COOs2GO Partner

A C-suite leader and operator, Margaret Abeles, makes good companies even better and helps them grow.

She partners closely with senior executives—particularly in law, banking, and professional services—to create and execute business and marketing strategy, perform Chief of Staff functions, lead high-impact initiatives, and streamline operations. Her work enables CEOs and their teams to focus on what matters most: clients, vision, and growth.

Margaret’s cross-sector experience spans banks (Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo, First Republic), law firms (Hanson Bridgett), professional services (Porter Novelli Public Relations), and Fortune 500 companies (Disney, Pfizer). She has held senior leadership roles and directly reported to CEOs, managing complex internal operations while driving forward firm strategy.

At Hanson Bridgett law firm, Margaret served as Chief Strategy Officer and a member of the Management Committee. She developed and implemented a long-term strategic plan that contributed to 18% revenue growth, led the firm’s Marketing and Business Development teams, and performed key Chief of Staff functions to increase CEO impact.

In financial services and banking, she held senior-level positions at Charles Schwab, where she led client strategy, competitive positioning, and research initiatives. Her work resulted in more than 500 insights projects and earned her the firm’s prestigious CEO Award. At Wells Fargo and First Republic, she has advised executive teams on communication strategy, operational processes, stakeholder engagement, and change management.

Margaret began her career in consumer and market insights and held leadership roles at Disney and Porter Novelli Public Relations. She led global research for Disneyland Resort—working with Walt Disney Imagineering and corporate strategy—and started Porter Novelli’s West Coast strategic planning practice, consulting to brands like HP, MGM, and McDonald’s.

Her consulting work focuses on high-impact strategic and operational initiatives: from defining executive roles and scaling operations to improving communication and driving growth. She brings a disciplined, empathetic approach, with a track record of making strategy actionable and change sustainable.

Margaret holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a PR consultant and musician.