Mike Hatzenbeler

Strategy & Governance Consultant | Fractional CEO & COO

Clear direction. Aligned leadership. Greater impact.

When priorities compete, decisions stall, or leadership capacity is stretched, progress becomes harder than it needs to be.

Mike Hatzenbeler helps organizations set a clear direction, align their leadership, and build the capacity to succeed. Through strategy and governance consulting and fractional CEO and COO roles, he brings experienced leadership to complex decisions, organizational change, and everyday execution.

He brings more than 40 years of nonprofit experience, including over 25 years in executive leadership, with particular depth in nonprofits and mission-driven enterprises.

Strategy with a shared definition of success

A strategic plan is useful when it helps people make decisions and take action. Mike works with leaders to clarify the outcomes that matter most, examine competing priorities, and agree on where to focus.

Whether an organization is rethinking its direction or struggling to act on an existing plan, he helps leaders surface assumptions, work through difficult choices, and establish practical next steps.

Stronger partnerships between boards and executives

Boards and executive teams bring different responsibilities and perspectives. When those roles or expectations are unclear, important decisions can become a source of friction.

Mike helps boards and executives strengthen their working relationships, clarify responsibilities, and build agreement around organizational priorities. His experience includes governance design, board development, and supporting leaders through consequential decisions.

Fractional CEO leadership

When your organization needs experienced executive leadership without a full-time hire, Mike can step in as a fractional CEO. He works with the board to set direction, lead the executive team, and take responsibility for organizational performance.

Whether providing continuity between permanent leaders or ongoing part-time leadership, he connects mission, strategy, people, and financial sustainability with the decisions the organization needs to make.

Fractional COO leadership

As a fractional COO, Mike turns strategic priorities into coordinated execution. He leads operational work, strengthens systems and accountability, and helps teams build the capacity to deliver consistently.

His experience spans social enterprise operations, program alignment, organizational effectiveness, and financial sustainability. He brings these perspectives together to help leaders make practical choices about resources, performance, and how work gets done.

Steady leadership through change

Executive turnover, financial pressure, restructuring, and significant growth can all test an organization’s leadership.

Mike brings a calm, practical perspective to these moments. Through a focused consulting engagement or a fractional executive role, he helps organizations address immediate challenges while building the direction, relationships, and capacity needed for what comes next.

Experience grounded in mission and responsibility

Mike served for 22 years as President & CEO of PROVAIL, leading the disability services organization through expansion and organizational change. He subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer of Pioneer Human Services, working across social enterprise operations, organizational effectiveness, and financial sustainability.

His background also spans fundraising, public policy, community partnerships, and public governance. He brings particular depth in large nonprofits and mission-driven enterprises that combine service delivery with earned income.

Thoughtful, candid, and practical

Mike begins by listening carefully and helping people name the issues beneath the immediate challenge. He creates space for honest discussion, challenges assumptions when needed, and keeps conversations connected to decisions and action.

His approach reflects a simple belief: organizations work more effectively when leaders understand their roles, share a definition of success, and build the trust to move forward together.

What would help your organization move forward?

Let’s talk about your goals, the decisions in front of you, and where consulting or fractional executive leadership could make a difference.