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Executive Leadership

The Berke Group is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is led by a diverse group of individuals who truly believe that people make a difference. 

Martin Freedland, Founder and CEO
As CEO, Martin Freedland oversees The Berke Group’s Organizational Practice, as well as its day-to-day operations in coordination with Kelly Land. 

Martin has been committed to helping organizations continually improve the way they recruit, hire, train, manage and motivate their people for over three decades. After leaving Wall Street, Martin founded Organizational Development Associates, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974.  A significant aspect of Martin’s work has been providing managers with the skills and tools necessary to ensure the right people are hired for the right jobs. 

Martin has collaborated in the development of numerous assessments, with the culmination of his experience resulting in the development of the Berke Assessment.  Martin has personally worked with hundreds of client companies throughout the United States to assist them in increasing profits and productivity through better people and better people management. A number of his clients have achieved national recognition based on the strength of their organizations, including Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For designation, as well as industry-specific awards for being the very best in their fields. 

Martin is a prolific writer and frequently featured speaker in settings such as the national conventions of various associations and The Presidential Seminar.  He has served many years as a member of the NAHB’s Business Management Committee and is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  He is a Trustee of The Nature Conservancy of Georgia, and has served on the Board of Visitors of his alma mater, the University of North Carolina.

Write to Martin at martin@berkegroup.com.

Kelly Land, President
As President, Kelly Land is responsible for developing and executing The Berke Group’s business strategy as well as managing its day-to-day operations and business development and marketing activities.   Kelly also draws on his extensive background in technology to guide the development of the Berke Assessment's online web tools and user experience.

Prior to The Berke Group, Kelly served as founder and principal of Copenhill, a professional services firm specializing in corporate financial management, organizational development, and operations improvement.  Kelly’s work with Copenhill galvanized his belief that an organization’s productivity and profitability are directly tied to the quality of its people. 

Kelly started his first company when he was 16 and has been an entrepreneur at heart ever since.  Kelly has a strong operational background and extensive consulting expertise.  After receiving a B.A. in Economics from Washington and Lee University, Kelly joined Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) where he led multi-year consulting engagements at clients such as BellSouth and UPS.  He later joined an Atlanta-based company that developed and marketed HR-related software and web-enabled technology and served as CTO before being named President and COO. 

Write to Kelly at kelly@berkegroup.com.

Bob McDonald, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development
As Executive Vice President, Research and Development, Bob McDonald oversees the ongoing research, development, and validation of The Berke Group’s products to ensure they are continually evolving to better meet our clients’ needs. 

With a Masters and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and an undergraduate B.A. in Psychology from Emory University, Bob’s passion for the past 30 years has been helping people understand themselves and their goals in order to achieve what they want in life.  Bob has conducted extensive research regarding the impact of natural talents on people’s work and careers, and in the early 90’s he created The Highlands Program process and computerized assessment to help people pursue the right career choices based on their natural talents.

Bob has created seminars and programs that have helped thousands of people. Programs he designed are in active use by such corporations as Cisco Systems, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM and others.

Bob has been featured numerous times on both television and radio as an expert on management, careers and executive talent.  He has been cited frequently in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, and authors the popular biweekly column, Your Life's Work, appearing in a number of business publications nationwide.  He is the author of two books: The Lemming Conspiracy: How To Redirect Your Life From Stress To Balance and Don't Waste Your Talent: The 8 Critical Steps To Discovering What You Do Best (Longstreet Press, December, 2000).

Jon Fogg, Partner, The Berke Group’s Sales Practice
As Partner, Jon Fogg oversees the development and implementation of The Berke Group’s Sales Practice.

A former Captain in the Army, Jon entered the housing business in 1976 as an onsite salesperson with Centex Homes. He quickly rose to become Area Sales Manager and Area Manager before leaving Centex to serve as VP Sales and Marketing for a luxury town home builder and later as an Operating Partner for a luxury high rise condominium. In 1989, Jon rejoined Centex as Division Sales Manager and in 1993 became Illinois Division President. In 1998 he returned to Dallas to lead national sales development for Centex and was later promoted to VP Sales, given responsibility for the 50th largest sales organization in the U.S.

With 30+ years experience in the homebuilding industry, including weathering nine housing cycles, Jon is in a unique position to advise clients regarding the steps necessary to develop sales organizations that produce. He has developed The Berke Group’s Sales Practice using his firsthand knowledge from the field to identify and deliver best practices and proven strategies.

Jon is past director of the Northern Illinois Home Builder’s Association and past Master of Hillcrest Lodge AF&AM. Jon has run 26 marathons, including the New York, the London and the Boston, and has completed three triathlons and multiple 100-mile bicycle rides. Jon sees similarities between the long-term endurance competitions he loves and the path to success for a sales organization. Both require commitment, daily discipline and the consistent practice of good habits to finish strong, and both require a dedication to long-term success versus a desire for quick fixes or easy finishes.

Write to Jon at jfogg@berkegroup.com.