Who I am

When a client has a flash of insight into themselves that enables them to see a way forward, that is a magical moment.  I love working with people to help them find those moments.  We all have many strengths that brought us success in the past, but stresses of the world sometimes take us to a place where these strengths work against us.

I have over 25 years of business leadership experience.  My titles have included Chief Information Officer, Purchasing Director, and Assistant Budget Director. Yet, several years ago after I lost both of my parents, I admitted that I was miserable in my job and changed the direction of my life. I became a leadership/career coach trained at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC), certified by the International Coaching Federation.  

As part of my coaching training, I realized that in my capacity as a leader, I had grown complacent and not used all of the relationship building skills I had used earlier in my career. I have put that knowledge to work volunteering as a nonprofit leader (leading a large church in transition, starting a tutoring program, and most recently helping a soup kitchen transition to a to-go operation) and coaching. I am a senior consultant with Wildfire Strategies, where I have been working to help clients to be more effective by building teamwork and creating an environment of psychological safety.

I am a Japanese-American who grew up in the tristate New York area.  My last name means “stone bridge.” I leveraged the Asian emphasis on hard work and education to earn an MBA from Columbia. As an introvert I developed strong listening skills that I use with my clients, and also understand that leadership is not the exclusive province of extraverts (though introverts may need to work harder at building and maintaining relationships.

Working with me, clients evaluate the effectiveness of their relationship and communication skills, and then develop and implement a plan for making it happen. If you are ready to make the journey, contact me today for a complimentary coaching session. Click here.

Contact me at: kris@krisishibashi.com