My Story

Most people know me for my rising star education and business career. I have a stellar education from top universities and an MBA from a university ranked among the best 10 in the world. At graduation from the MBA, I was selected out of hundreds of candidates to join Roche’s prestigious Perspectives program, a global leadership program aimed to grow and groom the next generation of leaders at Roche. And I did not disappoint. In less than 5 years I was the first women under 40’s to join the Board of Directors of the largest division of Roche Diagnostics. All this while I was newly married and pregnant with my first daughter. I was considered a talent, a high potential, and my career track was set to reach the stars.

What most people don’t know, is that the rising star turned into a shooting star. As they say, “the higher you climb, the harder you fall”. And that is exactly what I thought it happened. I had a severe burnout and fell into a major depression. Little that I know, it was actually one of the best things that could have happened to me. The “break down” was needed in order to slow me down and reconnect to what was most important: my authentic self.  In the race after money, power and fame I got disconnected from my values, my purpose and my inner balance. I now know, that what I considered once a burnout, it was in fact a spiritual awakening. This experience not only saved my life, but also, connected me back to my life purpose: to put myself in service of people and accompany them on their own journeys of transformation, with courage, compassion and connection.  

Even fewer people know that I didn’t not choose coaching, coaching chose me. I joined Alain Cardon’s school of systemic coaching by coincidence. I know now there is no such thing as a coincidence! Through executive systemic coaching I learned to create reflective silence, to listen from the heart, to see beyond the stories and become aware of the systemic energies, relationships and interactions. I deepened my knowledge on energy by taking on Pránanadi® studies, an ancient Tibetan method of self-development and healing. In this process I learned to heal my physical body, to connect deeper within, to rediscover the value of silence, stillness, balance, compassion and connection. Ever since I practice and strive to achieve a more conscious way of life. 

Just a handful of people know that I was born in communist Romania and I had a rather humble beginning, like the majority of children born in that “golden era”. At the at the age of 21, I took life in my own hands and made a courageous, or rather crazy decision to immigrate on my own to USA. I was searching for a place to start a new life and search for new opportunities. I left my home country with only two suitcases in my hands and a few dollars in my pocket. I started to work my way from the bottom up, studying during the day and working during the night. Every day I practiced visualization, setting the intentions for what I wanted to achieve, working my way up the career ladder. Perseverance, resilience and hard work served me well and propelled me on the career path I am today. 

I have so much gratitude for the experiences I lived through, for the lessons I learned and for the relationships I formed. I am so grateful the universe provides us with guidance and I accept it with humility and respect. Life is a wonderful journey and I am fortunate to have found my path, fortunate to have lost it and found it again. Everything happens for a reason and there’s a lesson in it, if we are open to acknowledge it.