Looking back, I can see that a single question has shaped my entire life:
How do we create the conditions in which people expand the way they understand themselves, others, and the world?
That question has taken me across continents, through museums and boardrooms, into conversations with artists and CEOs, philanthropists and community leaders, and now into coaching relationships with leaders navigating complexity and change.
I grew up in Germany, studied and worked in Paris, Berlin, Munich, and London before continuing my career in the United States. Living and working across cultures taught me that there is rarely a single way to understand a person, a challenge, or the world. Every culture, every conversation, and every experience offers another perspective. That belief continues to shape how I listen, the questions I ask, and the way I partner with leaders today.
For more than twenty years, I had the privilege of leading internationally respected museums. I loved shaping shared vision, developing strategy, building high-performing teams, cultivating cultures of belonging, leading transformational fundraising campaigns, and guiding organizations through periods of growth and change. Yet, looking back, I realize that what inspired me most was creating environments where people could think more deeply, feel more honestly, and expand their awareness.
Museums are extraordinary thinking and feeling environments. Through encounters with art, people pause, question assumptions, experience beauty, wrestle with complexity, and sometimes leave seeing themselves and the world differently.
Over time, I realized that leadership calls us to the very same kind of expansion.
The moments that stayed with me most were never only the exhibitions we opened or the buildings and parks we completed. They were the conversations that transformed how people understood themselves, one another, and what was possible. Watching a visitor leave an exhibition carrying a new perspective. Seeing a leadership team move from division to shared purpose. Witnessing someone discover the courage to lead more authentically.
Those experiences convinced me that one of the most meaningful responsibilities of leadership is to create the conditions in which others can think more deeply, feel more honestly, expand their awareness, and become more fully themselves.
Meet Raphaela
Life has reinforced those lessons in unexpected ways.
Navigating significant health challenges required patience, resilience, and the courage to question long-held assumptions. Healing was not simply a medical journey; it became a practice of attentive awareness—learning to listen more deeply to my body, my emotions, my beliefs, and what truly mattered. It taught me that awareness is not an abstract concept. It is a way of living, leading, and relating more fully.
Today, I bring together everything my life has taught me: executive leadership, cross-cultural experience, organizational transformation, the expansive perspective that art and culture offer, and a deep curiosity about what helps people and organizations flourish.
I am drawn to leaders who see leadership not as a position to attain but as a lifelong practice of growth. They are willing to pause, reflect, question assumptions, and continually expand their awareness—not only to become more effective leaders, but to become wiser stewards of the people, organizations, and communities they serve.
I believe that the quality of our outer leadership is inseparable from the quality of our inner awareness. As we deepen our attentive awareness of ourselves, others, and the systems we lead, we expand our capacity to cultivate healthy cultures, strengthen relationships, navigate complexity with wisdom, and create the conditions in which people, organizations, and communities can flourish.
That is the work that continues to inspire me every day.
“Raphaela's coaching style helps me uncover insights and it deepens my understanding of what matters most to me.”
—Anke S., Senior Leader, Talent Development, Global Education Solutions Company
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When I first stepped into executive leadership more than twenty years ago, I carried a vivid image: a large, round dining table where everyone had a seat. Around that table sat the entire organization, each person bringing their perspective, talent, experience, and voice. I believed then—and still believe today—that exceptional leadership emerges not from hierarchy or control, but from shared purpose, deep listening, curiosity, and the collective wisdom that arises when people feel seen, heard, and valued. That belief has shaped both my leadership and my coaching.
My path has been global and deeply human. Growing up in Germany, studying in France and England, and building my career in the United States gave me a deeply cross-cultural perspective. Navigating significant personal health challenges taught me resilience, humility, and the courage to question long-held assumptions. Together, these experiences reinforced my belief that leadership is both strategic and deeply personal.
My coaching is warm and direct, reflective and pragmatic. I don't prescribe solutions or rescue. Instead, I create a confidential space where leaders can deepen their awareness, expand their perspective, clarify their vision, and discover their own path forward. Together, we challenge assumptions, navigate complexity, and cultivate the inner capacity to lead with greater clarity, courage, intention, and humanity.
Because I believe the most enduring change begins not with having all the answers, but with learning to see ourselves, others, and the possibilities before us more clearly.
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How Engagements Work
Every coaching engagement is thoughtfully designed around the individual, team, or board and the opportunities and challenges they are navigating. While every engagement is unique, all are grounded in a shared commitment to reflection, meaningful dialogue, and lasting growth.
A Thoughtful Pace for Meaningful Change
Most coaching engagements span six to twelve months, creating the space for new insights to emerge, perspectives to expand, and meaningful change to take root over time. Sessions are typically held every other week and last approximately 60 minutes, though the cadence can be tailored to your needs.
A Flexible and Individualized Approach
My coaching is reflective, relational, and responsive to your unique context. Rather than following a prescribed formula, each engagement evolves in response to your goals, the challenges you are navigating, and what will best support your development.
When appropriate, our work may also include:
Conversations with key stakeholders
Reflective leadership assessments or feedback tools
Guided exploration of communication patterns, relationships, organizational dynamics, and culture
These elements are introduced thoughtfully and only when they deepen awareness, broaden perspective, or support meaningful action.
Learning as Leadership
I believe leadership is a lifelong practice of learning. The strongest organizations are those where curiosity is encouraged, thoughtful dialogue is valued, and people are invited to learn together. My coaching creates the conditions for that kind of learning—helping leaders cultivate the awareness, courage, and perspective needed not only to grow themselves, but to create cultures where others can flourish as well.
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Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders. Vistage offers the most effective approach to achieve better results, grow your company faster, and maximize your impact as a leader.
As a Vistage Chair, I facilitate peer advisory groups of local, non-competing CEOs who collaborate to solve challenges and accelerate growth. Leadership is often lonely, and internal feedback can be biased. Imagine a confidential "private board" of 12–18 peers who challenge your thinking and have your back—complemented by monthly 1-on-1 executive coaching. If you are a CEO in the Greater Cincinnati region and you’re ready to make better decisions and achieve superior results, let’s talk.
Learn more about Vistage at Vistage.com
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COACHING CREDENTIALS
Co-Active Certified Coach (CPCC) — in partnership with the International Coaching Federation
Vistage Academy
Leadership Coaching for Operational Performance — Rutgers University & Heidrick and Struggles; in partnership with the International Coaching Federation
ICF ACC Certification pending
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Humboldt University, Berlin Germany
M.B.A. / Marketing and Management focus
M.A. / Art history
University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany
B.A. / Economics and Art History
Sorbonne University, Paris, France
Certificate / Art History, Criticism and Philosophy
Every coaching relationship begins with a conversation.
Complete the form HERE and I'll be in touch to schedule an introductory conversation. Together, we'll explore what has brought you here, the opportunities and challenges you're navigating, and whether we're the right fit to work together.
I look forward to learning about your leadership, your aspirations, and how I might support your practice of leading with greater awareness, perspective, courage, and intention.
Expect to hear from me.