Susanne Kortendick

Coaching Philosophy

In 2012 I graduated from Ashridge Business School in the UK with a Master of Executive Coaching. I have held my Ashridge Accredited Coach accreditation since 2011.

My coaching is always a combination of consulting and sparring. This combination ensures me a high degree of authenticity and credibility, especially with clients at board and executive level. I am often called upon to work on complex management problems, e.g. in cases of restructuring, reorganization or partial sales of companies. My clients come from a wide variety of companies.

Qualifications

I hold four academic degrees, three of which I obtained during my professional life. I completed my doctorate at the University of Freiburg in the field of behavioral sciences. I work in German (my native language) and English. I am accredited to use the BIG5 Reflector Instrument and the Hay Group Leadership Assessment Tools.

My personal way of coaching

“I am a “relational coach” – all my interventions are designed to create a space for reflection, creativity and personal growth for my clients. As a former member of executive management teams of major international companies, I know and share my clients' world of experience and can support them to a very special degree in defining their own personal path in the company.”

My philosophy of project management

Project management designed by me is a consciously made management decision in specific situations, but not a “stopgap” or even an “emergency solution”. It can be very useful to bring external expertise into the company for temporary tasks. This can have a very relieving effect and enable management to concentrate on the future requirements of the business. Especially in negotiations with works councils and unions, the interim manager represents a kind of neutral authority – she is less emotionally involved and therefore finds good solutions for both parties faster, more pragmatically and, as a rule, more cost-effectively.

Qualifications

In addition to my academic qualifications, I am particularly distinguished by my project experience. Some examples:

• 2021 Merging of two players in pharmaceutical wholesale; optimization of branch structure and overhead in negotiations with employee representatives
• 2019 Negotiation of a system to redesign above-tariff pay structures; the project resulted in approximately €20 million in cost savings
• 2015 Redevelopment of an HR Service Center located in Romania; the project resulted in a cost saving of about 15% after on-time completion.
• 2012 Sale of a part of a company to an external investor; the project was completed on time and within budget and was able to contribute to the preservation of approx. 2/3 of the affected jobs.

My personal path of project management

Quick perception, excellent project management and always an open ear for the people in the company – that's what sets me apart! My time as a manager in various industries and companies has given me a wealth of experience, which I gladly and successfully make available to others. Confidentiality and discretion are a matter of course for me.