A cognitive neuroscientist and ICF-certified coach with a decade of global advisory experience joins True to accelerate executive alignment and deliver immediate impact.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — August 26, 2026 — True, the premier global executive talent platform powered by data, AI, and deep sector expertise, today announced the appointment of Phil Blue as a Partner in True Talent Labs. Based in Chicago, Phil joins True with a distinctive approach to executive coaching and leadership advisory rooted in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral science, one that moves beyond frameworks and theory to the precise how of leadership performance.
Phil partners with senior executives to drive deep organizational alignment, leveraging rapid pattern recognition to help leaders reduce friction, accelerate trust, and achieve measurable impact during periods of transition or strategic complexity. Prior to joining True, he served as a partner at Modern Executive Solutions, where he operated as both a trusted insider developing fluency in company dynamics, and an objective mirror, flexing to the unique needs of each leader. Earlier, Phil co-founded a leadership consulting firm in China, work that shaped an unusually global perspective on how leadership translates across cultures, contexts, and organizational inflection points.
“What sets Phil apart is behavioral precision, a term that gets used loosely in this industry, but in his case is grounded in a genuine scientific foundation,” said Sam McGrath, GM, Global Search at True. “Our clients face a common challenge: they’ve made a significant leadership investment, whether through a new hire, a promotion, or a restructuring, and they need that leader to land fast and perform at a high level. Phil works at the level of how people actually think, decide, and operate under pressure. That’s not coaching in the conventional sense, it’s a lever our clients can use to protect and amplify their leadership investments at exactly the moments that matter most.”
At True Talent Labs, Phil works with senior leaders at the intersection of behavioral science and enterprise performance. He is particularly focused on the highest-stakes leadership moments including executive transitions, organizational restructuring, and environments where strategic complexity demands rapid trust-building and alignment. His approach is anchored in behavioral precision and informed by academic rigor: Phil holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Peking University, a Master of Arts in transformational leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Carleton College. He is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and holds certifications in Hogan and CliftonStrengths. Having lived and worked across North America, Asia, and South America, and fluent in both Mandarin and Spanish, Phil brings a global dimension to his advisory practice that is rare in the leadership coaching space and directly relevant for clients operating across markets and cultures.
“Leadership transitions are among the highest-stakes moments in any organization’s life, and the gap between a leader who lands well and one who struggles is almost always behavioral, not strategic,” said Phil Blue. “What drew me to True Talent Labs is the platform. The ability to partner with clients across the full leadership lifecycle, combining True Search’s depth in executive talent with True Talent Labs’ coaching and advisory capabilities, means we can support leaders from the moment they step into a role through the complexity that follows. That integrated model is where the real impact is delivered, and it’s a differentiated proposition in this market.”
ABOUT TRUE
True is the most trusted executive talent management platform powered by unmatched data, technology, and global expertise. Products and services include True Search for executive recruiting with TrueBridge for fractional and interim placements; and True Talent Labs to strengthen leadership teams through coaching and assessment. Thrive, a modern Talent CRM, while SearchEssentials brings tech-enabled precision to hiring.
Jillian Ruggieri / Senior Director, Communications
jillian.ruggieri@trueplatform.com