I grew up in a business family.  

Some people grow up in a doctor’s family or an artist’s family. In my family, a ‘real job’ was a job that had to do with business and investments. I understand the mentality, language and lifestyle of business professionals.

I grew up in New York and studied in Chicago and Massachusetts. After university I craved international experience. I wanted to work in Paris, but my grandparents lived in Germany (my mother is German). I knew about 20 words of German. So Germany it was.

I landed an internship at IBM in Frankfurt. It felt like I stepped into a company straight out of a sci-fi movie—with everyone marching to the coffee break at 10:15 sharp, then back to their desks at 10:30, like clockwork. 

It was my crash course into corporate life at just 22. 

After meeting my Swiss husband while living in Munich, we moved to Zurich, where I joined Citibank managing relationships with global insurance leaders. I later transitioned to McKinsey as a consultant and insurance specialist for three years. When my husband relocated to Los Angeles with Nestle, I left my cherished role at McKinsey to join him, despite having never been there before.

This experience was foundational in helping me understand expat spouses who need to move because of a relocation. I quit a job I loved and paused my career to raise our two small children.

I valued our time in Los Angeles, but I fought to return to Europe. I won. We landed in Munich where I resumed a career in financial services and insurance.

  • 1988

    My internship at IBM in Frankfurt, where I was one of two women.

  • 1995

    Working as a consultant and industry expert at McKinsey in Zurich.

  • 2003

    As a relationship manager at State Street in Munich.

  • 2017

    After a year as a head hunter, I discovered my passion for coaching.

  • Today

    Helping people like you do their best work in a job they love.

In a global relationship management role, I dealt with situations familiar to any corporate professional: A glass ceiling two meters thick, politics, battles for recognition, everyone trying to claim credit for huge global deals. This took a toll on me, both mentally and physically.

I realized life is too short to sacrifice my health and happiness; I quit without knowing what would come next.

I turned to headhunters for advice, hoping to find clarity about my next career step. I received several job offers, they didn’t feel right. This led me to a brief stint with a boutique headhunting firm in Munich. 

I discovered I found much joy in helping candidates think through their career decisions; my passion for career coaching was born. 

I met a career advisor who changed my life. He allowed me to observe his coaching sessions and learn from him. This experience opened the door to a new career in coaching. Over time, I joined several coaching pools, honed my skills, earned several coaching certifications and developed my approach.

Now, aided by my decades of experience and a global network, I’m dedicated to coaching international professionals in crafting strategic career plans, evolving their leadership and communication skills and navigating challenges — unlocking their full potential and realizing meaningful professional and personal growth.

“Renee is practical and fact based, often sharing examples from corporate life. She understands the ins and outs of finding a board position and is the only coach around who REALLY understands the ins and outs of the US, Germany and Europe. ”

- COACHING CLIENT