Tom DeCotiis

Tom DeCotiis co-founded Corvirtus in 1985 to provide a range of innovative, science-based measurements and services that tie a company’s culture and core values to talent processes. Throughout his 30-year career, Tom has worked with organizations - from start-ups to Fortune 500s - to help them grow and succeed through a rigorous focus on company mission, values, business basics and stakeholder promises.  

Tom has led consulting engagements at hundreds of companies representing a wide range of industries including hospitality, air and ground transportation, manufacturing, retail, construction and financial services. In the 1990s, Tom worked with the founders of Outback Steak House to develop a company constitution of principles and beliefs. Outback’s values-driven culture - a reflection of the founders’ belief that employees are key to meeting the company's commitments to all its stakeholders - is recognized as a hallmark in the industry and has guided Outback’s growth to a successful global family of brands.

In addition, Tom has provided his expertise in organizational behavior to leading companies including Corning Glass, Hyatt Hotels International, IBM, Greyhound Bus Lines, Blockbuster Video, Inland Homebuilding Group, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Sears, Smashburger, Starplex Cinemas, UMB, Wachovia Insurance Services, Wal-Mart and Westin Hotels. Tom’s work also extends to non-profit organizations including United Way, Goodwill Industries and Take Stock in Children, an education and mentoring program for low-income and at-risk students to help escape the cycle of poverty. 

Tom received his PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and has served on the faculties of Cornell University and the University of South Carolina, College of Business. In addition, he has served as a distinguished speaker on human resources strategy at San Diego State University and as a lecturer at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. 

Currently, Tom serves as Chairman of the Board of the The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of scientific research leading to treatments and a cure for Friedreich's ataxia, a debilitating neuro-muscular disorder. 

Tom has published more than 80 articles on topics including predictors of employee commitment, creating a values-driven business, the organizational determinants of job stress and the accuracy of performance ratings. His work has appeared in the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, The Academy of Management Journal, Personnel Psychology, and Harvard Business Review. Tom is also the author of Make It Glow: How to Build a Company Reputation for Human Goodness, Flawless Execution, and Being Best-in-Class.

Tom and his wife, Marta Erhard, make their home in Colorado Springs where they enjoy hiking with their dogs, biking, gardening and skiing.