Right Strategy — Well Executed —
Starts With the Right People
We lift your team to the next level.
Meet Team Shepherd
At Shepherd, we believe strategy matters. It’s most effective when it truly connects the growth initiatives with the numbers, the actions, and the people. Working side by side with leadership teams, learning the challenges and opportunities unique to each business, and bringing untapped potential to life—that's us at our best. (Fair warning: We can get passionately invested in your success.)
Guided by our core values, we work hard to bring clarity to complex decisions, build alignment around shared priorities, and accelerate growth.
Together, we:
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Collaborate. Better strategy and stronger outcomes emerge from inclusion, facilitation, and co-creation.
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Master our craft. Continuously raising the bar brings greater rigor, insight, and discipline to every engagement.
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Focus on what matters most. Clear priorities and disciplined decision-making accelerate progress.
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Help each other thrive. Success multiplies when teams support each other and win together.
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Live the journey. Meaningful, worthwhile, sustainable growth takes time. We care. And that’s why we show up with patience, resilience, and perspective.
Each and every one of these values shapes how we work and the people who show up to do that work.
Loch McCabe | Founder & CEO
Helps leaders turn ambition into clear, executable growth
Loch loves witnessing clients shift from reactive problem solvers to proactive and strategic value creators. He gets excited as they work together with new focus and renewed passion to execute strategies they know will change their futures. In his work, Loch focuses on methodical research, sound growth strategy development, and building foundations for robust and sustainable growth.
Loch has a knack for understanding stories, recognizing opportunities, and developing pathways that allow clients to move forward with clarity and confidence.
Prior to founding Shepherd Advisors, he built the Environmental Capital Network (ECN), a service that facilitated over $50 million in early-stage investments to clean tech companies nationwide and laid groundwork for the industry changing Cleantech Group, LLC.
Loch holds Master's degrees in Natural Resource Management and Applied Economics from the University of Michigan as well as dual BA/BS from American University.
Michael Holzworth | Advisor
Strengthens go-to-market execution and revenue focus
Mike is an experienced business leader grounded in the science and art of increasing marketing and sales effectiveness. He has led branded sales growth at Fortune 100 companies, engineered two turnarounds, and led revenue growth at small businesses by driving sales and marketing performance with tight resources.
Holding a progression of sales, brand, and top executive positions in his career, Mike has proven skills in building teams that create and execute strategic vision within lean organizations. His specialties include sales management, direct sales, marketing, customer service, and operational improvement.
Amy Cottrell | Senior Associate
Translates insight into aligned, confident decisions
Amy brings more than four decades of experience, rooted in the formative years she spent inside top-tier advertising agencies in Chicago and New York City. In these fast-paced creative hubs, she built the foundation of her career—honing her craft within the research arena and account planning, sharpening her strategic voice in communication strategy, and fueling her passion for business development.
Her entrepreneurial spirit has shaped much of her career. As the founder of a research field directing firm serving Fortune 500 companies since 1992, Amy has been a driving force behind her clients’ success—translating insight into impact. She brings deep expertise in research and market intelligence, sales strategy, and marketing/digital communications, delivering the clarity and direction organizations need to move forward with confidence.
She supports Shepherd Advisors and its clients by helping them drive their businesses forward with clarity, alignment, and informed decision-making.
Amy holds a BA in Communication from Michigan State University.
Merv Carse | Advisor
Helps innovators commercialize ideas that matter
Merv brings more than 25 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur taking industry-leading manufacturing and product technologies from the lab to the marketplace. Prior to this, Merv was in the automotive business for over 25 years, both as an engineering manager at Ford and then as the president of a successful Tier #1 supplier.
Simply put, Merv loves to commercialize interesting innovations. He focuses on making commercialization happen and works equally well with OEMs, suppliers, channels and startups.
His education includes a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast and advanced business and leadership training at INSEAD and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Laura Palombi | Advisor
Creates clarity and alignment around complex initiatives
Laura is a strategic advisor who supports businesses and organizations in achieving their goals through strategic planning, project management, research, and data-driven decision-making. With over 17 years of experience across various industries and sectors, she is adept at creating clarity and alignment within cross-functional teams and implementing structured processes to enhance business operations.
She is a sustainability subject matter expert passionate about work that protects our planet and creates positive social impact.
Laura is a certified Project Management Professional and holds an MBA/MS from the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute, a partnership between the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability.
Dave Crumrine | Advisor
Builds momentum where growth and change intersect
Dave Crumrine is a seasoned leader and strategic advisor known for building high-performing teams, shaping dynamic growth strategies, and driving meaningful organizational development. A thought leader with a strong bias for action, he draws on a diverse career to envision creative solutions, craft impactful strategies, and deliver optimized outcomes for organizations of all sizes.
Dave has extensive experience supporting B2B, complex, and technical business environments across the environmental, manufacturing, industrial, and entertainment/arts sectors. His work spans Fortune 100 companies, mid-market and small businesses, private-equity ventures, start-ups, and consulting engagements.
His expertise includes strategic marketing and communications, go-to-market and commercialization planning, brand management, PR, and organizational development. Dave has built and led marketing and communications functions for a $1.5B operation, contributing to 300% growth over a decade, and has guided major brand and reputation initiatives—including enterprise rebranding tied to M&A and strategic transformations for organizations up to $14B in size.
Emily Roberts | Research Associate
Brings research rigor to growth strategy decisions
Emily supports clients with research-driven market analysis and growth strategy. Her background includes carbon capture and polymer research with the Global CO₂ Initiative and training in global supply chain management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
She holds a BS in Environment and is currently pursuing a Master of Management at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Tara Bradway | Marketing Associate
Shapes clear, compelling stories around strategy and growth
Tara has built a multifaceted career as a theatre practitioner, professor, editor, and writer. She draws on her creative background and storytelling experience to craft compelling marketing content for a diverse client portfolio.
Over the past 20 years, Tara has acted in, directed, and produced 30 of Shakespeare’s plays—many more than once—with favorite roles including Hamlet, Richard II, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, and Cassius in Julius Caesar. In fact, the Shakespearean canon offers a remarkable number of exemplars for business leaders, albeit many of them cautionary.
She holds her PhD in English literature from St. John’s University, where she focused on Shakespeare and performance studies. Tara is also currently working on two historical novels and a narrative nonfiction project.