ASCEND
Leader Exchange Group | Maintenance
Why join?
Maintenance leaders carry heavy responsibility but often lack a trusted circle where they can speak openly, share ideas, and grow to the next level. Nathan Wright and Mark Christensen have created a powerful process to provide exactly that — a collaborative, confidential, development cohort for leaders within maintenance functions who are intent on making a difference and preparing themselves and their organizations for the future.
Who should join?
Senior maintenance, reliability, or operations leaders ready for the next level. Leaders who value learning from peers in a collaborative and confidential environment. Those committed to building sustainable systems of safety, quality, productivity, and reliability.
What will you gain?
- Trusted Peer Network – 15-20 carefully selected senior leaders within maintenance functions.
- Robust Expertise – Leadership facilitation by senior facilitators PLUS insights from a variety of seasoned industry experts.
- Monthly Virtual Sessions – 90 minutes of focused discussion, inspiration, accountability, and solutions.
- Summit Retreats – Two in-person retreats provide a deep-dive strategy, reflection, and relationship building opporunities.
- Leadership Toolbox – Practical and proven resources to help leaders through a variety of challenging leadership situations.
- Ongoing Support – Our team provides unmatched support as leaders learn and grow.
LEAD FACILITATOR
Nathan Wright brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience across maintenance, manufacturing, mining, and heavy equipment industries. He has a proven track record of helping plant managers, business owners, and leadership teams prevent costly failures, optimize performance, and sustain long-term reliability. His work centers on building proactive systems that keep every aspect of operations running smoothly—turning maintenance into a strategic advantage.
As a maintenance leadership coach, Nathan partners with operations and maintenance leaders to design and implement programs that raise operating results, improve processes, and extend asset life. He is the creator of the Wright Leadership® Program and a recognized authority on Proactive Reliability Program Design, Proactive Maintenance, Optimization, Workflow Management, Total Productive Maintenance, and Storeroom Maximization.
Nathan is known for saying, “Best practices are good, but building next practices can significantly increase the productivity of multi-million-dollar systems that benefit both client and company alike.” His deep understanding of plant operations and people dynamics makes him a trusted advisor to maintenance leaders seeking measurable improvements in safety, reliability, quality, productivity, cost, and morale.
Some of the organizations where Nathan has made a difference include Freeport McMoRan, ASARCO, Nyrstar, MP Materials, and Rio Tinto.
Nathan and his family reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.
LEAD FACILITATOR
Mark’s entire career has focused on helping leaders at all levels align, learn, and lead to get results. He is the founder of Learning Point Group (1989), delivering targeted leadership solutions with measurable results to leaders around the world.
He has designed many leadership solutions, programs, and events. He created the Lead as One Process, a proven framework to help senior leadership teams create and implement a leadership strategy to drive their business. Mark is also the author of Lead as a Team: A Roadmap for Exponential Impact.
Mark is a senior consulting partner with the Blanchard organization (global leadership firm), which takes him around the world to coach and train leaders.
Mark has worked with a wide variety of clients including Amazon, Daimler Truck, Google, Proctor & Gamble, ASARCO Mining, Caterpillar, Nike, adidas, Bonneville Power Administration, PacifiCorp, Northwest Public Power Association, State of Oregon, State of Arizona, US Navy, Kimberly Clark, Tektronics, and others.
Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from BYU and an MBA from the University of Oregon.
Mark and his wife Lisa split their time between Vancouver, Washington, Saint George, Utah, and Denver, Colorado (it’s all about the grandkids).
BROCHURE
“I have had the privilege of working with Nathan at 3 different companies. All three wanted to have a reliability-based maintenance program. Nathan is a back to basic type of leader. He knows that to build a good program you start at the bottom and build a good base. He says you need people that have the skills whether it’s planners, journeyman, and apprentices. Nathan also believes that you must have buy-in from operations and management. Without it you cannot make things happen. I have personally seen his process work. It decreases the cost of maintenance and increases safety and retention of workers. If I had the chance, I would work with Nathan again.
Bill Cole
Electrical Supervisor, Freeport McMoRan, Morenci, Arizona
ASCEND LEARNING PROCESS
The Ascend pocess is a high-level, interactive, peer-centric learning experience, designed to incorporate both world-class leadership principles and practices with the essential cohort-led learning (cohort members have a say in what, when, and how they learn and grow as a cohort).
Cohort Pre-Start – Our support team connects with each leader prior to the first session to both gather important information about the leader and to orient the leader to the cohort process.
Kickoff Session – This is a high-engagement session designed to help leaders get to know each other and begin to sink the teeth into the opportunities and potential of the entire experience.
Personal Growth Planning – Leaders will receive tools, templates, and support to guide them in creating their own strategic leadership growth plan. They will have the opportunity to discuss their plan with their leader and close associates.
Virtual Sessions – Topics will be a combination of best practice learning delivered by the facilitator(s) and collaborative learning as determined by the collective interest of the cohort.
In-Person Summit Retreats – These two-day, in-person, experiences are designed to help leaders connect, reflect, recharge, and renew their commitment to grow as leaders. Travel to and from the venue is the only expense not covered by the cohort fee.
Coaching and Support Sessions – Each leader will have the option to meet one-on-one with their coach/facilitator two times during the cohort experience at no additional charge. Additional coaching sessions can be arranged, if desired, at exclusive discounted rates.
Leadership Toolbox – During the entire cohort experience, leaders will have access to an entire suite of tools and templates to assist them in performing a variety of leadership tasks.
Cohort Celebration – At the conclusion of the cohort experience, leaders will have created their personal Call and Commitment to Lead Statement. They will have the opportunity to share that statement with their leader and/or leadership team. They will also have one last opportunity to celebrate their cohort colleagues in the final session.
And the investment?
FINANCIAL
The enrollment for one-year in the Ascend Healthcare cohort experience is $7,500. Two colleagues attending together (highly recommended) can enroll for $12,000. After completion of the first year, members can renew for subsequent years for $6,000 per year. Lodging, meals, and all materials are included. The only additional expense is travel to and from the in-person summit retreats.
TIME
Participants must commit to the entire year, which consists of two in-person retreats (2 days each), one 90-minute virtual session each month, plus a couple hours per week (minimum) on-the-job applying and practicing the powerful learning gained.
DESIRE
Ascend will grow your mindset, skillset, and toolset. It is designed to prepare you for the next level of leadership – as long as you have the desire to grow.
Apply Today
Please click and complete the Ascend Application.
We will reach out to you within 48 hours of receiving your application. If after talking with you, it stills like a good fit for you, we will process your enrollment and payment and get you started with the cohort that is the best fit for you.