PENNY WAND, CEO & Founder

"Mavericks drive change through innovation and I aspire to exhibit two key attributes of the maverick - and encourage them in others: courage and creativity. 

To me, being "savvy" means being astute about the world: political and personal motivations, choices, consequences, culture, etc.  It means considering these factors, using experience, and communicating effectively to successfully guide myself and those around me to a new and better destination."


For more information on what's behind the name, please read below.

Savvy Maverick

Coaching leaders to grow authentically in their professional lives, exhibiting courage and conviction consistent with personal values.

EXECUTIVE COACHING FOR

VALUES-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP

Savvy Maverick coaches leaders in various stages of career and personal development: 

  • Executives in new roles and/or new firms 
  • Senior executives driving and navigating change
  • Executive teams requiring cohesion and performance under tight time frames
  • Leaders in career transition 
  • Aspirational mid-management leaders 

What's In a Name?

My name is Penny Wand and I'm the founder of Savvy Maverick, an executive coaching firm that collaborates with other highly experienced business professionals and coaches to help our clients drive positive, lasting growth and change. 

I took care into naming my firm.  Part of my inspiration came from my grandfather's significant influence on me.  Gerald E. Banning, or Grandpa, was a maverick. He was a self-taught electrical engineer who designed and built one of the first electric cars, wrote his own patents, created a factory producing his motors, and at age 36 received an award at the 1954 International Auto Show for the world’s most innovative car design. He wrote poems and was witty and charming. He was also decidedly imperfect.  

Grandpa regularly encouraged me to think critically and would say "Be a Maverick.  Don't let other people tell you what to think." I remember him as always thinking, designing, or solving technical problems. This inspired me.

Mavericks drive change through innovation and I aspire to exhibit two aspects of mavericks. One is courage -- finding the strength to speak and act on one's convictions, even if that means being the lone voice. The second is creativity -- embracing new ideas, new places, new people, new directions.  

To me, being savvy means being astute about the world: political and personal motivations, choices, consequences, culture, etc.  It means considering these factors, using experience, and communicating effectively to successfully guide myself and those around me to a new and better destination. Since my core values include lifelong learning, work ethic, curiosity, and relationships, this seems the perfect name for my firm. 

Armed with knowledge and experience, I strive to have the courage of the maverick paired with wisdom and grace. This is why I decided on the name Savvy Maverick.

My goal with Savvy Maverick is to help leaders and their teams grow authentically in their professional lives, exhibiting courage and conviction consistent with personal values. I want my clients to create their own "Savvy Maverick" story.