I am a passionate transformation architect and the founder of the consulting firm MagnoliaTree, where my life’s dream became a reality. Since the age of 20, I have known that my mission in life is to help people grow.
The Red Thread
I had a lot of time to prepare for this step. Every experience I encountered along the way felt like a pearl, threaded onto the red thread of life, ultimately leading to my present work. This path was far from straight.
At first, it was incredibly important for me to prove myself—to myself and to others. I was determined to succeed in the financial world, become a managing director, and edge closer to the board level. The more leadership responsibility I took on, the better it felt. However, I overlooked the one-dimensionality of that journey and, in the process, lost a part of myself.
Looking back, I wouldn’t trade these experiences, because they mirror what so many of my clients go through. Understanding what it feels like at the top management level and truly grasping those challenges is invaluable. It’s this understanding that makes me a more effective sparring partner today.
As an Executive Whisperer, I now have the privilege of supporting strategic decision-makers as they navigate their own paths.
Lived strategic responsibility
I achieved my career goals early on, gaining strategic responsibility with a system-wide impact. Two decades in the financial industry equipped me with the expertise and experience to lead MagnoliaTree as I do today: an exclusive consulting boutique that is quality-driven, built through word of mouth, and characterized by a wide reach with selective project acceptance.
Most recently, I served as Managing Director at the rating agency Standard & Poor’s, where I was the Global Head of Organizational Effectiveness.
My Focus: Strategy Decision-makers
I enjoy working with supervisory boards, executive boards, managing directors, and investors as a trusted advisor on strategic orientation, change processes, people strategy, and digital leadership. I bring clarity, fairness, and trustworthiness to every engagement. My 20 years in the financial industry, including 11 years at a rating agency, have been invaluable in shaping my approach.
As a young rating analyst, I learned to cultivate trusting, respectful, and honest relationships with CEOs, CFOs, and Group Treasurers. Over time, I mastered handling high-pressure situations and financial crises with elegance, calmness, and thoughtful consideration.
I approach every individual as an equal, unaffected by the borrowed authority of a title.
CHANGE
I am a recognized expert in systemic leadership and consulting. Through my holistic approach, I help companies improve and maximize their performance, particularly during times of change. With 20 years of experience in international management positions and a deep passion for the subject, I have established myself as an authority on change leadership, successfully leading transformative processes across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
As an alumnus of Columbia University in New York, where I specialized in Organizational Psychology with a focus on Change Leadership, I also have access to a global network of organizational development experts.