Jackie Cook
Jackie Cook is the Founder and CEO of Momentum Group, a firm dedicated to helping mid-career leaders navigate change with clarity, confidence, and forward momentum.
With over 20 years of experience across product, operations, and leadership development, Jackie has built a career at the intersection of organizational effectiveness and human-centered leadership. She has led enterprise initiatives at organizations such as Mercer and Marsh McLennan, helping leaders align strategy, scale teams, and drive meaningful results.
She has a proven ability to align strategy, structure, and leadership behaviors to build trust and momentum, blending business rigor with human-centered leadership.
Her work is grounded in a core belief: leadership today is not about having all the answers, but about how leaders think, decide, and show up when things are uncertain.
That perspective is shaped by years of working in complex environments where expectations shift quickly and clarity is often missing. Through those experiences, Jackie saw firsthand how many capable leaders struggle not because they lack skill, but because they lack space, structure, and support to think clearly.
Recognizing that traditional leadership development frameworks no longer fully meet the demands of today’s environment, Jackie founded Momentum Group to provide practical, adaptive tools—including AI-enabled leadership experiences—for leaders navigating ambiguity, technological disruption, and evolving expectations.
Through Momentum Group, she is building tools, frameworks, and leadership experiences that help leaders strengthen decision-making, build confidence, and move forward with intention in rapidly evolving environments.
A lifelong learner and advocate for purposeful leadership, Jackie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Penn State University while working full-time. She has also completed advanced certificates in human-centered AI and design thinking through Wharton Executive Education and MIT, reflecting her commitment to combining people-centered leadership with innovative solutions.
Beyond her professional work, Jackie has been actively engaged in philanthropic leadership, including as a Woman of the Year candidate with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, underscoring her commitment to impact-driven work.
• Leading and Scaling Human-Centered AI Adoption
• Generative AI for Leaders
• Human-Centered AI Leadership Certification
• Finance for Non-Finance Executives
• AI and Career Empowerment Executive Education Certificate
• Mastering Design Thinking
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
• Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certified
• Penn State University - B.S. Oragnizational Leadership
• Penn State University - B.A. Pshychology
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year Campaign
• Guardian Kids Fun Run (Former Volunteer Coordinator)
• The Chief Network
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year Campaign (fundraising for children with cancer)
• Guardian Kids Fun Run (former volunteer coordinator)
• Local Kansas City charitable events
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ability to operate across strategy, operations, and leadership while staying grounded in how people actually experience change.
I’ve spent my career working in environments where expectations evolve quickly, which has strengthened my ability to make decisions, build alignment, and move work forward without perfect clarity.
Founding Momentum Group has been an extension of that—taking everything I’ve learned and building something from the ground up that reflects how leadership actually works in practice, not just in theory.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the most impactful pieces of advice I received early in my career was a simple question: “What’s your point?”
At the time, it challenged me to be more intentional with how I communicated. Over time, it became something much bigger.
It taught me that clarity is not just about what you say, but how you think. When you are clear on your point, you make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and help others move forward with confidence.
That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to shape how I lead today. In many ways, it is at the core of the work I do now—helping leaders create clarity in moments where it is often missing.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to focus less on having everything figured out and more on learning how to think clearly in motion.
It is easy to believe you need the perfect plan before you begin, but in reality, most clarity comes after you start.
Get specific about the problem you are solving and who you are solving it for. Then test, learn, and adjust quickly.
The leaders who move forward are not the ones with perfect answers—they are the ones who are willing to engage, make thoughtful decisions, and refine as they go.
Momentum is built through clarity, not perfection.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge—and opportunity—in leadership today is that leaders are being asked to make decisions amid increasing complexity, whether from AI, shifting priorities, or evolving expectations.
The volume of input has increased, but clarity has not.
Leaders who can filter noise, exercise sound judgment, and move forward with intention will stand out. That insight is what led to the founding of Momentum Group and continues to shape the work we are building.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity and authenticity are foundational to how I lead.
I believe leadership is not just about what you do, but how you show up—especially in moments that require trust, transparency, and consistency.
Staying grounded in these values has shaped both my leadership approach and the work I do with others.
Locations
Momentum Group
11704 west 157th street, Overland Park, KS 66221