By Tim Viands, President, IndySchool Consultancy
Ed Hollinger, a veteran educator, interim Head of School and executive coach with more than forty-five years of school experience, will join IndySchool Consultancy (ISC) in July 2027. Ed has spent the last sixteen years leading twelve independent schools through leadership transitions as an interim Head of School, and he has coached more than fifty Heads of School and aspiring school leaders. At ISC, he will lead leadership searches and help deepen the coaching and onboarding support we offer schools and their new leaders.
At a glance
Who: Edward (Ed) Hollinger, educator, interim Head of School and certified leadership coach
What: Joins IndySchool Consultancy as a consultant
When: July 2027
Experience: More than 45 years in schools; 16 years as an interim Head of School; 12 independent schools served in transition; more than 50 Heads of School and aspiring leaders coached
Credentials: BA, Trinity College (IL); teaching certification, Franklin and Marshall College (PA); master's degree and principal's certification in Educational Leadership, Temple University (PA); certification in Organizational Change and Leadership Coaching, Northwestern University (IL)
A career spent in nearly every seat in a school
Few people understand the life of a school from as many vantage points as Ed does. He has been a classroom teacher at the middle school, high school and college levels. He has served as a high school guidance and college counselor, an athletic director, a principal and a Head of School. He has also worked as an executive coach to school leaders.
That range matters in a leadership search. A school's next leader has to earn the trust of faculty, students, families, trustees and staff, and Ed has worked alongside every one of those groups from the inside.
Sixteen years guiding schools through transition
For the last sixteen years, Ed has specialized in interim headships. He has served the transitional needs of twelve independent schools across the United States, stepping in at the moment a school is between leaders and helping it prepare for the next one.
Interim work gives Ed an unusually clear view of what a school truly needs in its next Head, not just what it says it wants. It also shows him what a new leader needs to succeed in the first months and years. That perspective is exactly what search committees and boards ask of us.
A coach to more than fifty school leaders
Alongside his interim work, Ed has been a leadership coach for more than fifty independent school Heads of School and aspiring school leaders. He holds a professional certification in Organizational Change and Leadership Coaching from Northwestern University, and he is a frequent speaker and workshop presenter on school leadership and leadership team development.
What Ed brings to ISC's partner schools
At IndySchool Consultancy, our searches are led by experienced school leaders who have done the work themselves. Ed strengthens that commitment. He understands what a school needs in its next leader, and he knows what it takes for that leader to thrive once they arrive.
Beginning in July 2027, Ed will lead leadership searches for ISC and help deepen the support we offer schools and their new leaders through coaching and onboarding, so that a successful search becomes a successful headship.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ed Hollinger?
Ed Hollinger is an educator, interim Head of School and executive coach with more than forty-five years of school experience. He has served twelve independent schools as an interim Head of School over the last sixteen years and has coached more than fifty Heads of School and aspiring school leaders.
When does Ed Hollinger join IndySchool Consultancy?
Ed joins IndySchool Consultancy in July 2027.
What will Ed Hollinger do at IndySchool Consultancy?
Ed will lead leadership searches for independent schools and help expand ISC's coaching and onboarding support for schools and their newly appointed leaders.
What is Ed Hollinger's educational background?
Ed earned a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College (IL, 1979) and a teaching certification from Franklin and Marshall College (PA, 1981). He holds a master's degree and principal's certification in Educational Leadership from Temple University (PA, 1995) and a professional certification in Organizational Change and Leadership Coaching from Northwestern University (IL, 2015).
What is IndySchool Consultancy?
IndySchool Consultancy is an executive search firm for independent schools. ISC conducts Head of School and senior leadership searches, led by consultants who are experienced school leaders.
Connect with ISC
To learn more about Ed or about how IndySchool Consultancy supports schools through leadership transitions, schedule a conversation with Tim Viands: calendly.com/indyschoolconsultancy/search-consultation