Serving Central & Eastern North Carolina
About Us
Denise W. Leerkes, MA, CTACC
ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST • HR CONSULTANT • EXECUTIVE COACH
Helping overextended executives refocus, reconnect, and reclaim their vision!
Denise Leerkes has over fifteen years of progressive human resources and leadership development experience. Her career began in the staffing industry with a focus on recruiting, talent acquisition, and human resources administration. She then moved into the area of employee training and development within higher education. In 2005, Denise entered the world of professional employer organizations (PEOs), delivering outsourced HR solutions to small businesses throughout the mid-Atlantic and eventually taking on the role of Client Service Director for a national PEO, leading a team of twelve HR consultants nationwide. In 2014, Denise established her own HR consulting firm serving small and mid-sized businesses throughout the Triangle.
Throughout her career, Denise has worked closely with executive-level professionals as well as frontline employees in small to medium-sized businesses. In her role as trusted advisor, she has navigated complex employee relations issues and facilitated alignment between her clients’ HR initiatives and their broader business agenda.
Denise holds a Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from East Carolina University and an executive coaching certification from the Coach Training Alliance. She has published articles for PEO Insider magazine on client relationship management and has served as key speaker at local, state, and national forums on a variety of human resource topics including employee engagement; diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI); workplace safety; hiring best practices; performance management; training and development; and labor law compliance.
When she’s not engaging with her clients, Denise enjoys life on a small farm in Benson, NC with her husband and daughter. You can usually find them outside tending the garden, petting calves, or throwing a frisbee for their rambunctious border collie.
With all that, you may still be wondering, how do you pronounce Denise's last name? No worries. We've got you covered. Leerkes is pronounced Lurkeys ... as in, rhymes with turkeys.
