With every client he serves, Cornelius Dowdell’s strives to align all programs with the corporation’s business goals and strategies. His passion is to educate large corporations and small startups on the importance of investing in human capital. As an HR consultant, facilitator and talent strategist, he has a proven track record of creating an environment for personal and professional growth, aligned with continuous learning, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for all talent.

Building genuine relationships that are inviting and meaningful are important to Cornelius, also known as Neil, in and out of the office. The emotional connection to experiences and the people that are part of them make Neil happiest. Some might say his love language is food (he even owns a spice company called Nelius Spices), and while he does enjoy delicious dishes, to him, they aren’t special without soul at the root.

Before co-founding The Best Workplace, Cornelius was an integral leader of corporate learning for some of the nation’s renowned organizations such as Emory University, CGI Federal, and Louisiana State University. Through the success of his thought leadership over the past two decades, he has partnered with Fortune 100’s companies through The Nelius Strategy as an independent consultant, including The Home Depot, Porsche Cars of North America, Coca-Cola, Yamaha, Novartis, CDC, and Delta Air Lines, as well as public and private school systems.

Neil gained his experience through federal, state, and local governmental support as a processing
supervisor for one of the largest passport facilities in the nation. Leveraging his experience in Lean Six Sigma methodology and project management, he led large teams to produce millions of federal documents for American Citizens. He transitioned to higher education to focus on Leadership and Management Development for corporations and small businesses.

Cornelius began his education and career in Louisiana, receiving both his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Business Administration with a focus on Management and Leadership Development within Human Resources degrees from Louisiana State University. Since then, he has continued his professional development with certifications, including:

• Certified Lean Six Sigma Professional
• Certified Leader and Authorized Partner in Everything DiSC
• Business Administration
• Management and Leadership Program Development
• Integrated Talent Management Program Development