PhD, Marilyn Carroll

Dr. Marilyn Carroll, Ph.D., MBA, M.Ed.

Executive Coach | AI Governance Strategist | Leadership Architect

Dr. Marilyn Carroll is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and AI governance thought leader who works at the intersection of human decision-making and intelligent systems. She partners with senior executives, founders, and organizations to navigate complexity, scale transformation, and lead with clarity in the age of AI.

Her executive coaching and advisory work have supported leaders at global organizations, including Macy’s, Goldman Sachs, ConocoPhillips, Visa, SEI, and Truist—where she has coached leaders through high-stakes decision-making environments, organizational change, and performance transformation.

Dr. Carroll is the creator of the Human-Governed AI Operating Architecture™ (HG-AIOA)—a forward-looking framework that positions governance not as a compliance function, but as an embedded, real-time system of decision authority. Her work challenges organizations to move beyond passive oversight into active, execution-level governance where accountability is defined at the moment of action.

Prior to her current work, Dr. Carroll spent 17 years at Truist Financial Corporation, where she served as Group Vice President overseeing Wealth and Investment Operations across the Southeast region. She led teams of over 125 professionals and delivered measurable outcomes including a 75% reduction in operational errors, 30% profit improvement, and sustained audit excellence with zero findings over multiple cycles.

In parallel, Dr. Carroll has built a distinguished career in higher education, teaching and mentoring over 20,000 students and serving in leadership roles including Regional Dean. She is the founder of Carroll Beck, LLC, and the visionary behind Empowered Ed Pro, an AI-embedded learning intelligence platform transforming how institutions measure and scale learning outcomes.

As an executive coach, Dr. Carroll helps leaders strengthen decision-making under pressure, clarify authority structures, and align leadership behavior with enterprise strategy. Her coaching is grounded in systems thinking, governance design, and real-world execution—helping leaders not just think differently but operate differently.

She is also the author of Human-Governed AI: Leadership Architecture for the Age of Intelligent Systems and a recognized voice in the evolving conversation around AI, leadership, and enterprise risk.

Dr. Carroll’s work is grounded in one central belief:

In the age of AI, leadership is no longer just about making decisions—it’s about designing the systems that make them.