What Shackleton Group does

Shackleton Group is a privately held, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business founded in 2002 by former Marine Officers and headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. The firm delivers organizational development, professional development, and professional facilitation services to government agencies, defense/aerospace contractors, and select commercial clients. Co-CEOs Ed Gillcrist and Mike Westman, both former Marine Officers, lead a team of 11-50 employees and personally anchor business development and client delivery.

The firm's core offering is built around its proprietary Corporate Maneuver Warfare® methodology, a registered trademark that translates Marine Corps warfighting principles into organizational design, decision-making, and execution frameworks. Adjacent IP includes Value ProjectLeadership™, an Organizational Assessment & Development Model, R³ (Roles, Responsibilities, Relationships) Mapping, and the Organizational Leadership Development Program (OLDP), a four-module integrated curriculum (LAW, OLC, OLC+, LAIA). Service delivery spans organizational assessments, surveys, transition planning, process mapping, rapid response planning, CONOPS, operating guides, training courses (Decision Making Under Stress, Corporate Maneuver Warfare, Facilitation Skills for Leaders, Ethics in Good Leadership, Leading in a Virtual Environment), and facilitation services for conferences, events, and conflict resolution.

Revenue is generated through professional services engagements — primarily direct enterprise consulting and instructor-led training — accessed through GSA Schedule and Navy SeaPort-e government contract vehicles and direct relationship sales. Pricing is largely quote-based; one publicly disclosed product is The Stage Fright Advantage, a self-pay public speaking course priced at $99. The firm also markets an AI advisory practice, positioning itself as a six-year user of AI applied to organizational decision making and execution. Named customers are concentrated in defense and aerospace (USMC, Navy HR, Sikorsky, Boeing PMA programs, Precise Systems, Presidential Helicopters) with a small commercial footprint in financial services, healthcare, and food/agriculture.

Name

Shackleton Group

Legal name

Shackleton Group

Website

https://shkgrp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shackleton Group is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business founded in 2002 that provides organizational development, professional development, and facilitation consulting, anchored by its Corporate Maneuver Warfare® methodology and delivered primarily to federal, defense, and aerospace clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Turnaround, Restructuring & Crisis Management Consulting (BPAHACAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Organizational development consulting
• Professional development services
• Leadership development training
• Corporate facilitation services
• Management consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Organizational Development Consulting: Core consulting services including organizational assessments, organizational development strategies, transition planning, process mapping, rapid response planning, and related professional services delivered through direct client engagements.
2. Professional Development Training: Instructor-led training programs including the Organizational Leadership Development Program (OLDP), Corporate Maneuver Warfare, Decision Making Under Stress, and various workshops delivered as courses or seminars.
3. Professional Facilitation Services: Facilitation for conferences, events, conflict resolution, and issue mitigation. Includes keynote speaking engagements and smoke-jumping rapid response facilitation.
4. Government Contract Vehicles: Services delivered through GSA Schedule and SeaPort-e contract vehicles for government clients, providing structured procurement pathways for federal customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shackleton Group is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business consulting firm that provides organizational development, professional development, and professional facilitation services to government and commercial clients. Its core offerings span organizational assessments, organizational development strategy, transition planning, R3 mapping, process mapping, rapid response planning, CONOPS, and operating guides; leadership development programs such as OLDP and Corporate Maneuver Warfare®; and event/conference facilitation, keynote speaking, and conflict resolution services.

Product overview

Shackleton Group is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business providing organizational development, professional development, and professional facilitation consulting services. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of services organized into three main categories: Organizational Development (including Organizational Assessment, Organizational Surveys, R3 Mapping, Organizational Development Strategy, Transition Planning, Process Mapping, Rapid Response Planning, Value Project Leadership, CONOPS, Interactive Operating Guides, and SOPs/POGs); Professional Development Services (including the Organizational Leadership Development Program (OLDP) with its four components LAW, OLC, OLC+, and LAIA, plus standalone offerings like Corporate Maneuver Warfare®, Decision Making Under Stress, Facilitation Skills for Leaders, Ethics in Good Leadership, Leading in a Virtual Environment, and The Stage Fright Advantage course); and Professional Facilitation Services (Keynote Speaking, Conferences/Events, and Conflict Resolution/Issue Mitigation). The offerings are delivered through consulting engagements, workshops, seminars, and courses, with the OLDP serving as the flagship integrated development program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organizational Assessment An objective and collaborative assessment that draws on individual interviews and online surveys to reveal how and where an organization needs to adjust, laying the groundwork for a tailored Organizational Development Strategy.
• Organizational Surveys Tailored organizational survey services using the SurveyGold online application, customized to meet survey intent, with collaborative development, proctoring, assessment, and comprehensive statistical analysis.
• Roles, Responsibilities, Relationships (R3) Mapping An approach that captures key roles and responsibilities while guaranteeing that relationships critical to those positions are identified, publicized, and understood by the team to ensure effective contribution to organizational success.
• Organizational Development Strategy A tailored, executable strategy encompassing all objectives and recommendations for implementing organizational development, designed to achieve and sustain organizational balance across dynamic elements.
• Transition Planning A formalized, facilitated approach for organizations migrating from current state to a defined future state, including capture of all key elements and a roadmap for transition.
• Process Mapping A unique approach to capturing processes quickly and effectively through speed, accuracy, and repeatability, establishing expectations and boundaries while ensuring buy-in through appropriate inclusion of process users.
• Rapid Response Planning Planning services based on Marine Corps rapid response concepts, helping organizations prepare for crisis situations and capitalize on extraordinary opportunities through established and proven plans.
• Value Project Leadership A deliberate leadership approach to cultivating relationships, tracking and reporting progress, planning resources, and driving participation that enables successful completion of contract requirements while exceeding client expectations.
• Concept of Operations Documents (CONOPS) Documents designed to provide situational awareness and understanding to key stakeholders regarding the fundamental functioning and execution of critical projects or concepts.
• Interactive Program Operating Guides / Interactive Charter Documents Interactive repositories for essential team and business unit information providing insights into core information, structure, procedures, operating guidelines, and key processes for team alignment.
• Standard Operating Procedures / Program Operating Guides Documents that formally codify organizational information, acting as living documents that reflect the current state and structure of the organization, providing boundaries, expectations, and minimizing communications challenges.
• Organizational Leadership Development Program (OLDP) A comprehensive program focusing on cultivating a sustainable and enduring leadership culture, consisting of four elements: Leadership Advocacy Workshop (LAW), Organizational Leadership Course (OLC), Organizational Leadership Course Plus (OLC+), and Leadership Advocacy in Action (LAIA).
• Corporate Maneuver Warfare® A leadership course woven with the philosophy of Corporate Maneuver Warfare, translating military warfighting principles into organizational execution, designed for developing current and future leaders.
• Leading in a Virtual Environment Seminar Workshop focusing on critical concepts for leading in virtual environments that have immediate positive impact on collaboration and effectiveness of groups and teams.
• Decision Making Under Stress A 2-day course developed by former Marine Officers focusing on awareness and technique for making and carrying out decisions in emergent situations, with increasing stress levels at each stage.
• Facilitation Skills for Leaders A half-day workshop focusing on basic facilitation skills for leaders to get the most out of any group meeting with a common purpose, covering concepts and skills that have significant positive impact on session outcomes.
• Ethics in Good Leadership A 1-day workshop focusing on bridging the gap between leadership and ethics, establishing a culture of leadership that understands what it means to do the right thing.
• The Stage Fright Advantage A course designed to help professionals leverage public speaking anxiety and transform it into a strength, with techniques for anxiety management, presentation skills, and audience engagement, priced at $99.
• Keynote Speaking Dynamic and entertaining speakers offering presentations on topics including Leading in Crisis, Making Tough Calls, Decision Making Under Stress, and custom-tailored keynote speeches.
• Conferences / Events Planning, coordination, and execution services for successful conferences or events, including comprehensive event execution strategy and detailed facilitation plans.
• Conflict Resolution / Issue Mitigation Services to identify, address, and resolve immediate or long-term issues within teams through comprehensive facilitation skills and rapid response to urgent organizational issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% improvement in aligning work with operational goals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GSA (General Services Administration)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShackleton Group's services are available through the GSA Schedule contract vehicle, allowing federal government agencies to procure organizational development, professional development, and facilitation services through established federal contracting pathways.
• SeaPort-e (Navy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeaPort-e is the Navy's electronic procurement portal for professional services. Shackleton Group is a contract holder enabling delivery of professional services to naval and maritime customers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's Organization Practice delivers organization design, leadership development, and transformation consulting to large enterprises and governments globally. While far larger, it competes for the same transformation and leadership work Shackleton pursues in commercial and defense sectors.
• Kforce Government Solutions: Kforce Government Solutions (FocalPoint, part of Kforce) provides federal professional services including training, organizational effectiveness, and program management. It competes with Shackleton for Navy SeaPort-e and other defense OD/task-order work.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Booz Allen Hamilton is a large-scale federal consulting firm with deep defense and government practice areas covering organizational transformation, leadership development, and acquisition advisory. It overlaps Shackleton's defense/government OD work at a much broader scale and is a likely prime contractor on many of the same Navy/USMC programs.
• Deloitte Consulting: Deloitte's Human Capital and Federal practice delivers organizational transformation, leadership development, and learning services at scale to enterprise and U.S. federal clients. It is a frequent large-business competitor for GSA and defense OD work, against which Shackleton can differentiate as a small SDVOSB.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): DDI is a global leadership development and talent management firm offering leadership programs, assessment, and facilitation services to enterprise clients. It overlaps with Shackleton's leadership development training and organizational assessment offerings at greater scale and product depth.
• Bain & Company: Bain & Company's Organization practice offers change management, operating model design, and leadership development services. As a global strategy powerhouse, it overlaps Shackleton's value proposition at the high end of OD consulting for commercial and government clients.

Direct peers

• SMR Research Corporation: SMR Research Corporation is a small SDVOSB consulting firm supporting federal clients with organizational development, training, and human capital services. It competes with Shackleton on GSA-schedule set-aside organizational consulting for defense and civilian agencies.
• Cornerstone Research Group: Cornerstone Research Group is a small SDVOSB management consulting firm delivering organizational development, leadership training, and professional facilitation primarily to federal and defense clients. It directly competes with Shackleton for set-aside and small-business OD engagements.
• Allen Integrated Consulting: Allen Integrated Consulting is a niche organizational development and leadership firm providing coaching, team development, and facilitation services to corporate and government clients. It directly overlaps Shackleton's professional facilitation and leadership development offerings.

Emerging players

• Franklin Covey: Franklin Covey is a global leadership and organizational effectiveness firm offering training programs (e.g., The 7 Habits, Leader in Me) and consulting. It overlaps Shackleton's professional development training offerings, particularly standardized curriculum sold to enterprise and government clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shkgrp
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShkGrpInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shackleton-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shackleton Group