Erik Cowan is the president and founder of Cowan Global Consulting; an executive coaching firm launched November 2004. Erik works with senior executives, vice presidents, and managers who want to improve their cross-cultural awareness and English communications skills.

As a Coach, Erik has worked with individuals from multinational companies such as SK Corporation, Bank of Thailand, LG Insurance, NEC/Tolkin Electronics, Planning Korea, Chromalloy Limited, Kao Commercial and Thai GL Corporation. Erik was also a full-time professor of Business Studies at Phranakhon University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Before Erik became a full-time coach in Asia, he held a number of Corporate training and Management positions in the United States. In 1995 Erik joined Market Analysis & Information Database (M.A.I.D) where he was responsible for customer training presentations and product development. At the beginning of 1997, he transferred to Carson Group Financial Services as an Information Systems Specialist.

Between 1998 and 2000, Erik successfully took charge of employee training and customer relations as a Manager at Broadview Networks before joining MCI/WorldCom in 2000 as an Account Relations Manager then as a Global Service Consultant in 2001.

Erik received a B.A. in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology and a TEFL Certificate from Text-and Talk Language Development Academy in Bangkok, Thailand.

Pagoda Academy – Seoul, South Korea 11/05-Present
Teacher – Business English (ESL)

Taught business English courses to adults and university level students. Design and implement creative curriculum, while adopting different teaching techniques for students with varying needs. Negotiate contract and teach English to a corporate class. Collaborate with business managers to develop course curriculum for company.

Establish and maintain strong relationships with students, encouraging an environment of open communication and continual support.
Significantly increased competency in English Language amongst students by developing effective individual skills-oriented curricula and improve overall proficiency.
Instrumental in developing and implementing course curriculum in a real-world and relevant manner while enhancing student’s ability to grasp material.

Phranakhon University – Bangkok, Thailand 05/04-10/05
Teacher – Business English (ESL)

Deliver specialized intermediate and advanced level training in Public Relation, Public Speaking, Listening and Speaking under the Department of Social Sciences. Enjoyed excellent autonomy and flexibility in curriculum design in a multi-national learning environment, while constantly evaluating and testing students and their understanding of the material in an effort to appeal to varied learning styles.

Develop course syllabus outlining course objectives and students’ responsibility in an English Public Relations course that was adopted by the University and is still enforced.
Improve and strengthen communication between foreign teachers and Thai University Staff by enhancing language through creative curriculum design and using relatable real-world paradigms.
Cultivate and implement Business English course syllabus detailing objectives for University Public Relations and Public Speaking classes.
Work in partnership with University administration to design and develop Business English textbook and successfully integrate reference manual into course curriculum content to be assumed by university, while ensuring a smooth and well-received transition.
Liaise with ESL vendors to review textbooks and recommend appropriate textbooks to staff for courses.

MCI/WorldCom – New York, NY 12/00-11/03
Global Service Manager

Analyzed global data/voice network services and managed revenue for numerous high-impact accounts, while demonstrating strong leadership skills.

Managed communication services and revenue for high impact Global accounts. Supported product implementation and billing management for high-speed data service, frame relay, DS1, DS3 and DS0 circuits, including international private lines and voice services.

Broadview Networks – Long Island City, NY 11/98-12/00
Team Leader/Client Service Supervisor

Mentored, trained, and oriented team of six call center representatives in effective customer services decorum, while managing urgent “President Calls” and resolving client and company disputes in a timely fashion.

Developed and implemented instructional manual for service representative training to streamline department processes for settling customer service complaints.
Assessed customer service representatives’ performance and recommended candidates for promotion and the center’s universal service agent program.