ATLANTA, GA, September 02, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Rachel Bolton has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mrs. Bolton has built a career at the intersection of enterprise leadership development, executive advisory and organizational performance, with experience spanning Fortune 500 and Fortune 200 organizations. In 2025, she founded Bolton Leadership Advisory LLC, where she serves as founder and executive advisor. The firm focuses on leadership that drives performance through three core offerings: enterprise leadership strategy, private executive advisory and high-impact facilitation.
Through Bolton Leadership Advisory, Mrs. Bolton partners with mid-cap and large organizations to design leadership systems aligned with business priorities, organizational culture and talent needs. She also advises C-suite leaders navigating growth, complexity and transformation through private executive advisory relationships. Her third area of focus is facilitation, one of her greatest professional strengths and passions. She leads leadership cohorts, executive teams and cross-functional groups through high-impact experiences designed to challenge assumptions, strengthen alignment and translate insight into action.
Prior to launching her own firm, Mrs. Bolton served as VP of Global Enterprise Leadership Development at Stanley Black & Decker in 2025. She was recruited for the role following the recognition she received for her award-winning leadership development work at Wesco. At Stanley Black & Decker, she was brought in during a pivotal period of focus on the organization's C-suite succession pipeline and the need for a more inclusive global leadership development strategy.
In response to insights gathered through a Voice of the Associate survey, Mrs. Bolton helped address two key leadership priorities: strengthening the ability to give and receive feedback and equipping leaders to adopt a more coaching-centered approach rather than relying on authoritarian or command-and-control leadership styles. Her experience in male-dominated industries made her especially well suited to this work, bringing both enterprise leadership expertise and an understanding of how culture, identity and organizational context shape the way leaders learn and lead.
While at Stanley Black & Decker, Mrs. Bolton scaled leadership development initiatives, including Leader as Coach, Feedback Culture and Enterprise Mindset, to more than 3,000 leaders globally, achieving a 97% satisfaction rate. She also established an Enterprise Facilitator Network of more than 150 certified facilitators and partnered with senior executives and HR Analytics to strengthen leadership pipelines and translate talent data into actionable insights. She was also featured on the cover of HR Tech Outlook Magazine for her perspective on using artificial intelligence to scale leadership learning globally.
Before joining Stanley Black & Decker, Mrs. Bolton spent three years at Wesco, where she served as head of leadership development programs after initially joining the organization as sales training manager for owned brands in 2022. Following Wesco's merger with Anixter, she transitioned into a broader enterprise leadership role and went on to create the organization's first enterprise-wide leadership development system.
At Wesco, Mrs. Bolton designed tailored development pathways for early-career professionals, first-time managers, high-potential employees and senior executives. Her approach produced a measurable 0.40 improvement across capability dimensions and earned a 73% Net Promoter Score, reflecting strong participant engagement and impact. The program also resulted in 295 digital credentials being issued to participants who completed leadership cohorts, supporting adoption, visibility and scalability across the organization.
Her work at Wesco earned two Gold awards for excellence in leadership development, one from the Brandon Hall Group and another from the United States Distance Learning Association. These recognitions reflected the quality, rigor and enterprise impact of the leadership development systems she helped design and scale.
Mrs. Bolton also served as an advisory board member for the Corporate Learning Network in 2025, contributing insights on corporate learning trends, leadership development and best practices.
Earlier in her career, Mrs. Bolton held several learning and development roles at The Home Depot from 2017 to 2022, where she served first as a learning specialist and later as a master trainer. In these positions, she trained cohorts of store leaders and suppliers within a male-dominated retail environment, with a focus on professional development, leadership capability and business performance.
During her tenure at The Home Depot, Mrs. Bolton was selected by then Chief Executive Officer Shane O'Kelly to co-host the enterprise-wide Women in Pro event, which drew more than 1,500 participants. She also developed and implemented learning strategies aligned with business objectives and helped increase professional sales coaching by 35% within five months, contributing to improved professional development satisfaction scores. In recognition of her work, she was personally presented with an Executive Homer Award by Mr. O'Kelly.
Mrs. Bolton began her career in sales operations at Progress Rail Services from 2010 to 2013 before moving to Interline Brands, where she served as hardware express account executive from 2014 to 2015. These early roles gave her a strong foundation in customer relationships, sales performance and business operations, skills that later informed her transition into training and leadership development.
Educationally, Mrs. Bolton earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing and later a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the University of Phoenix. Earning her master's degree represented a significant personal milestone, as she became the first person in her family to do so. She remains deeply proud of her education and views it as part of the legacy she is creating for her family and future generations.
She has continued to build her expertise through professional coaching and leadership development credentials. Mrs. Bolton holds the Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation and is pursuing the Professional Certified Coach designation. She is also affiliated with the International Coaching Federation and the Association for Talent Development in Atlanta.
Resilience, authenticity and perseverance have been central to Mrs. Bolton's professional journey. At several points in her career, she was one of few African American women working in her field, particularly within traditionally male-dominated industries. Rather than allowing those circumstances to narrow her ambitions, she used them to strengthen her confidence, sharpen her leadership voice and remain grounded in her authentic identity. Colleagues have consistently recognized her grit, determination and ability to move forward through challenge.
Throughout her career, Mrs. Bolton has contributed to civic causes and professional communities alike. She supports and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society during its annual fundraising ride, an event in which her husband participates. She also serves in her church's children's ministry and remains involved with Toastmasters International, an organization that played a formative role early in her professional development.
Recognition for Mrs. Bolton's work includes the Brandon Hall Group Gold Award of Excellence, the United States Distance Learning Association Gold Award for Excellence in Distance Training/Learning and the Executive Homer Award personally presented to her by then Chief Executive Officer Shane O'Kelly. She is also the author of "Leadership Development in the Age of AI" for HR Tech Outlook Magazine and "The Power Skills Era: Building Feedback Cultures That Thrive in the Age of AI" for Manage HR Magazine.
In addition to her published work, Mrs. Bolton has delivered commencement addresses, spoken at conferences and regularly hosts lunch-and-learn events designed to foster professional growth. She is especially interested in the intersection of leadership, artificial intelligence, organizational change and the future of work, and she continues to contribute thought leadership in these areas.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Mrs. Bolton now resides near Atlanta with her husband, Scott Bolton, and their two children. Family remains central to her sense of purpose, and she views her professional accomplishments not only as personal milestones, but also as part of the legacy she is building for the next generation.
Outside of her professional work, Mrs. Bolton enjoys spending time with her family, connecting with others through professional and community networks and continuing her own development through conferences, webinars and master classes. A lifelong learner, she believes personal and professional growth should remain an ongoing pursuit.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Bolton intends to expand her influence as a nationally recognized voice in leadership development, executive effectiveness and the future of work. She plans to continue growing Bolton Leadership Advisory while broadening her work across executive advisory, keynote speaking, thought leadership and authorship. She is particularly interested in contributing to national conversations about leadership, organizational change, artificial intelligence, executive decision-making and the evolving demands placed on senior leaders. Her long-term goals include delivering a TEDx talk, publishing a book and contributing leadership perspectives across respected business and media platforms.
Mrs. Bolton finds fulfillment not only in formal accolades, but also in the transformative impact she has on those she coaches, advises and develops. She takes particular pride in helping individuals gain clarity, build confidence and move toward meaningful professional growth. While clients and colleagues may credit her for their progress, she is quick to remind them that the transformation ultimately comes from their own courage, effort and commitment. She views her role as one of partnership, providing perspective, accountability, challenge and inspiration.
Ultimately, Mrs. Bolton hopes to be remembered for helping others recognize possibilities in themselves that they may not yet be able to see. She believes individuality is a source of strength and that a person's voice, background and experiences can become powerful assets in leadership. Through her advisory work, speaking, writing and future books, she intends to encourage others, particularly women and emerging leaders, to pursue opportunities that may initially feel beyond their reach.
Her own journey reflects a conviction she hopes to pass forward: authenticity does not place limits on success. It can be one of the very qualities that makes extraordinary success possible.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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