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individual leadership coaching, team and organisational development to support growth, resilience, transformation, performance and living a life well-lived
Our well-being, resilience, and sustained performance -as an individual, group, organisation and society- relies on how we perceive the world, manage our energy, connect with others, and are able to respond to life’s challenges with creativity and resourcefulness.
I believe that life is a creative process. That our thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, choices, actions and words are our tools that we use to create our experiences. And that the act of creating the future is an act of leadership. We are all leaders.
I facilitate processes to turn knowledge into insights and to drive action that matters
work with me
I work with teams, organisations and individuals seeking to create sustainable and desired change
team development
facilitation, training, coaching, diagnostics
Simone has over 20 years’ experience in global and regional HR leadership and Business Partnering roles, spanning multiple contexts and structures. A generalist by nature, Simone thinks bigger picture and is human-centric in her approach. She is an accredited ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) trained in various advanced coaching and facilitation methods. She has a talent for disrupting status quo thinking and creating clarity in complexity and can ask a lot of questions in the 4 languages in which she is fluent. Simone is passionate about unlocking potential and conversations that generate insight and impact and about creating more societal justice.
testimonials source blog
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 🇷🇸
Simone taught me to build my coaching game on even ground, ask open-ended questions where I can’t control the answers. This method greatly increases the odds of both a coach and a coachee leaving the session a slightly changed person.
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 🇨🇭
In the very beginning, I felt so far from believing I could take any kind of action and so afraid. I notice now that I recognise my negative patterns faster and I get to understand what is needed when they show up. All these sessions have brought me to see, hear, accept, and to dare to claim who I am and what I can and want to do of this life. In other words, it has slowly made me feel like I matter and I can be part of this world. I like the combination of all the different approaches.
Anne-Valérie, Dancer, mover, improviser, explorer, player, performer and teacher, Neuchatel 🇨🇭
I participated in group coaching sessions as part of the Leading People at UNOPS program as I wanted to improve coaching skills as a manager. And have opened myself to a coaching approach and learnt to think more about what I can offer to my team so that their work life is enriched. I appreciated the learning experience - exploring, not being judgmental, not providing solutions and would recommend the experience to my peers
Sudhir Muralidharan, Country Director, @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Colombo 🇱🇰
I have a more complete or richer set of options to use and behaviours, which reflects in what I project to others in terms of leadership and personality, and generally feeling and projecting a lot more confidence in times of uncertainty, ambiguity or conflict. More generally, I think I have changed some of my behaviours at work and socially, became more confident and assertive where I was sometimes too diplomatic, which has often helped in solving issues and conflicts more effectively
Alexandre Le Cuziat, Regional Operations Director @ Action contre la Faim, Paris 🇫🇷
I got to understand what my direction was, what path I wanted to walk on and what I want to achieve. I almost want to say that this tolerant, non-judging, patient and caring support, over time, has been the only chance I have had (or have given myself) to allow myself to understand these notions of responsibility and power of action...
Anne-Valérie, Dancer, mover, improviser, explorer, player, performer and teacher, Neuchatel 🇨🇭
I like the combination of all the different approaches. I really loved the session we had with the different characters symbolizing some different parts of me... I appreciate the trust that has grown in me towards this coaching relationship since the beginning, and the sense of consistency, stability and being grounded that it provides me, and that I can rely on. Specifically, when I feel I myself standing on a shaky ground in my life.
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 was very informative and provided what seemed to me the right amount and the right guidance when reviewing our coaching attempts. Her feedback on my coaching has spurred further reflecting on my approach and has encouraged me to take a more proactive and structured approach to coaching with the members of my team. I am more aware of how I approach coaching and even as far facilitating team discussions using the techniques that we have learned. I would most certainly recommend her not only for her knowledge and expertise on coaching, but also for her ability to explain and bring across techniques and methods.
Niels Ramm, Programme Manager @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Copenhagen 🇩🇰
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 🇹🇭
Throughout the sessions I was able to learn more about my behaviour, patterns, beliefs and self-inflicted limitations. Working with Simone helped me see possibilities and break some of my patterns. Identifying them allowed us then to determine how I wanted to deal with these issues. Often the change of patterns became homework. The homework was precise and measurable which I believe helped me a lot in implementing.
Martine, Bern 🇨🇭
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 🇫🇷
One of Simone’s greatest skills is her ability to help you draw on your own resources to find the answers you are looking for. She does this through engaged listening - that’s what makes the change she facilitates sustainable; since its largely based on self realisation. This coupled with her sense of humour makes for a coaching experience that is both great learning and fun
Zubin Shroff, Health Systems Specialist, Geneva 🇨🇭
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 🇫🇷
Coaching helped me to outline a clearer career path and realise a greater potential that I had not wanted to embrace before. I have clearer short and mid-term goals, which has led to more motivation, creativity, energy, improved self-esteem, and less fear to face some of my biggest challenges.
Marcela Morales, Independent Speciality Coffee Professional | Green Coffee Sourcing, QC & Grading, Hamburg 🇩🇪
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 🇺🇸
Simone is a wonderful coach. I am truly proud to have worked with someone so accomplished, and experienced. Simone was great at helping me to find ways for her to hold me accountable for the things I wanted to do during the process. Coaching with Simone has helped me to discover things about myself, aspects of life that I had never really explored. I found the power to make impactful changes in my life.
Erik Cline, Certified life Coach, Long island, New York, 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 participated in group coaching sessions as part of the Leading People at UNOPS program as I wanted to improve coaching skills as a manager. And have opened myself to a coaching approach and learnt to think more about what I can offer to my team so that their work life is enriched. I appreciated the learning experience - exploring, not being judgmental, not providing solutions and would recommend the experience to my peers.
Sudhir Muralidharan, Country Director @ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Colombo 🇱🇰
I had a lot of doubts about the referral as I didn't really know the person I got it from. Moreover, having the sessions long distance... I'd never tried that before. Much less in a virtual environment. I was quite sceptical. However, it turned out I felt more comfortable speaking through the computer than if I had done it face to face. Maybe because it felt I was talking aloud to myself and not to someone else.
Marcela Morales, Independent Speciality Coffee Professional | Green Coffee Sourcing, QC & Grading, Hamburg 🇩🇪
