As we prepare to welcome Ann Ayers as our incoming CEO this April, we sat down with her to learn a little more about her and what she’s looking forward to as she steps into this new role.
1. What drew you to this role, and what was it about Emergenetics specifically that excited you?
I’ve been a fan of Emergenetics for nearly 20 years — I took my first Profile before I knew much about the company behind it, and it changed how I led. So, when this opportunity came to me, it wasn’t a hard decision. And, what really excites me beyond the product — is the moment in history. We’re living through a period where AI is reshaping how people work, and organizations are desperate for tools that help humans understand and leverage what makes them distinctly human. Emergenetics is built for exactly this moment. That felt too important to pass up.
2. Can you share a moment or experience that shaped how you think about leadership?
When I was a kid, my dad used to take my sister and me hiking before sunrise. He’d walk behind us on the trail, and I didn’t love it — I wanted him up front, using his big feet to break the path and show us where to go. Then one morning before dawn, we got up to go, and he strapped on a headlamp and fell in behind us again. And suddenly I understood—standing behind us, his light illuminated the path. If he’d been standing in front, we would have been in his shadow with limited visibility. He had, quite literally, shined a light on why he led from behind.
He was using his perspective and position to watch for what we couldn’t see at our level (height), making it safe for us to go first and to choose the steps and stones that worked best for us. That image has stayed with me my whole life. My job as a leader is to shine the light in the right general direction, see and steer others around the obstacles and trust the people closest to the work to find their way forward.
3. What does the work of Emergenetics mean to you personally — is there a story that connects you to our work?
I took my first Emergenetics Profile [1] almost 20 years ago, when I was working in telecom doing business development and mergers and acquisitions work. My whole team took Emergenetics together — and what it revealed changed my trajectory.
At the time, I was doing detail-heavy, logistics-driven work — careful, precise analysis that M&A requires. I was good at it. The Profile showed that while I could do the detailed work, my strongest preferences were conceptual and strategic. Once my team saw that, something shifted. They started pulling me into strategic conversations — which organizations to acquire, how to think about fit, what integration would look like. I became a top performer not because I worked harder, but because the people around me finally understood where I could lend my highest value.
And here’s the so what: that’s the difference between a team that functions and a team that flourishes. When people understand themselves and each other at the level of how they actually think, they stop working around each other and start working with each other. That’s not a just productivity story. That’s a human story. And we’re the ones who help people write it.
4. Stepping into an organization that’s more than 30 years old, how do you think about honoring the past while also growing and evolving the company?
There’s a concept called the Spirit of Sankofa — rooted in West African wisdom — often depicted as a bird flying forward while looking back. The idea is that you can’t know where you’re going without honoring where you’ve been, and that returning to your roots isn’t regression — it’s strength. That’s how I approach coming into Emergenetics.
My first job is to listen and learn — to understand what has made this organization worth trusting for three decades. And from that foundation of deep respect, we’ll grow toward what this moment calls for. The Spirit of Sankofa isn’t about staying put — it’s about flying forward with intention, carrying with you what matters and making room for what’s next.
5. What do you see as the foundation of what makes Emergenetics valuable to the clients and practitioners who rely on it — and how do you intend to build on that?
At its core, Emergenetics does something that very few tools in this space actually do: it sees people. Not just their outputs, not their job titles, not their performance metrics — but how they actually think, what they bring to a room, what they need to do their best work. That experience of being truly seen is rare and it’s powerful. There’s a reason people take their Profile and immediately want their whole team to take it. That feeling of recognition — of having your way of thinking validated and named — that’s a deeply human experience. And in a world increasingly shaped by AI, the ability to understand and honor human difference isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s urgent.
My intention is to build on that foundation by making sure more organizations experience it — not just as a moment, but as a practice. And to deepen it through the integration of Annie Browning’s work, which extends that self-understanding into how people lead with intuition and authentic connection.
6. For clients who have long-standing relationships with Emergenetics, what would you want them to know about you and your commitment to partnerships?
That nothing meaningful happens alone. That’s not just something I believe philosophically — it’s how I’ve seen real results come to life, every time, in every role I’ve held.
The clients and Partners who have built relationships with Emergenetics over years have done so because this work creates genuine connection — to themselves, to their teams, to a shared language for human difference. I want to be someone who deepens that.
I’m genuinely curious about the people behind these partnerships — what brought them here, what keeps them here, what they’re hoping for next. That curiosity is where I want to start.
7. What opportunities do you see for Emergenetics in the next few years that you’re most energized by?
A few things are genuinely exciting to me. First, the integration of Emergenetics with Annie’s GAZE methodology [2] — combining how people think and behave with how they lead intuitively is a powerful and differentiated offering that the market is more than ready for.
Second, the AI moment. There’s a lot of anxiety right now about what AI displaces, and Emergenetics is positioned to be a direct answer to that anxiety — helping organizations invest in the uniquely human capacities that no algorithm can replicate.
And third, simply reaching more organizations. The impact potential here is enormous, and we haven’t come close to the ceiling.
8. How do you hope the broader Emergenetics community — clients, practitioners, Partners and staff — will feel a year from now?
Seen, energized and proud. I hope they feel like the organization listened — to them, to the market, to what this moment requires — and responded with clarity and intention. I hope practitioners feel even more supported in delivering transformative client experiences. I hope clients feel like Emergenetics grew in ways that made the work even more relevant to what they’re navigating. And I hope staff feel like they’re part of something that’s building momentum with purpose.
9. What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m probably the one who started it. I have a deep appreciation for a well-executed prank — the kind that’s genuinely funny, and nobody gets hurt. I’ve been known to orchestrate a few. I also have four sons, which means my tolerance for chaos is extremely high, and my sense of humor has been field-tested under pressure for years. People sometimes expect a CEO to be fairly buttoned-up, and I understand why — but I think joy is serious business. Teams that can laugh together can get through almost anything.
10. What are you most looking forward to as you step into this chapter?
The people. I am endlessly curious about what makes people tick — what lights them up, what they’re quietly capable of that no one has named yet. I believe most people are operating well below their potential, not because of any lack in them, but because no one has held up a mirror and said: This is what I see in you. That’s what Emergenetics does at its best. And it’s what I want to do as a leader — to see people clearly, to believe in their promise before they fully believe in it themselves and to create the conditions where that promise becomes possible.
11. Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you’d like to add?
Yes — I will be asking you all something. What motivates you? Not in the résumé sense, but genuinely — what gets you out of bed for this work? I ask because I think the most important thing I can do in my first months isn’t to tell you who I am. It’s to understand who you are. I’m also always looking for good book and podcast recommendations, or the occasional binge-worthy show. And, if anyone has advice on parenting, well – that’s worth a coffee or lunch. Nothing ever stays the same – so staying ahead of it all takes a team!
Curious to learn more about Emergenetics [3] and how we can support your leaders and teams? Fill out the form below to connect with our staff today!