Nicole DeCuollo is an accomplished executive leader with more than 16 years of professional experience spanning environmental health and safety (EHS), enterprise risk management, strategic planning, organizational transformation, and operational excellence. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an exceptional ability to connect business strategy with operational execution, helping organizations strengthen performance, mitigate risk, and cultivate cultures built on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. A defining strength of Nicole’s leadership is her executive presence and ability to influence key stakeholders, establish strong enterprise safety management systems, and develop effective leadership teams that embed safety into the organization’s culture. With extensive experience across the beverage, manufacturing, distribution, environmental services, and industrial sectors, Nicole brings a multidimensional perspective to executive leadership and corporate governance. Her professional philosophy centers on the belief that sustainable organizational success begins with strong leadership, empowered teams, and strategic decisions that balance business growth with the well-being of people and communities.
Currently serving as Safety Director, West Coast at Reyes Beverage Group, Nicole provides strategic leadership across operations in California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Colorado. In this capacity, she oversees regional organizational planning, workforce strategy, talent development, budgeting, regulatory compliance, and enterprise safety initiatives. Her leadership extends beyond traditional environmental health and safety responsibilities, encompassing business transformation, executive governance, financial risk mitigation, and operational alignment across functions. Through her executive presence and ability to engage influential stakeholders, Nicole has strengthened the connection between enterprise safety objectives and broader business priorities. She works closely with senior executives, operational leaders, and functional teams to establish a comprehensive safety management system supported by clear governance, measurable performance expectations, and leadership accountability. Her initiatives have contributed to a 36% reduction in workers’ compensation, automobile, and general liability claims, alongside a 26% reduction in injury frequency and a 42% reduction in collision frequency across West Coast operations.
A defining aspect of Nicole’s executive leadership is her ability to transform organizational structures while fostering a culture of engagement and shared responsibility. At Reyes Beverage Group, she reorganized the regional safety function by realigning talent, redefining responsibilities, and establishing a unified strategic roadmap that strengthened operational consistency and team effectiveness. She pioneered an enterprise Safety Strategic Plan, introducing executive performance reviews, governance structures, accountability measures, and quarterly business reviews to connect operational objectives with measurable enterprise risk reduction. Central to this transformation was her ability to build effective leadership teams and influence stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization, ensuring that safety was understood not simply as a compliance requirement but as a fundamental leadership responsibility. Through executive engagement, structured coaching, leadership development, and meaningful employee participation, Nicole has worked to embed safety expectations into everyday decision making, operational processes, and organizational values. Her approach reinforces the belief that a sustainable safety culture is created when leaders consistently demonstrate accountability, communicate expectations, and empower employees to take ownership of safe performance.
Nicole also brings valuable expertise in mergers and acquisitions, particularly in evaluating operational risk, regulatory exposure, organizational culture, and integration opportunities. At Reyes Beverage Group, she led EHS due diligence and integration strategies supporting four acquisitions, including a significant transaction encompassing 23 locations across 13 states. Her responsibilities included assessing potential liabilities, identifying operational vulnerabilities, evaluating safety cultures, and developing integration strategies designed to support business continuity and long term organizational performance. By working alongside executive leadership, insurance providers, and actuarial advisors, Nicole has developed a comprehensive understanding of how governance, financial considerations, risk management, and organizational alignment intersect during periods of growth and transformation. Her ability to influence key stakeholders and establish consistent safety leadership expectations has been especially valuable in supporting the integration of different operating environments and organizational cultures. This experience provides a strong foundation for contributing to strategic discussions involving corporate expansion, acquisition integration, and enterprise resilience.
Prior to joining Reyes Beverage Group, Nicole served as Safety Director at Sysco, where she directed regional environmental health and safety strategy across Riverside and San Diego operations. Her leadership emphasized strengthening frontline accountability, advancing employee engagement, and embedding safety competencies into organizational development. Partnering closely with human resources and operational leadership, she helped integrate safety leadership expectations into supervisory hiring, coaching, and professional development. Nicole recognized that building an effective safety culture required more than implementing policies and procedures; it required developing leaders who understood their influence on employee behavior, operational discipline, and organizational performance. By establishing strong relationships with operational stakeholders and encouraging shared accountability, she helped position safety as an essential component of leadership effectiveness and business success. Her approach reinforced the connection between effective talent management, employee retention, operational consistency, and organizational performance.
Nicole’s tenure at Golden State Foods represented another important chapter in her progression toward enterprise leadership. Serving first as Safety and Training Manager and subsequently as Corporate Environmental Health Safety Manager, she directed initiatives spanning manufacturing and distribution operations. She was instrumental in establishing a safety function from the ground up, creating foundational programs, developing training curricula, and implementing employee engagement initiatives that contributed to a 48% reduction in workplace injuries. She also introduced a 24/7 nurse triage program that achieved nationwide adoption as a corporate best practice. As her responsibilities expanded, Nicole led enterprise EHS standardization, regulatory readiness, organizational assessments, and technology modernization. Her implementation of the Intellex EHS management system and a centralized SharePoint knowledge portal enhanced operational visibility, standardized reporting, and improved access to critical organizational resources. These initiatives strengthened the infrastructure necessary for an effective enterprise safety management system while reinforcing the importance of consistent leadership expectations, accessible information, and accountability across business operations.
Earlier in her career, Nicole served as an Environmental Health Safety Specialist at Airgas, where she supported more than 30 retail, production, manufacturing, and distribution locations throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. Her work required extensive knowledge of regulatory compliance, environmental management, workplace safety, hazardous materials, emergency response, and operational risk mitigation. She collaborated with stakeholders across functions and regulatory agencies on complex matters involving OSHA, EPA, FDA, DHS, DOT, and other applicable standards and requirements. In addition to overseeing safety investigations, compliance audits, and regional initiatives, she participated in emergency response operations and supported capital improvement projects. These responsibilities strengthened her ability to make informed decisions in demanding environments while balancing regulatory obligations, financial considerations, and business continuity. They also reinforced her understanding that effective safety leadership depends on building credibility, establishing productive relationships, and aligning operational teams around consistent standards.
Nicole began building her professional foundation at AECOM/URS, where she worked as an Environmental Scientist supporting environmental compliance and sustainability initiatives for the United States Marine Corps and Navy. Her responsibilities included developing regulatory compliance strategies, evaluating emissions reduction opportunities, analyzing alternative fuel and electrification options, and preparing detailed environmental assessments and financial recommendations. She worked closely with military installations and regulatory agencies to navigate complex environmental requirements while identifying opportunities for cost savings and improved operational efficiency. In one notable engagement, her analytical contributions and compliance strategies helped a client avoid $202,025 in regulatory fines, demonstrating her ability to translate technical expertise into measurable financial value. Her contributions during this period also earned recognition through the URS Quarterly Outstanding Performance Award, an honor presented to three individuals among approximately 350 employees.
Nicole’s academic background reinforces her distinctive combination of scientific expertise, business acumen, and conflict resolution capabilities. She earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and holds a certification in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Law. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of California, Irvine, where she developed a strong foundation in environmental research, scientific analysis, and technical problem solving. Complementing her formal education, Nicole holds an Advanced Safety Certificate from the National Safety Council and possesses expertise in Lean Six Sigma principles, strategic planning, environmental management systems, regulatory compliance, and operational improvement. Her education supports her ability to engage executive stakeholders, navigate competing priorities, resolve complex challenges, and build consensus around enterprise initiatives that require both technical expertise and organizational commitment.
Throughout her career, Nicole has gained international exposure through operational oversight involving Canada, Egypt, China, New Zealand, and Australia. These experiences have broadened her understanding of organizational complexity, operational practices, and the importance of adapting leadership strategies across diverse business environments. She recognizes that successful international operations require thoughtful collaboration, cultural awareness, and the ability to align local execution with broader organizational objectives. Her experience has also reinforced the importance of establishing consistent enterprise expectations while respecting the unique operational and cultural considerations of individual markets. Her willingness to consider travel for appropriate opportunities further reflects her commitment to professional growth, meaningful engagement, and expanding her contribution beyond traditional geographic boundaries.
An experienced communicator and relationship builder, Nicole brings a confident executive presence that enables her to influence key stakeholders, establish credibility, and create alignment around complex business priorities. She has presented to audiences exceeding 300 people and is comfortable engaging stakeholders across operational, technical, and executive settings. Her communication style emphasizes clarity, credibility, and the ability to translate complex regulatory and operational subjects into practical business priorities. Through executive governance forums, corporate reporting, leadership presentations, and professional thought leadership, she has demonstrated the ability to influence decision making and establish alignment among diverse stakeholders. Particularly important to her leadership approach is the ability to secure executive commitment to enterprise safety management systems while developing leadership teams that consistently reinforce safety expectations throughout the organization. She understands that lasting cultural transformation requires visible executive sponsorship, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and leaders who actively demonstrate the behaviors and accountability they expect from others.
Nicole’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in developing people, building meaningful professional relationships, and creating environments where individuals feel empowered to contribute to collective success. She believes that organizational culture is not simply an internal initiative but a strategic asset that influences performance, resilience, retention, and growth. Her approach to enterprise safety reflects this philosophy, emphasizing that safety must be embedded within leadership practices, operational planning, employee engagement, and everyday business decisions rather than functioning as a separate organizational priority. Whether mentoring emerging leaders, reorganizing business functions, navigating complex regulatory challenges, or collaborating with senior executives, she consistently emphasizes integrity, accountability, and thoughtful decision making. Her ability to unite diverse teams around common objectives and develop leaders who take ownership of organizational outcomes has been a defining element of her professional accomplishments.
As she looks toward opportunities in corporate board and advisory service, Nicole is motivated by a desire to extend her professional influence beyond her current organization and contribute to the long term success of businesses navigating growth, transformation, and operational complexity. She is particularly interested in opportunities within the beverage, manufacturing, distribution, transformation, and agriculture sectors, while remaining open to organizations across other industries and stages of development. Her experience offers a valuable perspective for companies seeking guidance on enterprise risk oversight, acquisition integration, regulatory governance, leadership effectiveness, operational strategy, and organizational culture. Nicole’s ability to influence executive stakeholders, establish effective enterprise safety management systems, and build leadership teams committed to cultural accountability provides additional value to boards seeking to strengthen organizational resilience and responsible governance. She approaches board service as an opportunity to contribute informed perspectives, challenge conventional thinking constructively, and support leadership teams in making responsible decisions that create lasting enterprise value.
Beyond her professional achievements, Nicole enjoys golfing, wine tasting, and traveling, interests that reflect her appreciation for relationships, new experiences, and continuous personal discovery. Her curiosity about the world complements her commitment to lifelong learning and her willingness to embrace new challenges. Whether engaging with industry leaders, exploring different cultures, or pursuing opportunities for personal enrichment, she values experiences that broaden perspective and strengthen connections with others. This balance of professional ambition and personal authenticity reinforces her belief that effective leadership is grounded not only in technical capability and business results but also in genuine human connection.
Looking ahead, Nicole DeCuollo is focused on leveraging her extensive operational experience, strategic insight, and leadership approach centered on people to create meaningful impact at the board and executive advisory level. Her career reflects a consistent record of transforming complex challenges into opportunities for organizational improvement, financial risk reduction, and sustainable performance. With a strong foundation in enterprise governance, mergers and acquisitions, organizational development, and environmental stewardship, she offers the perspective of a leader who understands both the strategic responsibilities of executive decision making and the practical realities of implementation. Her executive presence, ability to influence key stakeholders, and commitment to developing effective leadership teams distinguish her approach to creating strong enterprise safety management systems and embedding safety into organizational culture. Above all, Nicole remains committed to helping organizations build stronger cultures, develop capable leaders, and pursue growth with purpose, integrity, and long term vision.
Leadership Profile
Character: Nicole exemplifies integrity, accountability, and a genuine commitment to developing people, consistently fostering organizational cultures built on trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility. Her leadership reflects a principled approach to decision making that balances operational excellence, employee well being, and sustainable business performance.
Knowledge: With more than 16 years of experience across environmental health and safety, manufacturing, distribution, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk management, Nicole brings a comprehensive understanding of complex operational environments. Her combination of scientific education, advanced business training, acquisition integration experience, and international exposure enables her to evaluate organizational challenges from technical, financial, and strategic perspectives.
Strategic: Nicole demonstrates exceptional strategic capabilities through her leadership in organizational transformation, enterprise governance, mergers and acquisitions, and measurable operational performance improvement. Her ability to influence executive stakeholders, establish comprehensive enterprise safety management systems, and develop accountable leadership teams enables her to embed safety into organizational culture while aligning business objectives with sustainable risk reduction.
Communication: Nicole is a confident and effective communicator with a strong executive presence, having addressed audiences of more than 300 people and regularly engaged senior executives, operational leaders, regulatory agencies, and teams across functions. Her ability to build trusted relationships, influence key stakeholders, simplify complex information, and inspire leadership alignment strengthens her effectiveness as an executive leader, collaborator, and prospective board advisor.
