my work matters because you do

I am here to be a powerful catalyst for positive and sustainable change in the world and to amplify the brilliance in those that seek to change their lives and worlds. I do this through supporting individuals, groups, organisations and communities to raise awareness, make conscious and purposeful choices, and follow through with relevant actions.

I work with individuals, teams and organisations to increase performance and fulfilment, building resilience, enhancing personal leadership and capabilities in order to create the results and change people and organisations want to see.

I want all voices to be heard and respected and to grow the powerful leader in everyone. I want to support individuals in becoming aware of - and valuing - their true expression of a well-lived and meaningful life.

I believe all challenges present us with relevant information and opportunities for growth, and that taking responsibility for the leadership of our own lives is fundamental to our fulfilment and sense of satisfaction. I believe how we relate to ourselves, others, and events, is what shapes how we live our lives, and that this is a choice we make. I believe our purpose seeks to be expressed. I believe in strengthening our resilience - through awareness and lifestyle choices - so that we are resourced to deal with the challenges life presents us with, and can thrive in doing what matters most. 

I give back by donating a minimum equivalent of 10% of my paid time time towards supporting other change makers in launching their projects, or by providing pro-bono coaching to Leadership working in development and humanitarian efforts. I am currently working with the UN Development Programme on their Leadership Development Pathway (LDP) Programme in the US, and Save the Children's Leadership Development Programme and the Aspire Foundation's Mentorship programme in the UK.

I am a straightforward communicator, caring, resourceful, provocative, sensitive, open, creative, and passionate about nurturing and growing the powerful leader in everyone. 

#SystemsThinker #Stevie Wonder #earthships #smoothies #creative #yoga #dance

#SystemsThinker #Stevie Wonder #earthships #smoothies #creative #yoga #dance

In the words of others...

The coaching with Simone was transformative… The changes of perspective that our sessions provided were invaluable in seeing problems differently and identifying options…I liked that she was able to see through the ‘problems I presented’, to gently 'cut the crap' to get to the real issues and to challenge me. She is a lot of fun too. Three years after I initially connected with Simone, I still see and feel the benefits of the coaching.    

Alexandre Le Cuziat, Regional Operations Director @ Action contre la Faim, Paris 🇫🇷     

Instead of bearing the burden as the person with all the answers, with Simone I started learning how to be a coach. I have become someone who asks my staff well-designed questions that get them into problem-solving mode. I've also become a good pair of ears that provides them with a much-needed blank canvas to make sense of their thoughts. Working with Simone, hmm, anything but ordinary and conventional training. She set quite unorthodox ground rules thus challenging our mindset about coaching and provoking our interactions and feedback. Time passes too quickly during Simone's coaching sessions.

Bojan Kovacevic, Project Manager, @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Belgrade 🇷🇸

What has really helped me - and still does - has been not to feel judged when I have been judging myself very harshly. And to feel empowered by being invited to remember my strengths and qualities. Also, to feel the constancy of Simone’s presence for me. I can trust Simone was really there to help me and if I embrace that trust I can actually move forward. I also appreciate Simone’s ability to take me exactly where I am and help me do what I could from there - it gives me something concrete and doable to focus on versus getting lost in the horizon and discouraged.

Anne-Valérie, Dancer, mover, improviser, explorer, player, performer and teacher, Neuchatel 🇨🇭

Simone gave us several essential questions to help us coach our way through people’s most difficult challenges. Now, having tried Simone's coaching questions in my own coaching, what strikes me most is that they actually work! Simone’s methods armed me with a coaching structure to guide some wicked-smart people through complex problems.

Bojan Kovacevic, Project Manager, @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Belgrade 🇷🇸

Simone has a very pleasant demeanour that I feel made us, me particular, feel comfortable in a group context. I think this is a very important aspect particularly when coaching in a group setting. I liked the entirety of the sessions, the discussions, the coach and the coachee roles. But in particularly I like the perceptive feedback that you give after a coaching session. It provides food for thought and guidance on how to improve/structure one's approach and techniques. I found this to be particularly helpful.

Niels Ramm, Programme Manager @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Copenhagen 🇩🇰

It was good fun and very productive! I was very positively surprised by how easy you got us into your (our) sessions and how quickly we grew together. I very much liked your playful approach to some topics that seemed to be very abstract and incomprehensible, and in the end we all understood and were able to apply new tools. Your trust in us, openness and playfulness in the sessions made me feel very comfortable and taken care of, and it helped me open up and take the most out of the lessons. Thanks for the great lessons learnt and for the good time we spent together! I very much enjoyed every minute!

Simonetta Siligato, Senior Advisor, Asia Regional Office @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Bangkok 🇹🇭

I wanted to learn more about coaching and how I can build and improve my coaching skills to become a better team and people leader. After our sessions I feel I have gained considerable knowledge about coaching and how to help others overcome challenges or re-address issues to be able to deal with them in a constructive way. Simone helped me see beyond what was familiar to me, to apply new tools (e.g. metaphors) to explore new grounds and to grow in a field that was completely new to me.

Simonetta Siligato, Senior Advisor, Asia Regional Office @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Bangkok 🇹🇭

I liked the open discussions and being pushed even when it hurt. As well I appreciated the checking in between the sessions. I think Simone is a very professional coach with lots of different approaches. She was able to show me things outside my comfort zone that I want to pursue. She is a great support when wanting to move forward and grow.

Martine, Bern 🇨🇭

I liked the fact that Simone could make everything sound so easy going and simple to do, which was one of the biggest motivations for me to make things happen session after session without hesitation. A lot of fun, actually more than I expected ;)... At first, I thought Simone was too serious, but then I realised you was more fun, more relaxed and funnier that I thought... all in the best sense! A big thanks for your services! :) 

Marcela Morales, Independent Speciality Coffee Professional | Green Coffee Sourcing, QC & Grading, Hamburg 🇩🇪    

It was both interesting and challenging working with Simone. On one specific occasion, she posed a very direct question that pierced the hard shell of my external image. I felt intense anger but also understood a fundamental truth underneath this emotion. Simone helped me to discover some assumptions, limiting beliefs, and unhelpful behaviors. She also helped me to reinforce my natural resilience and to visualize my future project. We used exploration, reflection and small but achievable steps to help me take action.

Valerie Mims, Consultant, Public Diplomacy Strategies, Geneva, CH🇨🇭

I was always surprised by the angles of her questions! There is always this open space she has for me, to explore, to pour out my thoughts, my emotions - without interruption – and to let me comfortably, safely, just be me. It helped me to slow down and to look at the bigger picture, or to look from a different angle (which Simone often does), instead of focusing on the details &/or actions. I am a visual person and glad that her skills in taking me through some visualisation helped me to solve a few difficult situations. Simone has supported me more than I expected and ever hoped for.

Cindy Kao, Marketing Product Development Lead @ PMI, Lausanne, CH🇨🇭 

Simone has the skills to open a shell up. She conveys trust and made me feel at ease at all time. She listens carefully, and at the same time she challenged me. In a very kind way, Simone challenged me to explore, to dream, and to awaken my creative mind. She provides people what they need and are willing to take – in order to help change behaviours and outlooks in a positive way.    

Maribel Landau, Regional Programme Organization @ UNDP, Panama City, PA 🇵🇦

Creative and hardworking, Simone is also very gifted to bring clarity and to hold a systemic view and approach to help individuals, groups and organisations to grow. A pleasure to work with her!

Sylvie Faisandier, Consultant | Trainer | Certified Coach @ SFConseil, Paris, F 🇫🇷 

The initial contracting with Simone helped refine the objectives and build trust very quickly. I was impressed by her ability to understand the issues I was facing. Simone was able to go beyond some of the initial requests I had and move away from leadership theory to focus on... me.

Alexandre Le Cuziat, Regional Operations Director @ Action contre la Faim, Paris 🇫🇷     

The diversity of the tools Simone used during the coaching sessions were very-well adapted as they offered me a perfect blend of creativity and reflection. This helped me immensely to tap into my inner wisdom and get inspired to bring about change into my life. Thanks to Simone, I was able develop the strength, courage and inspiration to bring about the change I aspired to within myself and in my life. Thank you, Simone, for the empowering coaching sessions and thank you for being such a beautiful and inspiring person!

Rachna Chopra, Geneva, CH🇨🇭 

Simone is clearly very passionate about helping people make profound and fundamental changes in their lives. I appreciated the ease of the transformation and that every session was very different. I started to see how I could take a different approach with issues in my life to get the results I wanted. It was all about trying new ways and allowing a creative process to evolve. An excellent coach - we got results! One of the most profound changes in my life happened. 

Paul Double, CTI Life Coach @ Double Happiness,  CT, USA 🇺🇸 

I was drawn to Simone’s directness and ability to quickly identify issues and evoke transformation in me on a practical level. Simone is a very powerful and amazing coach. Our sessions were intuitive and fun. Simone had a natural way of slowly but surely helping me to see where I needed to go and allowing me to see what I needed to do for myself.

Paul Double, CTI Life Coach @ Double Happiness,  CT, USA 🇺🇸 

I chose Simone as I felt that I was going to be pushed enough to confront difficult questions while at the same time having space to breathe and be. It was up to me to decide what I wanted to work on. Sometimes I didn't know exactly what to choose and Simone provided very helpful input. I liked that the sessions contained a lot of questions and that I was given time to answer. No issue was too stupid to be discussed. This gave me the space to explore intimate emotions and deal with issues I didn't like discussing with friends and family.

Martine, Bern 🇨🇭

I really liked the way Simone took the discussion so deep, to help me realize what the real issue was. Indeed, there were so many underlying issues that I hadn't realised. There were surprises in Simone’s approach which brought out different perspectives to the discussions, and helped to get to the core. I appreciated Simone’s courage to challenge. As a result of participating in the Leading People at UNOPS program group coaching practice sessions with Simone, my team, my family and I are enjoying the benefits of our time together every day. I am consciously spending time on what matters most. Keep up the good job!!!!

Irene Mbote, Human Resources Manager @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Nairobi 🇰🇪

my background

I draw upon my own life journey, a decade of coaching experience, my HR and business background (see my bio below), intuition, and what I know about the scientific and motivational aspects of what drives performance, resilience, change and happiness.

My background comprises nearly half a century of observing human nature, in various contexts, trying to figure out why we do what we do, and to what end. I apparently asked “whassamatta?” (“what is the matter?”) more than the average toddler. My mother also informs me that as a child I also upset at least one childminder with my 'too many' questions. My concern, and desire to help people feel better was was followed through with efforts – doubtless often misplaced, clumsy and failed - to boost and inspire. As an adult, I am more interested in people doing and being better. And this is why, in 2008, I started training as a professional Coach, to gain the skills and techniques to be considerably better placed to support those around me achieving just that - people feeling, being and doing 'better', by their own definition of this word. There was no life-defining moment, rather a series of meaningful twists and turns that have brought me to where I am ...

my bio

  • Over twenty years’ experience in regional and global Human Resources leadership roles

  • Depth and breadth in all aspects of HR, Change and Project & General Management, and M&A activities

  • I have worked across continents for both the private and not-for-profit sectors: dynamic and fast-growing start-ups, large multinationals, and humanitarian and development not-for-profit

  • I have defined People strategies, built and managed entire global HR functions and worked at strategic and tactical level to ensure business and operational needs were met. This includes, and is not limited to Compensation, Performance, Recruitment and Talent Management Programmes, Leadership Development, HRIS implementation

  • Latterly, I held the posts of Global Head of HR and Group Development manager at a fast-growing international company

  • I am passionate about Organisational Development, Leadership, and Change Management, Resilience and Health - individual, organizational and societal

  • I hold a triple-degree from the UK, Germany and France, where I read Law, Economics and Business Management and later went on to complete an MBA in Barcelona

  • I am also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (ICF-accredited), Authorised Facilitator of Team Coaching International Team Diagnostics and have completed and certified in a number of advanced coaching trainings and diagnostic tools

  • I am a faculty member of Coaches Training Institute and Team Coach International

  • English is my mother tongue and I speak fluent French, German and Spanish. I also understand a fair bit of spoken and gesticulated Italian ...

Please see my accreditations and affiliations for more information on my coaching credentials. My LinkedIn profile contains further details about my education and professional experience.