our people

Our coaches bring experience from the boardroom to the coaching room, combining real business acumen with world-class training in systems psychodynamic practice. They understand that lasting change requires working with the unconscious processes, organisational dynamics, and systemic patterns that traditional coaching overlooks.

Our Senior Team

Manfred Kets de Vries

Margot Schumacher

Manfred is a highly distinguished academic, writer, speaker and consultant. He has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands throughout his career and still writes every day.
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Elisabet Engellau

Christopher Bockmann

Elisabet has spent decades shaping the practice of leadership development and coaching through education and her work with clients. She is a committed advocate for women in leadership.
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Oriane Kets de Vries

Margot Schumacher

Oriane is Co-founder and CEO of KDVI and an accomplished coach, consultant, facilitator and programme director. She is passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs, creativity and innovation.

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Claire Finch

Leamington Spa, UK

Margot Schumacher

Claire is a Director of KDVI. She has a wide breadth of coaching experience across companies of all sizes, sectors and geographies. She challenges leaders to step out of their comfort zone to unlock their potential.

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Scott Learmouth

Devon, UK

Scott Learmouth

Scott is a Director of KDVI and a practising coach. He focuses on leaders at an inflexion point in their careers, helping them strengthen their impact.

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Our Leadership Experts

Christopher Bockmann

Barcelona, Spain

Christopher Bockmann

Christopher specialises in navigating top teams through strategic and organisational changes around the globe. Based in Spain, he coaches in English, French, Norwegian and Spanish.
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Stefania Maschio

London, UK

Margot Schumacher

Stefania’s background lies in management and business strategy, she focuses on developing strong leaders and productive teams. Based in the UK, she speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish.

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Caroline Rook

London, UK

Margot Schumacher

Caroline combines a pragmatic mind with intellectual curiosity, which allows her to gain a deep understanding of how people function in organisations and how to create healthy workplaces.

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Christina Von Wackerbarth

Paris, France

Margot Schumacher

Christina has a wealth of experience working with senior leaders around the globe. Residing in France she coaches in German, Dutch, French, Italian and English.
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Elizabeth Florent

Paris, France

Margot Schumacher

Liz focuses on leaders, and their organisations, helping them work through complex issues; and has extensive experience supporting family businesses. Based in France, Liz is fluent in English and French.

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Elizabeth McCourt

New York, USA

Margot Schumacher

Elizabeth is an award-winning coach, with a background in legal and financial services. She brings this diverse experience to support the teams and executives she works with.

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Frank Manesse

Brussels, Belgium

Margot Schumacher

Frank brings his wealth of experience to every one of his clients, creating bespoke programmes that deliver. Frank lives in Brussels and works in English and Dutch.

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Graham Ward

London, UK

Margot Schumacher

Graham has worked with some of the world's biggest brands, specialising in supporting senior leaders and teams to build high-performing cultures where people can thrive.

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Hande Yasargil

London, UK

Margot Schumacher

Hande brings her HR and psychology background and global experience to her clients. Her unique style challenges and gets results. Living in London, Hande coaches in English and Turkish.

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Henning Ringholz

Dublin, Ireland

Margot Schumacher

Henning is an experienced coach, strategy advisor and passionate philanthropist. He has worked with NGOs and non-profits helping them to unlock their potential.

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Kate Philips-Kaiser

Philadelphia, USA

Margot Schumacher

Kate has coached leaders from around the world across different sectors and functions; she brings a deep appreciation and experience for working with diverse people, cultures and the challenges they face.

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Margot Schumacher

The Netherlands

Margot Schumacher

Margot’s background has taken her from leading teams around the globe for some of the world’s biggest brands to coaching them. She is passionate about developing top teams who excel.

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Peter Firnhaber

Zurich, Switzerland

Margot Schumacher

Peter has experience working around the globe coaching individuals and other coaches. His experience spans all levels across many industries. Based in Switzerland, Peter speaks English, French and German.

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Thomas Hellwig

Paris, France

Margot Schumacher

Thomas is a highly experienced coach, professor and medical doctor. He brings all these facets to his clients. Living in France, he coaches in English, German, French and Spanish.

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Yulia Chupina

London, UK

Margot Schumacher

Yulia brings her unique analytical and intuitive, empathetic yet direct, open-minded and courageous approach to all her clients. Living in London, she coaches in English, Spanish and Russian.

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Alex Lambeek

Hampshire, UK

Margot Schumacher

Alex turns three decades of global business leadership in the technology sector into powerful leadership development experiences for leaders and teams navigating complexity, disruption and change.
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Our Management Team

Alicia Cheak

Caitlin McKay

Alicia is our Senior Research Analyst working on research projects, thought leadership and publications, and developing instruments, programmes and training.

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Gayna Sandeman

Stephanie Shirley-Smith

Gayna supports the efficient delivery of surveys within the Development Tools team, combining strong organisation with digital marketing and client support experience.

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Geeta Paul

Geeta Paul

Geeta is our Partnership Manager working closely with clients and the KDVI team to ensure successful delivery of programmes.

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Kulv Setchfield

Caitlin McKay

Kulv is responsible for helping deliver the best experience of the development tools for clients – old and new, providing ongoing support and guidance.

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Lidy Hopman-Fuller

Lidy Hopman-Fuller

Lidy is responsible for helping clients get the most from our development tools, from purchase to training and ongoing support.
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Lisa Gellert

Stephanie Shirley-Smith

Lisa works closely with clients and the wider KDVI team to ensure smooth delivery of leadership programmes, executive coaching and team development.

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Selina Edwards

Stephanie Shirley-Smith

Selina is responsible for business and financial operations; she works closely with all areas of the business and external suppliers to ensure all runs smoothly.

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Stephanie Shirley-Smith

Stephanie Shirley-Smith

Stephanie is our Programme Manager working on design, development, and delivery of Open Enrolment Programmes.

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Margot Schumacher:

Senior Associate at KDVI, Adjunct Professor of Leadership Development at TIAS Business School, and executive coach at INSEAD. Margot has coached senior leaders across global organisations following senior roles at Unilever and Kraft Heinz. Since 2010, she has advised multinationals on leadership and organisational development, with a focus on enhancing effectiveness at the top team and board levels. She also serves on the Supervisory Board of Thales Netherlands. Her global perspective is shaped by living and working in Shanghai, Pittsburgh, and London before returning to the Netherlands

Oriane Kets de Vries:

Oriane Kets de Vries is CEO and owner of the Kets de Vries Institute. She leads a global team of coaches, consultants and educators dedicated to developing reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders and cultivating workplaces where people can thrive. In her faculty role, she draws on extensive experience designing and directing leadership programmes for senior executives, contributing her expertise in psychodynamic coaching, organisational culture, and transformational leadership development.

Oriane has served as consultant, coach, and programme director for clients including Pictet, Deutsche Bank, Merck, UBS, Mishcon de Reya, and Engie, and she has taught on open-enrolment programmes with leading institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd, INSEAD, ESCP, ESMT and CEDEP. Her interests centre on the human side of leadership, particularly identity, creativity, entrepreneurship and gender dynamics. She holds an MBA and Executive MA in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD, has trained at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings more than a decade of professional experience in creative and entrepreneurial industries into her work with leaders.

Manfred Kets de Vries:

Manfred Kets de Vries is a pioneering authority in leadership development, coaching, and organisational change. He is a founder and director of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI) and served as Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change at INSEAD. With academic credentials in economics (University of Amsterdam), management (MBA and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (trained in Canada), he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to leadership. His work bridges management theory and clinical insight, establishing him as a global thought leader in executive coaching and transformation. At INSEAD, he founded the Global Leadership Centre and led the flagship programme The Challenge of Leadership for 31 years. He also served as scientific director of Coaching and Consulting for Change, an 18-month Executive Master’s programme that has shaped over 3,000 senior leaders and executive coaches worldwide. He has advised and coached senior executives at global firms including Goldman Sachs, BP, Shell, Unilever, McKinsey, and Volvo. A prolific author of over 60 books and 400 articles, his work appears regularly in The Financial Times, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. Recognised by Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Financial Times as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, he is widely regarded for advancing more human-centred approaches to leadership.

Yulia Chupina:

Senior Adviser (Luminary) at Accenture and executive coach with over 12 years of board experience. Formerly a banker and McKinsey consultant, Yulia has led banking transformations in digital, agile, organisational change, and talent development. Her coaching spans the finance, tech, and consumer goods sectors, blending technological insight with emotional intelligence to guide leaders through transformation. Recently, she advised BBVA on agile methodologies and senior talent development. Influenced by thought leaders such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Gabor Maté, Yulia brings an analytical, reflective approach to leadership. She has lived and worked across the UK, Spain, the US, and Russia.

Elizabeth Florent:

Elizabeth has worked closely with Manfred Kets de Vries for many years and has served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at INSEAD. Her extensive background in leadership development spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and academic research. She holds advanced degrees in Organisational Development and Clinical Organisational Psychology and is a certified Coaching Supervisor through the Tavistock Institute. Her doctoral research explored experiential domains in executive education, and she has authored or co-authored numerous academic articles, case studies, and books on leadership and organisational dynamics. Elizabeth led the development teams behind KDVI’s diagnostic instruments, including the GELM, OCA™, and ITI. Drawing on her diverse training and global experience, she brings deep cross-cultural insight to her work with leaders worldwide. Originally from California, Elizabeth has made France her home for over 30 years.