Joan Lavin is the chief learning officer for Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts. She is responsible for the professional development of KKR executives over the course of their careers, and enhancing capabilities within the firm to address expanding leadership demands. From 2006 – 2009, Joan owned an executive coaching practice in Europe. Prior to that she served as Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Pine Street Executive Leadership Development Group in New York.

Joan was born in Sligo, Ireland, to parents Patrick and Joan (née O’Shea). Before moving to New York, she worked for Guinness Brewing Intl. in London. A graduate of Baruch College, where she earned a B.A. in psychology, Joan is a member of the Irish Network – NYC. She is a Linkage Incorporated certified executive coach, and is a qualified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the 16PF behavioral instrument.

She says, “Given that my career to date has demanded much global travel, I am proud to be Irish – a well respected and embraced heritage around the world.” Joan and her husband, Philip, live in Westchester County, New York, with their three daughters.