About Alex-old
Leadership Development Specialist,
Accredited Executive Coach
Personal commitment
I strive to be a trustful companion and thinking partner, creating contexts where we can do our best thinking while together and apart, stretch and grow in ways that add value both to ourselves and others around us.
My main focus areas are: (1) coaching senior leaders and teams in their shared endeavour to create value for their organisations and stakeholders and (2) designing, delivering and embedding bespoke leadership development programmes. I am particularly experienced in working with tech-driven organisations and scale-ups operating in an agile environment.
- Hundreds of hours of executive coaching experience at senior leadership level.
- 11+ years of experience in designing and delivering learning and development programmes. Over 5000 hours of training delivery and facilitation.
- Extensive intercultural experience having lived in 3 countries and working in vastly international environments.
I bring a unique mix of technology and psychology, having studied a Bsc. in Computer Science and a MA in Psychology – Educational Sciences – Adult Learning. I am an APECS Accredited Executive Coach, level A & B qualified with the British Psychological Society (BPS), accredited in using robust psychometric assessments like Hogan Assessments, EQ-i 2.0 and NEO / Primary Colours of Leadership. I also hold a Certificate in Systemic Team Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching.
- APECS Accredited Executive Coach
- NLP Professional Coach, Certified by the Society of NLP (USA), International Association of NLP (IANLP – Switzerland), International Association of NLP Institutes (Germany), International Coaching Institutes
- Test User: Occupational, Ability & Personality (formerly Level A&B), British Psychological Society (BPS)
- European Test User Certificate (Level 2) – Work and Organisational Assessment, European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA)
- Hogan Assessments Certified
- BarOn EQ-i 2.0 & EQ 360 emotional intelligence assessments certified
- NEO Personality Inventory certified
- Primary Colours® Model of Leadership accredited
- Saville Wave Assessments Practitioner
Professional experience:
- Founder and Director, Press Pause Ltd | February 2019 onwards | London, UK
- Group Leadership Development Manager and Executive Coach | Vodafone Group | London, UK | 2017 to 2019
- Global L&D, HR Academy Manager, Executive Coach | Vodafone Group | London, UK | 2014 to 2017
- Global Training Specialist at UL | The Hague, The Netherlands | 2012 to 2014
- Various roles including Learning Consultant, Trainer, Coach at Orange Romania | Bucharest, Romania | 2010 to 2012
- Trainer at CGS Romania | Bucharest, Romania | 2008 to 2010
I sit on the Board of the Association of Professional Coaching and Supervision (APECS) and am a core member of the Future of Coaching Collaboration (FCC). As a former trustee of an educational charity in Romania, I co-designed a four-year curriculum of non-formal learning for high-school students. This has now been followed by over 17.000 students across the country.
I have hundreds of hours of one-to-one coaching experience at Senior Leadership level. Clients describe my coaching style as immersive and integrative.
Teams working with me value clarifying their unique contribution and what they stand for. They co-create the best ways of working together inside and outside of the team, sustaining a growth environment which celebrates differences, increasing their capacity for shared leadership. This allows them to improve their collective performance and engage with stakeholder groups in an effective way, driving value for their organisations and beyond.
Leaders appreciate having me as their thinking partner. They feel heard, supported and received in a safe and confidential space, which allows them to think through their questions and gain new insights. This allows them to move forward into action with clarity and confidence. As a result of coaching, leaders feel more adequately equipped to respond to the present and emerging challenges of business and life. Coaching areas can involve their identity, footprint and legacy as a leader, aligning the individual leadership with the organisation’s business strategy, working with uncertainty, ambiguity and more.
• Integrity and ethics
• Curiosity
• Deep respect for people’s individuality
• Enthusiasm, passion and energy
• Authenticity and self-expression
• Dialogical, reciprocal partnerships
• Resilience, grit and focus
• Balance and emotional regulation
• Brave, present and relaxed
• ‘Just enough’ is plenty
• Brave, clear and intentional
• Taking time to really notice what’s going on
• Taking time to ask and reflect on the important questions
• Manifesting gratitude and celebrating progress
• Deep trust and optimism in our potential and ability to progress
• Speaking with clarity and simplicity
Accreditations and instruments
