O T A V A L A

Otavala Consulting is a nationally recognized firm that specializes in strategic management and organizational development and their respective applications to leadership in the business community and workplace.

 At Otavala our focus is threefold:

Otavala is a nationally renowned and respected leader in the fields of Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, Leadership, and Management, particularly in the higher education and healthcare sectors.

Otavala is an industry leader in Strategic Human Resource Management and partner to many property management companies that have been coached in conflict resolution, customer service, and leadership. Through our training programs we have increased revenue, understanding and efficiency that has resulted in incredible savings or increased revenue primarily in legal issues requiring arbitration or litigation.

Otavala is a respected name in training the professional legal, educational, and medical industries through interactive seminars and courses, taught by nationally renowned experts in management and organizational psychology.

Serving Small and Medium Sized Businesses

Otavala consults small to mid-sized existing and start up businesses/organizations, as well as professional services providers, and specializes in minority owned and operated businesses through:

• Business Plan Development
• Leadership Training and Coaching
• Strategic Planning
• Quality Management
• Teambuilding and Organizational Development
• Conflict Management
• Human Resources Management Outsourcing
• Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Programs Development

Otavala is a Chicago based consulting firm and although we primarily operate in the Chicagoland area, we have also worked with clients and on assignments nationally and internationally.

At Otavala we value diversity and our primary objective is to support social entrepreneurship and community involvement. As an intercultural firm, we understand the different points of views that result from different cultural and social backgrounds found in every workplace.

The name Otavala comes from the Finnish language and means the “place of” the Big Dipper. The most prominent star in the sky is the North Star and people, the world over, use the Big Dipper to find the North Star to navigate and guide them to their ultimate destination. As our name indicates we, at Otavala, are dedicated and committed to assisting our clients in navigating their way to their goals and destinations within their organizations through our seven guiding principles:

At Otavala Consulting, our 7 guiding principles are:

1. Values Based
2. Supported by Theory
3. Informed by Data
4. Open Systems Focused
5. Action Research Oriented
6. Process Focused
7. Client Centered

Otavala Consulting is a member of Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce, Latin-American Chamber of Commerce, South Michigan Avenue Merchants Association, and Urban League of Chicago.  

The Lead Consultant at Otavala Consulting, Dr. Tomi Wahlstrom, is a professional member of:

" Dr. Wahlstrom saved our business" - Colorado Realty Reports

"I could not have gotten this far without Otavala's help..." - Autumnus Inc.

"The focus groups and socioeconomic studies that were done really helped us to understand the needs of our market" - University of Southern Colorado

"We work together much better as a team now..." - COTC Consulting