About
For more than three decades, Sara Dial has spearheaded business advancement through her visionary work as a board director for more than 30 companies and nonprofit organizations and as a business consultant for some of the world’s most innovative companies. She has become a trusted advisor to senior business executives, philanthropic leaders and elected and public officials. She has consistently ascended to leadership roles on the boards she serves due to the high level of respect and confidence by colleagues and her extensive leadership experience, collaborative approach and ability to coalesce a team around a common goal.
In 1996, Sara founded Sara Dial & Associates, a global economic development consulting firm. With 30 years of experience in economic development, she successfully supports her clients in site selection and incentives, community development and government relations.
More recently, Sara added executive coaching to her firm’s services, benefiting coaching clients with her wealth of leadership and practical experience. After decades of mentoring and supporting her executive peers, Sara has formalized her coaching practice to more deeply impact the lives and careers of a handful of clients committed to learning and growing toward their own personal and professional success.
Prior to starting her firm, Sara served as a member of Arizona Governor Fife Symington's Cabinet as the Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, where she led the state in three record years of business development and job creation. She began her career in the investment banking industry after earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Stanford University.
Sara is Lead Director at Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ: GCE), a $3.5 billion market cap education services company that provides a full array of services in the post-secondary education sector. She also sits on the Strategic Council of Plexus Global, a science- based health and wellness company. She recently stepped down from the board of WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: WSC), a $9 billion market cap company that is the world’s leading supplier of portable storage and mobile office solutions. Sara sat on the BBVA Phoenix Advisory Board for 20 years until it was acquired by PNC Bank in June 2021.
As an invested member of her broader community, Sara continues to serve on several nonprofit boards, including Childhelp USA Arizona Advisory Board as Emeritus Board Member and past Chairperson; Activate Food Arizona as Co-Founder and Board Member; First Place AZ as Past Board Chairperson and Valley Youth Theater as Past Board Chairperson and Emeritus Board Member.
Sara is an active member of Arizona Women’s Forum, National Association of Corporate Directors, Stanford Women on Boards, and serves as Arizona Chairperson for Women Corporate Directors. She is an NACD Certified Director and Board Leadership Fellow. In recognition of her work as a business leader and philanthropist, she has received numerous honors and awards.
Her greatest pride are her three children: Tyler, a Nashville recording artist and performer; Wyatt, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and current student Naval Aviator; and Tatum, a senior Communications major at UCLA.