Meet some of our Consultants to learn more about our areas of expertise.

Leah Groehler, Ph.D.
Vice President, Consulting Services
Dr. Leah Groehler is one of the founding members of viaPeople. As Vice President, Consulting Services for viaPeople, Dr. Groehler leads a team of industrial/organizational psychologists who work to ensure that the viaPeople software products are the best in the industry and maintain the current standards of “best practices” in the field of industrial/organizational psychology. Dr. Groehler also works with the Psychologists to ensure that the viaPeople products and services are implemented successfully and the organization’s objectives are thoroughly fulfilled.

Dr. Groehler has 15 years of experience developing and implementing performance management and leadership development initiatives across a variety of client organizations including Merck, Forest Laboratories, Wachovia, Morgan Stanley, Lands’ End, Texas Pacific Group, and Priceline, among others. During her career as an industrial organizational psychologist, she has advised on, developed and implemented many multi-source feedback, competency modeling, and performance management initiatives. Through achieving commitment and support within all levels of the organization, she has developed performance management systems which are not only aligned with the strategic direction of the organization, but also encourage the core values and behaviors required for successful performance within all positions.

Prior to founding viaPeople, Dr. Groehler was the head of Professional Services for Performaworks and worked as a consultant for United Companies Financial Corporation, a large financial services organization and Advocate Healthcare, a large healthcare organization. Dr. Groehler holds a doctorate degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Karen N. Caruso, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Consulting Services
Dr. Karen Caruso is one of the founding members of viaPeople. As an experienced consulting leader, she has a track record of helping organizations achieve their strategic goals by maximizing the potential of their human capital. As Managing Director, Consulting Services, she provides leadership to viaPeople’s team of industrial organizational psychologists and contributes to the development of innovative products that meet emerging customer needs.

Dr. Caruso has focused her career on partnering with her clients to design and implement innovative performance management, career development and succession planning systems. She has spoken at seminars and national conferences on the implementation of best practice performance management strategies. She has extensive experience in developing competency models that form the foundation for sound, integrated human resource systems. As a trusted advisor and coach, she works closely with managers and executives in identifying and leveraging their talents, as well as improving in their areas for development.

Dr. Caruso has provided counsel to organizations across a broad range of industries, including Seagate, Forest Laboratories, Meridian Health, Franciscan Communities, Red Hat, Norwegian Cruise Lines, SBC-Ameritech, Sears, Honda of North America, and Boise Cascade Office Products. Prior to founding viaPeople, she was a consulting manager at Performaworks and a management consultant at Rogala & Orr, Inc. She also worked as an internal organizational development consultant at Advocate Healthcare, a large regional healthcare provider.

Dr. Caruso is the Past-President of Chicago Industrial Organizational Psychologists, is a member of the American Psychological Association and Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology and serves on the graduate faculty at Elmhurst College. Karen received her Ph.D. from DePaul University in Chicago and her B. S. in Psychology from Elmhurst College.