Elisabeth Schwab – Leadership Coaching & Transformation Advisory Skip to content
Elisabeth Schwab Leadership Coaching & Transformation Advisory
Leadership Coaching & Transformation Advisory

Where real business
meets coaching.

I partner with founders, leaders and their teams as they navigate dynamic, complex contexts where the path is anything but linear. Business experience, consulting depth and coaching presence, in one partner.

Elisabeth Schwab – Leadership Coach & Transformation Advisor
ICF-Certified Leadership Coach and Organisational Consultant Vienna, Austria · working in English & German
14+ years of leadership across
Roche / mySugr BMW Group SHARE NOW goUrban Mobility European Innovation Council TU Wien i²c
Why this work

Most transformations don't fail on strategy or technology. They fall short when people aren't involved, don't understand it, and ultimately don't trust it.

In today's world of constant transformation, success requires new forms of leadership and collaboration, new approaches to change, and a culture that brings people with it, not just along for the ride.

That's where I come in. I work where consulting and coaching meet – bringing strategic perspective, real operational experience, and grounded coaching to people driving real change.

And since I know this work is an investment, it needs to show – in clear social and commercial value for your organisation.

The approach
The greatest gift we can offer each other is the framework in which to think for ourselves.

– Nancy Kline, Thinking Environment®

Time to actually think

In einer schnellen, brüchigen, nicht-linearen Welt halten wir selten inne, um nachzudenken. Auf Basis des Thinking Environment® und lösungsfokussierten Coachings schaffe ich die Bedingungen für frisches, eigenständiges Denken – und das Wunderbare, oft Unerwartete, das daraus entsteht. (Akkreditiert von der International Coaching Federation.)

Strategy that meets the room

Anders als reine Beratung übergebe ich nicht nur Konzepte. Und anders als reines Coaching bringe ich echte Business-, P&L- und Transformationserfahrung mit.

Das Ergebnis? Handlungsfähigkeit, Klarheit, Zuversicht – und die konkreten nächsten Schritte, um vorwärtszukommen.

How we can work together

Three ways, each for a different moment.

1:1 coaching for founders and tech leaders — a confidential space for the thinking that matters most. Three areas I focus on:

Startup founders

From product to market — navigating pressures, critical decisions and the complexity of scaling.

Female leadership

From mentoring with the EIC Women's Leadership Programme and Female Founders, and my own experience, I know how competitive and lonely tech can be for a woman. That's why I love partnering with female leaders to lead with clarity, impact and resilience, true to their values.

Career development & transition

Whether it's a promotion, a reorganisation, or a sense that what you do no longer feels right — I support you in redefining your role, growing into the next one, and moving through change with intention.

You leave with

Clarity · Resilience · Confident decisions

Facilitation, workshops and team sessions — from team dynamics and hybrid working to values, purpose and strategy activation. Sessions are designed with you and moderated end to end, so teams stay cohesive as the landscape shifts.

Workshops I've facilitated
1
Vision, Mission, Values

Co-creating and facilitating workshops that make a company's vision, mission and values explicit, building a shared picture of where the team is heading.

2
Strategy development

Turning direction into concrete priorities the team owns.

3
Team building

Strengthening trust, dynamics and ways of working together.

You leave with

Shared direction · Increased engagement & motivation · Clarity

Transformation often fails when people feel change is happening to them, not with them. Through workshops, facilitation and hands-on advisory, I help teams and organisations co-create the culture, trust and ownership that make transformation possible.

70%

of transformations fall short — rarely because of strategy or tech.1

28% vs 3%

success rate when frontline teams are engaged — vs when they're not.2

1,2 McKinsey — ‘Successful transformations’.

You leave with

Adoption · Ownership · Change that sticks

The common thread

Whatever the situation that needs to change, the work is the same — thinking with people, not handing them answers.

One leader, a team, or a whole organisation — I co-create the reflective space with clients, where clarity, ownership and better decisions come from people themselves.

What good work returns

median return on investment reported by organisations that track coaching.1

14%

higher productivity in teams with high engagement.2

23%

higher profitability in teams with high engagement.2

1 ICF Global Coaching Client Study (PwC). 2 Gallup, Q12 Meta-Analysis (11th Edition).

Elisabeth Schwab
About Elisabeth

Transformation I've understood, led, and lived.

Hallo, ich bin Elisabeth! Ich lebe in Wien und arbeite als ICF-zertifizierte Leadership-Coachin und Organisationsberaterin mit Fokus auf digitale Transformation. Meine Praxis stützt sich auf 14+ Jahren internationaler Führungserfahrung in Marketing, Brand und Growth in Konzernen und Startups und auf einen MSc in People & Organisational Development der University of Sussex (UK).

Heute begleite ich die digitale Kulturtransformation im Wiener öffentlichen Sektor. Daneben coache und mentore ich Gründer*innen, Führungskräfte und Teams – unter anderem im Rahmen des Women's Leadership Programme des European Innovation Council, Female Founders und dem Innovation Incubation Center der TU Wien.

The truth is, I didn't get here on my own. I've been lucky enough to have had great leaders, coaches and mentors who accompanied me on my journey. More and more, I realised I want to become that person for others, which is why coaching, mentoring and digital transformation are at the heart of my practice today.

Ich kenne persönliche Transformation auch first-hand – die Unsicherheit beim Verlassen einer Corporate Karriere, den Verlust vertrauter Strukturen und die Angst vor dem Unbekannten. Aber auch die Freude, das Wachstum und das schöne Gefühl, zu sich selbst zu finden. Diese gelebte Erfahrung bringe ich in meine Arbeit mit.

And so, the mix is the point: strategic perspective, hands-on delivery experience, and a grounded coaching craft, all combined in one partner.

Qualifications & accreditations
  • Thinking Environment® Leadership Coaching Time To Think · Oxford, UK
  • Solution-Focused Coaching – ICF Associate Certified Coach International Coaching Federation
  • MSc People & Organisational
    Development
    University of Sussex, UK
  • Women's Leadership Development Programme Saïd Business School, Oxford, UK
  • Diversity & Inclusion Certification Cornell University, US
In their words
Elisabeth brings a rare combination of real business experience and genuine coaching presence. She sharpened my thinking, helped me see the bigger picture, and gave me the confidence to act on it.

Founder · InsurTech

I felt both safe and pushed at the same time, which is quite rare. She created a space where I felt genuinely heard, which made it easier to explore things I might otherwise never have perceived.

Chief Growth Officer · Climate Tech

Elisabeth's expertise and thoughtful approach have been truly transformative – helping me navigate complex decisions while staying true to my values.

Senior Programme Manager · Tech Sector

Elisabeth helped me find the thread connecting what I already knew. The questions she asked opened up things I hadn't been able to articulate before – and that clarity has stayed with me.

Digital Sustainability Lead · Digital Transformation

I felt genuinely seen and supported throughout – not managed or advised, but truly accompanied. There was always ample space to think independently and arrive at my own insights in my own time.

Education Programme Manager · Media Consultancy

A note on privacy: these voices are shared anonymously. Some clients would gladly show their name and profile here — others value their privacy, as coaching is something deeply personal. Integrity towards my clients always comes first, so I keep these references anonymous. I'm happy to share reference contacts for further context on my work; please don't hesitate to reach out.

Get in touch

Let's start with a conversation.

No pitch, no pressure – just a chance to see whether the fit is right. Tell me a little about where you are, and I'll be in touch.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email.
Please add a short message.

Your note goes straight to Elisabeth. Replies usually within two working days.

Thank you – message sent.

I've received your note and will be in touch personally, usually within two working days.