About

Passion. People. Purpose.

Where Passion for People Meets Strategy and Purpose. I founded True North with one mission: to connect my passion for relationship-based leadership to strategic objectives as a way to give purpose to work.

Clients choose True North because we have re-imagined the leadership experience to make it relevant to today’s leaders and today’s business environment. Our programs and services are designed to get people out of their daily environments and into an experiential arena. We believe that learning this way makes us more effective leaders, deepens relationships to allow for more collaborative work, and drives greater outcomes for organizations. We invite you to join us and step into greater leadership. The Truth North Way.

Susan McCusker
Founder

Working at a Fortune 50 company taught Susan the importance of relationship building to foster trust and organizational growth and the value of hands-on experiences to solidify new learnings. She founded True North Consulting Group to serve leaders by asking them to go deep within themselves to understand who they are and how they lead. Susan believes leadership is the result of understanding who you are and how to best use your skills. She is gifted at seeing where her clients can step more fully into their leadership capacity.

Susan has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a master coaching certification from The Life Coach School, and multiple certifications for Equine Assisted Learning.

Linda Costas
Senior Consultant &
Lead Strategist

Linda has spent over 35 years in the Corporate and Higher Education sectors, developing leaders with an emphasis on authentic conversations that build trust and transparency. Whether it’s experiential programs, assessments or senior leader professional development series, she built, advocated for, and delivered life-changing, career-enhancing, and practical programs that improved performance and readiness for next-level positions.

Linda brings a strong strategic presence, coupled with a sense of humor and an empathetic ear toward leadership challenges. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from San Diego State University and certifications in CCL 360 and CCL Coaching for Greater Effectiveness, Behavioral Intelligence Report, and Project Management.

John Affleck-Graves
Executive Advisor &
Lead Strategist

With 50 years of teaching and executive leadership John Affleck-Graves brings a high level of expertise. In 15 years as the University of Notre Dame’s executive vice president, he shepherded an enormous campus expansion, oversaw a $1.6 billion operating budget and an endowment of more than $13 billion. His legacy includes funding and commitment to one of the most unique series of leadership development programs in higher education. John is known for bringing key decision makers together to form consensus and vision.

In addition to his role as EVP, John has spent over 50 years in the classroom. He is the author of over 50 refereed publications and has won over a dozen teaching awards for his work with MBA students. He is currently the Notre Dame Chaired Professor in the Department of Finance at the University of Notre Dame. John currently serves on the boards of several public companies and specializes in both audit and compensation committees.

Harry McCusker
Senior Research, Insights & Analytics Consultant

Harry specializes in assessing organizations’ overall health and creating tailored action plans to improve it. Leveraging 20+ years of consumer/market research experience at Procter & Gamble, he utilizes various tools to get to the heart of what is working and not working in an organization. He is an expert in qualitative data collection through employee interviews or focus groups, as well as quantitative analysis of custom-designed surveys.

This data-based approach is often the fastest way to identify opportunities and create curated plans for improvement. Harry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Hilary Loso
HR Specialist & Operations Coordinator

Hilary provides logistical support for True North Consulting Group. Communicating with clients and team members, delegating tasks, and coordinating events, no detail is missed. She has seen firsthand the impact these programs have on individuals. Participants are engaged, focused, and walk away with a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and willingness to share their knowledge and growth with their teams.

Hilary has a B.S. in psychology and a Master of Education with a focus in College Student Personnel Administration, both from James Madison University. She brings a quiet, thoughtful presence with a whip smart sense of humor to the team.

Our Team

Susan McCuskerFounder

Linda Costas Senior Consultant &Lead Strategist

John Affleck-Graves Executive Advisor & Lead Strategist

Harry McCusker Senior Research, Insights & Analytics Consultant

Hilary Loso HR Specialist & Operations Coordinator

Susan McCusker
Founder

Linda Costas
Senior Consultant &
Lead Strategist

John Affleck-Graves
Executive Advisor &
Lead Strategist

Harry McCusker
Senior Research, Insights & Analytics Consultant

Hilary Loso
HR Specialist & Operations Coordinator