About me

I’m an optimist and a determined problem solver. I use my twenty-five years of experience to inspire leaders and business owners to do better and I show them how to do it.

My business career started entirely by accident.

At 22 I had no clue what I wanted to do. When I bumped into my neighbour one day, she suggested I apply for a job opening at Sotheby’s. When I said I wasn’t qualified, she replied ‘If you don’t try, you’ve already failed’

So, I marched over to the auction house with my pitiful 3-line CV and somehow secured an interview on the spot.

Amazingly, I got the job. And it was this ‘give it a shot’ mindset that helped me reach the top of my game in the corporate world.

I travelled all over the world, pioneered new business models live, online and in new territories, rebuilt a performing business after major restructuring (several times) and created new global divisions increasing revenue and market share. One division was launched with a $117 Million in sales for the auction week and resulted in over $600 million of annual sales.

But above all the most important to me was to support my colleagues – whether I was an entry level Administrator or a Senior Director. I used my voice as a senior executive in boardroom meetings to advocate for equal opportunities for growth for all people at all levels of the company, whether it was in the promotion committee or daily with HR and the senior team.

Following two decades of corporate life I took some “me time” to finally do all the stuff I never had time for, moved to Spain, learned a new language and created my own business.

Another of my accomplishments was to become an ICF Accredited Coach and this is now the glue that brings my skills, passion and experience together. You can find out more about my journey here.

These days I remind my leader and business owner clients of this “If you don’t try, you’ve already failed” mindset when they’re facing self-doubt and the fear of playing big.

I help them find practical solutions to grow themselves, their people, and their business, and love doing it. Together we find out what’s really important and then figure out how to get it done.

I’ve lived in Geneva, New York, London and now Barcelona and love multicultural environments and working with international businesses. I’m Irish-Swiss, speak fluent French, am learning Spanish and drive people crazy trying to place my accent!

I live with my husband and our adorable Jack-a-Bee, Cookie, who keeps us active. (Jack/Beagle mix)

"Maria is one of those rare people who has true insight into the world of charities as well as business. Her ability to combine the best of both sectors has never ceased to amaze me. Maria's true ability has always been to inspire, lead from the front and empower others to be the best they can be. During the first few months of the pandemic Maria was selfless in sharing these skills to enable local groups to capacity build and successfully absorb the increased demands on their services."

Jon Meech
CEO HandsOn London

"Maria is one of life's natural problem solvers. She has an extraordinary ability to bring out the best in a team and I know her passion for mentoring and confidence building is long standing and meaningful. One of the most multi-talented individuals at Sotheby's for many years, her ability was recognised on leaving the smaller unit in Geneva for the massive challenge of a senior exec role in New York and then London. All carried off with a smile. "

Russell Gillett-Toone
Senior Management Consultant

"Maria is a talented executive leader who embodies the blend of "head and heart" needed to most effectively lead and manage people. I worked closely with her and saw her ability to identify and ignite the strengths of her staff, supporting their development and achieving improved business results. She has strong business acumen and a drive for results, an unfailingly positive attitude, and a genuine care and concern for people."

Debra Schwartz
Director of Talent Management and Development, Open Society Foundations

"Maria has that rare ability to get the best out of people, to challenge them to reach and excel. She is generous with her management, and we worked together often to help people leave her team and take their next career steps. We also worked together on extensive change, transitioning already successful teams into those ready to face the future, through the introduction of online capability, and better coordination of the complex “machinery” behind the business. Maria’s insight and resulting projects will be felt for many years to come."

Kathryn Ward
Director of People & Performance, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

"Maria is probably one of the most dedicated and reliable people that I know, with this natural ability to problem solve. She excels in making things happen in an organization and is an extraordinary multitasker. One of the biggest lessons learnt from Maria is the importance she values of mutual respect in the workplace. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to experience her professionalism."

Christa Ferreira
Finance & Administration Manager, ALAKT SA