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Patrick Houlahan
Build Inspired, Compassionate, Mission-Driven Leaders
Patrick Houlahan is the Founder and CEO of Strategic Leadership Consultants LLC, a company dedicated to Building Inspired, Compassionate, Mission-Driven Leaders. Since founding the company in 2019, Patrick has worked with prominent organizations such as State Farm, Technology Marketing Toolkit, Association of Inside Sales Professionals, 3M, and Mission Produce, delivering keynotes, leading workshops, and providing expert consultation.
With a distinguished career spanning both the military and business sectors, Patrick brings a wealth of experience to his leadership consulting work. He graduated from The Citadel in 1992, where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Patrick served as a fighter pilot flying the F/A-18 Hornet and was deployed twice to the Western Pacific. He is a graduate of the prestigious United States Navy Postgraduate Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN, where he went on to serve as an instructor pilot. In 2003, he was recognized as the Instructor Pilot of the Year.
After transitioning from active duty in 2004, Patrick continued his military service in the United States Air Force Reserves flying the A-10 Warthog and later returned to the Marine Corps Reserves in 2006. He established the first Reserve Training Unit and continued his role as an Instructor Pilot, accumulating over 2,800 hours of flight time and training more than 500 aircrew members. Patrick’s military career culminated with his promotion to Colonel, and he earned his Master of Strategic Studies as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Army War College.
Patrick's leadership acumen extends beyond the military. He transitioned into the private sector in 2004 when he joined Afterburner Inc., a global consulting firm where he rose to become an Executive Consultant and Director of Seminars. During his 13-year tenure at Afterburner, Patrick led over 450 keynotes, workshops, and consulting engagements with top corporations, including Verizon, ExxonMobil, Medtronic, DOW, VMware, and H&R Block.
In addition to his work at Afterburner, Patrick has held roles as Account Manager for Southern California at Kratos Public Safety and Security, Director of Business Development at Citadel Defense Company, and Organizational Development Executive (ODE) at Brooks International, where he worked closely with executive leadership teams to drive consensus and alignment in support of organizational goals.
Throughout his career, Patrick has observed that organizations that thrive are led by great leaders—those that fail often lack this critical component. This insight led him to found Strategic Leadership Consultants, with the mission to develop and empower leaders who inspire, engage, and lead with purpose.
TOPICS
TOPGUN Lessons Learned: TOPGUN strategies to be the top 1% in your marketplace
Fast and Effective Planning: Link Tactical Actions to Strategic Direction
Simplifying Leadership: Keys to Leading a Successful Team
Cross-Functional Execution: Keys to Executing in an Interconnected World
Communications is Key: The Art of the Debrief

PAST CLIENTS
State Farm
Tecsys
Carr Properties
FS Growmark
Genentech
University of Pittsburgh
Equitable
Turn Around Management Association
Mission Produce
Accelerent
3M
Oklahoma Hospital Association
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