Richard Strozzi-Heckler, PhD is founder of Strozzi Institute. He has spent over five decades researching, developing and teaching Somatics to business leaders, executive managers, teams from Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, technology start-ups, non-profits, the U.S. government and military.

He was named one of the Top 50 Executive Coaches in The Art and Practice of Leadership Coaching, and in Profiles in Coaching. He is the co-founder of the Mideast Aikido Project (MAP), which brings together Palestinians and Israelis through the practice of Aikido. He is the Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Social Advancement (ISA) that is based in Ethiopia which brings Aikido and Embodied Leadership to East Africa.

Richard is the author of nine books, including The Leadership Dojo, In Search of the Warrior Spirit, The Anatomy of Change, Holding the Center and The Art of Somatic Coaching: Embodying Skillful Action, Wisdom, and Compassion, and Embodying the Mystery: Somatic Wisdom for  Emotional, Energetic, and Spiritual Awakening. From 2002 to 2007 he was an advisor to NATO and the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe (SACEUR) General Jim Jones,  who was also the National Security Advisor.

Richard has a PhD in Psychology and is a seventh degree black belt Shihan in the martial art of Aikido.