move; I tend to shut down and just get through the interaction as quickly and painlessly as possible.
     1. From the second we came in, you all had big smiles and warm invite
     2. You shared personal stories that left you out there, vulnerable. This helped me be real and open.

I can’t tell you how much warmth and genuine compassion I felt from all of you during the training. I know my goodwill score is 96, which I’m sure contributes to me being a bit sappy at times, but I was a bit surprised that I got emotional in a room full of strangers when I talked about how I want to make things better with my family. I know that is a direct result of the environment that you ALL built over the course of the 3 days.

Not to keep going on, but I wanted to share a couple things that I have already done differently that I know was appreciated, even though nobody said a word. The first was as my family sat down for our weekly board game night, I made sure that I was the one to make sure that everyone had drinks, snacks whatever we needed before we started. That has always just been handled by Michelle, my wife. There is NO reason that she needs to be the last one to sit down, even if she doesn’t complain. Another thing is we were going to the grocery store and I turned the radio station to the one that my family likes. The world stopped for a minute…LOL . I despise 95% of the music on “their” station! I mean how can you go wrong with listening to Boston or Van Morrison??? But in that moment of pain and despair of listening to the latest and greatest from, whatever the flavor of the week was, I noticed all 3 of them kind of bounce their heads a bit to the rhythm. That was cool. I mean really, why should I get to decide what music we listen to ALL THE TIME? Just because I happen to be the one driving, which oh by the way, I don’t want anyone else to drive but me??? To quote a very wise man…that’s BAD, BAD, BAD. STOP IT! Haha, I must have heard Rick say that 40 times last week!!

Seriously guys, thank you all for the love and compassion that I felt from all of you. It means more than I can tell you! I look forward to speaking with you soon. Take care.

—Ernie Edgell, Manager C&I Field Sales: IGS Energy

Conflicts are only opportunities to develop a relationship further. You decide how to proceed. The leadership training will show you how.

—Ken Stacey, Sales Engineer: Belt Technologies

W.F. Young, Inc. has worked with Giombetti Associates for more than 17 years. We have every employee go through the process at least once when they start with the company and many go through multiple times as they develop within the company or need some additional guidance in their career.

We find the information to be valuable for the company, helping to understand the employees, knowing what motivates them, how much or little information they need to do their work and how to best match up teams, just to name a few. However, the biggest benefit, I believe, is for the employees themselves – most come into the company without ever having done much self-reflection.

It is incredibly empowering to understand your own make-up and get a sense of who you are and how you approach your life and work. I have personally been through the assessment multiple times and I continue to learn and figure out how to enhance the areas that are helping me develop, and working with the team at Giombetti, better manage those traits that are maybe preventing me from growing both personally and professionally.

—Vicki Evans, Vice President/CFO: W.F. Young, Inc.

Giombetti Associates has been a big part of our Leadership Development strategy for nearly 20 years. They are a great partner that understands our culture, they have been pivotal in our hiring and developmental strategies. They provide candid feedback and really help you connect the dots with their profile assessments.

—Mike Huebert, Vice President Sales: Advanced Drainage Systems

This program provided me valuable and honest feedback about myself that has allowed me to excel in all aspects of my life. As cliché as it sounds, this program has changed my life, and without this program, I would not be as successful as I am today.

—Kristin Rheault

Great experience! Gives you tools to improve your effectiveness. Provided the opportunity to role play and interact with peers who are faced with similar challenges to be effective with our personnel. I learned that collaboration and communication are important skills to use to solve any problem. Rick Giombetti and his staff created a challenging and fun packed seminar.

—David Cistoldi, President: FLN-MAR Rubber & Plastics, Inc.

We have used the Giombetti pre-employment assessment and Leadership Development classes for our management positions for several years. The assessment is so simple yet so accurate, I am always astonished at how deeply they can understand a person by having them answer just a few questions. The feedback sessions are probing, educational and most important, supportive. The assessment provides invaluable information that helps put the right person in their best role so both they and the organization see success. It is also a great tool for leaders/coaches to help guide and develop their team members, building on each person’s individual strengths. The Leadership Development classes get high marks from those who attend. They create a fun and safe environment to look inward, everyone leaves with skills to help them be a better person, co-worker, coach, leader.

—Kelly Turley, SVP Operations & Administration: W.W. Williams

This program was the start and push that I needed when I was in high school and I still utilize many of the lessons that they taught me. Through hard work and perseverance and some GA help, I am now a wastewater engineer. I will be forever grateful for the chance to be a part of this great program and for being able to talk with them even after I graduated high school and college.

—Olivia Hicklin