Since 1993 The Planning Edge has provided hundreds of clients with insightful analysis, advice and support to focus resources and achieve results. We are intentionally a small consulting firm with only very experienced consultants. All clients benefit from the hands-on involvement of principals, each with well over twenty-five years of relevant experience. We are not a training ground for new consultants.

We excel at large scale planning efforts and strategic initiatives as well as in shorter-term projects including board retreats and planning sessions. We are known for working effectively with all levels, from Boards of Directors and senior executives to managers and line workers.

Our capabilities, described in service areas, are extensive.

Meet out principals.


We help organizations successfully craft their future.

We are committed to:
  • Analysis of facts, trends and perspectives to drive actions.
  • Involving people who will be affected by plans that are developed.
  • Helping organizations hone their decision-making processes.
  • A collaborative approach to working with clients, blending our expertise and their experience.
  • Providing sustainable value with every project.
  • Recommending courses of action that are compatible with an organization’s values and culture.



Alan Cox has over 30 years of consulting and corporate strategy experience in planning, marketing and management. An MBA graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, his first corporate job was in marketing research for a Fortune 50 company. He worked at multiple consumer product companies, ultimately directing strategic planning, marketing research and marketing services. During that time he was also active in the non-profit and higher education sectors. Alan and Ellen co-founded The Planning Edge in 1993 and have led hundreds of projects. Alan’s marketing and research background fits excellently with strategic planning and he was an early adopter in making on-line survey research effective. The Planning Edge has its own proprietary software for on-line research. Alan was on the adjunct faculty at the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University for 10 years and has served on a variety of non-profit boards of directors. Alan began his working career as a Navy Supply Officer.



Ellen Cox has over 25 years of consulting, corporate, educational and non-profit experience. Ellen has an MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management of Wake Forest University. Ellen’s early career was at Wachovia Bank where she managed retail operations and was the manager for the expansion of one of the country’s early automatic teller machine systems. She has been very active in the non-profit sector, serving on boards of directors and executive committees, including the local United Way, Exchange SCAN Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and the Voluntary Action Center. She is a Master Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)®. As co-founder of The Planning Edge, her organization development and operations experience complement her strategic planning expertise. She has particular interests in helping clients understand the interplay between strategy and organization development, as well as the importance of vision for an organization. One of her recent clients summed it up when he said, “I had an 'ah-ha' moment when I realized what vision can do for us.”