Dr. Yichen (Tony) Cao is the Head of Assessment & Test Development and is a leadership consultant at Bandelli & Associates. He specializes in conducting organizational research and gaining practical insights through data analyses. By doing this, Tony can easily identify leaders’ potential blind spots and help them grow. He has a passion for developing people, and believes building strong relationships is one of the keys to effectively facilitate this process. As such, Tony establishes strong partnerships with his clients to help them identify, unlock, and unleash their true leadership potential. 

Tony is currently spear-heading the firm’s Relational Intelligence Test, which was built on years of research and practice on relationships, leadership, and assessment test development. Tony, and his team, have designed and validated the Relational Intelligence Test using the science of industrial-organizational psychology and strong psychometrics properties. Everything the firm does is backed by science and research, and Tony is also leading the firms other research agendas, such as the theories behind Relational Intelligence and the benefits of practicing it across our professional and personal lives.

Tony was born and raised in China, and went to Australia for high school, eventually coming to the United States for college and doctoral studies. This experience enriched his understanding on embracing cultural differences and allows him to see and appreciate individuals with differing backgrounds and experiences. Tony also has a broad interest in numerous industries and is passionate about developing leaders. Based on the training he received from his educational experiences, Tony constantly applies scientific theories on practical situations, while empathizing and building bonds with the leaders that he works with.

Tony received his Master of Science degree in I/O Psychology from Baruch College, and is currently finishing up his Ph.D. study in I/O Psychology at Hofstra University where he has all work done except his dissertation.