sharmin banu

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Sharmin Banu, Senior Consultant

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sharmin Banu is a Professional Certified Coach (ICF-PCC) with 20+ years of experience as an executive coach and as a technology leader.  She specializes in coaching leaders, and seasoned professionals of diverse backgrounds in the high-tech industry develop their emotional intelligence (EQ) and Executive Presence, resulting in leadership excellence, team collaboration, and desired career transitions.  As a fierce champion of coach approach, Sharmin has served as the President of the ICF Washington Chapter and has written numerous articles and white papers on coaching.

Background & INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Sharmin’s firsthand experience with people from different cultural backgrounds puts her in a unique position of coaching the diverse workforce in today’s corporate world. She is on a mission to create a meaningful connection with her audience no matter how different they are. She has managed and coached people from different countries (in Asia, Europe, North, and South America), diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, and sexual orientation.

 

Sharmin has coached leaders and senior professionals from Technology, Aerospace, Pharmaceuticals, and Finance industries. Her clientele comes from Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, Salesforce, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and many other reputed organizations.

Coaching Approach

Sharmin’s warm personality, direct, jargon-free style, and a systems approach have been a key to her client success. Her understanding of tech and corporate culture helps her relate and build a trusting relationship with her clients, who usually have sharp analytical minds. Sharmin helps them tap into their intrinsic motivation leading them to a deeper level of engagement resulting in sustainable excellence.

Facilitation & teambuilding Approach

Sharmin applies a coaching approach for groups and teams to create a place for safe and open conversation. It helps to quickly pinpoint the most important issues in people’s minds and then systematically address those by leveraging their collective creativity and resourcefulness. 

Relevant coaching assignments

  • Vice President/CTO, Fortune 500 (Tech) – Coached for personal branding resulting in a promotion. Later helped him transition to the new role. He had a smoother than anticipated hurdles in the process and received a renewed commitment from the team he inherited.

  • Director, Fortune 100 (Tech, Internet) – Coached for higher emotional intelligence, better conflict management, and executive presence. It resulted in a promotion, smoother relationship with the stakeholders, and more work-life balance. 

  • VP Technical Sales, Fortune 100 (Tech) – Helped develop her leadership acumen using coaching skills as a tool. She became more confident and discerning using a coaching approach to develop her team members.

Relevant Facilitation & teambuilding assignments

  • Facilitated a team of 50+ managers preparing them for performance feedback conversation for the first time with their teams. (A mid-size Fintech company)

  • Facilitated monthly meetings of the new first-line leaders discussing various people management issues. (A Biotech Research Company)

  • As the President of ICF WA Chapter, led and facilitated various Chapter meetings, both large and small, ranging from the strategy meetings to town hall type events.

Education & Professional Affiliations

  • MS in Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coach Federation (ICF)

  • EQ in Action (Emotional Intelligence), Team and Group Coaching, Tilt 365, Leadership Circle 360. CCL assessment suites, WorkPlace Big Five Profile™, Firo-B,Stakeholder interviews, Mentor Coaching (Coaching the coaches)

  • Spoke at conferences and webinars. Written 60+ articles on leadership and personal growth. Published in reputed sites, including ICF and Human Capital Institute (HCI)