Meet Our Alumni Coaches
Christi Byerly, MCC - founder and CEO
Christi's coaching process motivates you to build a community of empathy and grace around you — and to live your mission as part of something bigger than you are.
Christi has trained hundreds of new coaches in French and English since 2014 and has mentored dozens of coaches-in-training. She maintains a thriving coaching practice and has been coaching professionally since 2009, after graduating from the International Coach Academy.
Christi holds a Master NLP certificate, as well as certifications in spiritual direction, group coaching, depth coaching, Enneagram work and mentor coaching. She is a Certified Daring GreatlyTM Facilitator.
Married to Ben, she is the mom of three young people and lives in Alsace on the French, Swiss, and German borders.
Certifications:
- ICF - Master Certified Coach®️ and Mentor Coach
- NLP Master Practitioner
- Spiritual Accompaniment Certified
- Certified Daring Greatly™ and Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator
- ORSC™ - Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching
- Certified Group Coach and Workplace Coach
Andrew Simpson, PCC
Andrew is a leadership coach and organization development practitioner with over 30 years of experience in the international development sector. He established Rising Sun Coaching, LLC with his wife and co-coach Sharon.
Andrew is passionate about walking with non-profit and corporate clients to gain clarity, confidence, courage and momentum towards a bright and fruitful future. In coaching leaders, he integrates the Leadership Circle Profile 360 to inform leadership growth and team building.
Proficient in French and Wolof (Sénégal), Andrew holds a Bachelors in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters in Organization Development from American University. Having completed a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown, he is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and an ICF Registered Mentor Coach.
Based in Washington, D.C. he is the father of two young men. During his lifetime, he has travelled to over 80 countries. Andrew loves capturing the sunrise in poetry and photography.
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach®️
- Leadership Circle Profile 360 Certified®
Thomas Mundia, PCC
Thomas is a senior executive leadership coach, specializing in gender, social, moral and emotional intelligence. A professional coach since 2015, he coaches CEOs, executive and board committee members, senior leadership teams, business owners and social entrepreneurs, both as a personal and team coach in countries across Africa.
With a background in economics, Thomas holds a masters in applied philosophy and ethics. He has held senior positions in manufacturing, media, finance and NGOs.
Thomas combines coaching psychology with psychometric assessments to help his clients find their underlying drivers, move through their blocks, and achieve their goals. His creative tools, exercises, and African proverbs offer deeper awareness.
He's adventurous, creative, and curious. With his wife Hedaya, Thomas heads the thriving Pied Pipers Services, Ltd.
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach®️
- Master in Applied Philosophy and Ethics
- Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach (USA)
- Advanced Professional Skills Training (The Performance Solution, UK)
- LPI TPMA Certified Trainer (IFC, UK)
- Clarity 4D Certified Accreditor & Business partner (UK)
Valeyne Grotrian, PCC
Valeyne is an “Inner Leader” Coach for legacy-minded and soul-centered leaders with over 20 years of experience in business operations and human resources leadership roles across 6 industries. She founded Agora Coaching & Training Solutions in 2017, a collective for leaders who want to trust themselves more fully and confidently stand in their inner power. As an Awaken Faculty member, Valeyne aims to create a learning environment where coaches can bravely bring their whole self to their practice with curiosity and play.
Valeyne holds a Psychology of Leadership certification through eCornell University, the PCC credential through the ICF and is a Triple-Certified Professional Coach; Awake Coach Institute (2021), Gallup CliftonStrengths® Coach (2017), International Coach Academy (2012).
Based in the greater Chicagoland area of the United States, Valeyne is a pilot’s wife and dog mom. They all enjoy adventurous time outdoors together whether it be at the beach or mountains.
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach
®️ - Awaken Coach Institute Graduate, International Coach Academy Graduate & Certified CliftonStrengths® Coach through Gallup
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Certified Practitioner
- Psychology of Leadership Certification through eCornell University
Heather King, PCC
Heather completed her training as a Certified Professional Coach at the International Coach Academy in 2012 and became an ICF Associate Certified Coach in 2014. She is passionate about life-coaching because she believes it has the potential to help people thrive and live lives that are deeply fulfilling and meaningful.
One of her core values, as a coach, is to support and come alongside her clients as they align their lives with what they truly value. Heather also has a Master’s in Social Work and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She lives in PA with her husband and three teenage boys. She loves to read, hike in the mountains, play volleyball, and drink a good cup of strong coffee.
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach®️
Camilla Cesari, MCC
Camilla is an experienced leadership and executive coach and facilitator who works with mid-senior managers, leaders and executives. She holds an MBA with the University of Adelaide and has a background in economics and tax law. Her diverse life and work experiences both as a freelance, a professional and a manager in a multinational company give her many insights on the challenges coming with life and work transitions.
Her areas of expertise include management training in coaching competencies, social and emotional intelligence, work-life balance, communication, strengths awareness and management, executive team cohesion development and resilience.
Camilla coaches in English, Spanish, Italian and French, and has over 2.500 coaching hours, including executive coaching, small group coaching and team coaching. She has worked worldwide with entrepreneurs, leaders and teams in global organisations, small businesses and professionals. She also works as mentor coach for coaches. She lives in Bologna, Italy.
Certifications:
- ICF - Master Certified Coach®️
- ORSC™ - Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching
- ICF Mentor Coach
- Leadership Circle Profile 360 Certified
Grace Remington, ACC
Grace is a leadership and well-being coach who is passionate about empowering others to live whole and resilient lives. She graduated from George Mason University's Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being program and has worked with a variety of clients, including military leaders, fighter pilots, federal government and private sector managers, men and women experiencing mid-life transition, and new parents.
For the past eight years, Grace has worked as an immigration law professional in the federal government, holding positions in DC, California, and abroad. She is a yoga, barre, and meditation instructor, a lifelong vegetarian, and an international travel enthusiast. She lives in Washington, United States.
Certifications:
- ICF - Associate Certified Coach®️
Joan Leteipa, ACC
Joan is an International Development professional with over 15 years of experience in product and project management across non-profits and multinational corporations. As an Associate Certified Coach with ICF and Social Innovation fellow with Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation in Canada, she applies a coaching mindset to all her work and approaches life as a process of continuous innovation.
She views coaching as a way of being and is fascinated by the daily transformation coaching brings in alignment with her core value of growth. She enjoys coaching conversations and facilitating professional coach training. She lives in Kenya with her husband Leteipa and two sons Lempiris and Lesiamon. She loves taking beach walks, swimming, quiet reflection and deep conversations over a cup of brewed Kenyan masala tea (chai).
Certifications:
- ICF - Associate Certified Coach®️
- LIFO®️ Certified Practitioner
- Success Teams Certified facilitator
Debbie Brupbacher, PCC
Debbie is a highly motivated and passionate Executive Leadership, Career, and Team Coach. With over 20 years of experience in multinational firms serving in various senior global roles in finance and transformational projects, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her clients. Throughout her career, people development has always been at the center, and she has now found her true calling in coaching and leadership development.
Debbie’s approach to coaching is centered around increasing awareness of the power of vulnerability, authenticity, and heartfelt leadership. By combining conceptual frameworks, metaphors, fun, movement, and nature, she helps her clients expand their thinking and expectations, leading to a higher level of effectiveness and leadership. Her goal is to inspire and encourage clients to be more self-aware of their strengths and value, allowing them to achieve greater success in both their careers and personal lives.
Based in Bern, Switzerland, Debbie enjoys spending time with her teenage daughter and two cats, as well as pursuing her love of nature, mountain running and is an ultra-race winner. She brings her experiences in running and nature to her coaching programs, imparting discipline, resilience, self-awareness, and purpose.
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach®️
- Leadership Circle Profile 360 Certified
- ORSC™ - Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching
- Team Coaching International
- DiSC & Five Behaviours Certified Practitioner
- ICF Mentor Coach
Clare Walker, PCC
Clare is the Global Coaching Lead in a major organisation, so has the opportunity to coach people from all over the World on a daily basis. Working within such diversity gives her a wealth of experience and knowledge. Studying initially with Sir John Whitmore’s organisation (founder of the GROW Model) and then with Awaken, Clare has a love of learning coaching tools and perspectives as well as the richness shegains from Coaching Conversations with both coaches and clients.
Clare facilitates training for all levels, from graduates to C-Suite and enjoys upskilling the 100 Internal Coaches in her Community of Practice. Outside of work, it is the theatre, music and walking in the Lake District that give her the energy for her work as well as looking after her family, from a 10 year old granddaughter to her parents in their 80’s via a husband of 30 years and 2 grown up children!
Certifications:
- ICF - Professional Certified Coach®️
- ICF – Group Coach
- Hogan Assessor
Deb Ingersoll, ACC
Deb is passionate about facilitating leaders on their journey to creating a culture that works for more people and more varied people to thrive. In coaching individuals, she provides space for discovery of authenticity. Her website quotes, “When you’ve found your purpose, your ability to have an impact in positive ways will be transformed.”
Her work includes large corporations, small start-ups, and, more recently, humanitarian organisations. Deb's background in systems thinking, strategic leadership, culture curation, design, innovation, and technology has led her to a new venture; a master’s degree with research focused on creating the systemic conditions for behaviour-linked values.
She loves to talk with people who have been considering who their authentic self truly is. Deb's coaching provides a safe space so they can find their purpose to unleash a life they love.
Based in Germany, she is a 2020 graduate of Awaken and certified through the ICF. As a deep listener and lover of nature, adventure, and creativity, she enjoys exploring the world on her bike and hiking with her husband, kids, and friends.
Certifications:
- ICF - Associate Certified Coach®️
Susanne Ritter-Olsen, Certified Coach
Susanne is a multi-lingual Career Transition, Leadership & Executive Coach with over 15 years of experience in business and HR leadership roles.
Since 2008 she has worked fully as a coach supporting international professionals in their career transition to a new country. She is Danish and her own experience as a newcomer to 6 different counties throughout her career, speaking 4 languages fluently and 3 semi- fluently has helped her support highly qualified professionals coming to Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Luxemburg, and the UK to land a new job or engage in career development opportunities while navigating life in a new culture.
A favorite engagement of hers is supporting Technology & Machine Industry companies as well as Chemical and Pharma organizations to grow their female talent and serve these through leadership development coaching. Her true passion is supporting female leaders in their growth!
Over the years she also has experienced the joy of supporting senior growth-oriented leaders, managers, and middle managers through executive coaching reaching both personal and professional goals.
In addition to her certifications, she is also well acquainted with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and 360 Assessments and holds a Degree in business and supply chain management from Business College Kolding in Denmark.
Based near Basel, Switzerland, Susanne is a wife of a self-employed IT engineering Expert and mom to 3 wonderful sons - all now grown up and therefore an empty nester with the lovely family dog Layla!.
Certifications:
- Certified Coach with Awaken Coach Institute
- Certified Solution Focus Coach with SolutionSurfers
- Certified Birkman Assessment Coach with Birkman International
- Certified Pretz Method Hypnosis Coach
- Adler Trained Counsellor at ICL
