Executive career transition is not an abstract concept for me — it has been a defining thread throughout my career.
In French, we say “c’est un mal pour un bien” — roughly, “a blessing in disguise.” What feels like a setback can become an opportunity. Being let go is difficult, but it can also mark the beginning of a new and meaningful chapter. I would be glad to bring my experience to help you shape your next career step with clarity and confidence.
My approach is pragmatic and grounded in many years of consulting experience in career transition and executive search.
Let’s talk
I would like to discuss about my personal career transition
Programmes
Every transition is different, and each engagement is tailored accordingly.
That said, I typically work in three formats — from bringing clarity, perspective and direction at the outset of a transition, to providing more tailored, high-touch support for more complex or high-stakes executive situations.
1. Executive Transition Reset
A focused short-format engagement designed to bring clarity, perspective and direction at the start of a transition.
- Clarify your current situation and options
- Sharpen your positioning and narrative
- Define realistic next steps
2. Executive Transition Advisory
A structured advisory package for senior leaders navigating an active career transition, from positioning to market approach and opportunity management.
- Refine your profile and executive narrative
- Structure your market and networking approach
- Prepare key conversations and opportunities
3. Bespoke Executive Transition Support
Tailored, high-touch support for more complex or high-stakes executive transitions.
- Personalised support for senior or sensitive situations
- Ongoing strategic sounding board
- Flexible support shaped around your context
Some personal experiences
These are some of the experiences that have shaped my perspective on career transitions. They are also what underpin my commitment to helping others navigate change with clarity, confidence and direction.
Senior leaders are often more open to giving advice than one might expect
At 26, with a Master’s degree in History and French Literature, I wanted to work in a large international company. On paper, my profile was not an obvious fit.
So I did something simple: I wrote a letter — this was 1986 — to the Head of HR at Nestlé, asking for advice.
To my surprise, he called me back personally — and, by sheer luck, I happened to be at home. There were no voicemails at the time. His message was clear: if I wanted to enter a major corporate environment, I should look at an American company willing to train young graduates beyond traditional academic backgrounds.
I followed that advice and applied to IBM. I was hired as a Systems Engineer and spent a year in the company’s renowned Sales School. That unexpected step became the beginning of a 12-year career at IBM, which eventually led me to Paris as EMEA Segment Marketing Manager.
A reminder that careers do not always begin with a perfect profile — sometimes they begin with initiative, curiosity, and the willingness to ask.
Bring a solution, not a problem.
While working as a Senior Management Consultant at Mercuri Urval, the Swedish executive search and leadership advisory firm, I increasingly wanted to build something of my own.
At the time, however, I did not yet have the financial foundation to launch an independent business. Instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment, I chose a different path.
I identified an opportunity to establish a major international recruitment firm in French-speaking Switzerland, where it did not yet have a presence. I wrote a business plan and contacted three international firms directly. This led to a series of meetings and interviews, and ultimately to being hired by Hays as Director for French-speaking Switzerland.
From there, I built the business from scratch, growing it to 25 consultants in Geneva, and later expanding into Basel and Zurich.
A reminder that entrepreneurship does not always begin with independence — it often begins with the ability to see an opportunity and act on it.
Networks often open doors before the market does.
Two weeks before my 60th birthday, I was unexpectedly let go from a major HR consultancy during COVID.
Shortly afterwards, a friend mentioned that the company she worked for — an international niche software business — might be looking for an HR Director, although no role had been publicly advertised.
I reached out directly, which led to a formal recruitment process. Six weeks after leaving my previous employer, I was hired and stepped into a new executive role shortly after turning 60.
A reminder that even unplanned transitions can open the way to meaningful new chapters — often through trusted networks.