Staff Profiles

Bruce Mast, President
bmast@bmaleadership.com

Bruce Mast, President and Founder, brings expertise in Leadership and Organizational Development, Executive Coaching, Strategic Search and Staffing issues to the design and implementation of creative approaches and effective solutions to challenges facing employers and employees in today’s organizational realities. Much of BMA’s work for clients is based on proprietary intellectual property unique to the industry.

As the creator and architect of BMA’s innovative, leadership development processes, Bruce focuses on developing effective learning that has had a profound impact on both individuals and organizations throughout the northeast. He is a sought-after speaker addressing business and professional groups and organizations throughout the country.

Bruce holds a Master’s Degree in Peace Studies (Applied Ethics) from the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, a BA in Social Science, summa cum laude, from Bethel College, and has done Advanced Academic Studies in Counseling. He is the immediate past President of the Board of Seacoast Hospice, and in 2004, received the United Way’s Douglas Eldridge Memorial Award honoring an outstanding board or staff member in recognition of his service to Hospice.

In addition to his responsibilities at BMA, Bruce is adjunct faculty at New England College teaching Organizational Management and Leadership for their Master’s program as well as serving as a student thesis advisor. He is also on the Board of Advisors of Strawbery Banke Museum and on the Board of the NH Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.



Sheila Kabat,Vice President
skabat@bmaleadership.com

A gifted and accomplished human resource professional, Sheila Kabat brings over twenty-five years of diverse experience in senior level HR positions working with both individuals and organizations, domestically and internationally, to her role as a VP at Bruce Mast & Associates, Inc. She focuses on all aspects of the employment process from Staffing, ReAlignment and Executive Coaching to Strategic Planning, Organizational Design, and Outplacement and is also a Leadership Coach of Leadership On The Line^® and Stepping Up To Leadership.

Sheila earned an MS in Business from Lesley University and a BA from Siena Heights University. Additionally, she completed the Executive Leadership Initiative at Daniel Webster College and received an advanced Certificate in Organizational Development and HR Management from Columbia University. She recently returned from advanced certification in the use of The Personality Profiler assessment instrument.

Active in her community and in professional associations, Sheila is a graduate of Leadership New Hampshire 2001; has served for nine years as a member of Business NH Magazine's review panel judging New Hampshire’s Top 10 Businesses To Work For In NH, and now takes an active role in the site visits organized annually by BMA, which have become an integral part of the competition. She is a member of ASTD-NH and a past member of the Executive Board of the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce. She is currently adjunct faculty and thesis advisor at New England College in their MS in Organizational Management and Leadership program.

Tony Perna, BMA Associate

A talented OD professional, Tony Perna has spent the past 15 years implementing Lean Manufacturing concepts on the shop floor and in front offices. Through Perna Systems, LLC, Tony works with companies covering electronics, ship building, construction, healthcare, defense, pulp & paper, leather goods, and food processing and has trained over 1,500 people in Lean Enterprise (TPS) and Six Sigma methodologies. He has over 20 years of experience in engineering and manufacturing enterprises, and his work has ranged from highly complex, specialized project engineering to high-speed repetitive manufacturing.

Tony brings new expertise to BMA, particularly in the area of Lean principles. He helps expand our base of knowledge for organizations interested in exploring or improving their Lean practices.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tony also holds a Masters in Manufacturing Management from the University of Southern Maine. He is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Fluid Power Society (FPS) and of the Association for Operations Management where he currently serves on the Board of Directors as VP of Programs. Tony is a Certified Fluid Power Specialist/Engineer and holds a certificate in Lean Manufacturing Operations Management from the University of Kentucky.

Leslie Mast, VP Operations/Marketing
lkmast@bmaleadership.com

Leslie Mast is VP Operations/Marketing at BMA. With over 25 years of experience in senior level positions in marketing, public relations, advertising, promotion management, sales and property management, she is responsible for the development of the BMA White Papers, BMA’s quarterly newsletter - A View From The Masthead, the website and all other collateral materials. She coordinates and helps develop BMA’s intellectual property including Leadership On The Line and Leadership By Design. Additionally, she has written and co-authored several articles for HR and business publications.

Leslie is also responsible for all of the business operations of BMA as well as many of BMA's Strategic Searches.

An alumna of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Leslie did supplementary course work in Advertising and Promotions Management at Indiana University. She is currently a member of NEHRA and serves on the Board of Advisors of Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth.