The Journey
I grew up in a small industrial town in Ukraine, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
There were no easy paths, no connections to pull, no safety nets. What I had was an eye for opportunity, the will to seize it, and a refusal to wait for permission.
When my first real chance came — a scholarship to study in France — I had one year to learn French from scratch, pass the exam, and beat the competition. I didn't speak a word of French. I got the scholarship.
That taught me something I've never forgotten: the biggest limits are rarely external. They live in the stories we tell ourselves about what's possible.
The Corporate Years
I've spent over 12 years inside some of the world's most complex organisations.
At Deloitte, Standard Chartered and EY, I worked alongside some of the most senior leaders in global business, helping them navigate transformation, complexity and ambiguity at scale.
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I was good at it. Very good. I progressed to Associate Director in the executive layer, led global transformations, and became Chief of Staff to the Global Technology Consulting Leader. I had a strong network, real credibility, interesting work, and a comfortable professional identity to match.
And still, something wasn't quite right. That was the hard part. When something is obviously bad, leaving is relatively easy. When something is objectively good, leaving can feel almost irrational. What will I do instead? Am I throwing away everything I've built? If I'm good at this, why would I leave?
But being good at something and wanting to keep doing it are two different things. I'd built an identity around being successful — and quietly become trapped by that same success. That's the Successful Persona becoming the Success Trap, and it's exactly what I now help other leaders see in themselves.
What Matters Most
I've been married for 20 years. My husband and I have two children — a 11- year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter - both thriving academically and as semi-professional athletes. They've taught me more about discipline, resilience and showing up than any corporate role ever could.
I looked at them and realised that in my years of intense corporate life, I had given them very little of my real attention, and they wouldn't be home forever. I also knew coaching is where I'm at my best. When I run a session, I feel like I'm dancing in the rain. That's not a metaphor. It's a physical feeling of being exactly where I belong.
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In January 2026, I resigned from EY.
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Not because I was unhappy enough to leave. Because I was finally ready to fully arrive — and to build Epic North around the framework I'd been living: Successful Persona, Success Trap, and the deliberate work of Self - Authoring what comes next.
Why I Can Help You
I bring 12+ years of lived corporate experience, not theory. I've navigated global organisations and managed up, down and sideways inside complex political environments. I know the challenges you're facing because I've faced most of them myself.
I spent years coaching EY's global executive layer alongside my own leadership roles, and I've seen firsthand what happens when senior leaders shift from performing to being. I hold an ICF ACC Executive Coaching credential and am also trained in Systemic Leadership Coaching & Constellations, and Transformational Narrative Coaching.
I'm also a leader who came back from a 7-year career break and had to rebuild from scratch. My husband and I have built a life across countries and languages and started over more times than I can count. I know what it takes to build. And I know what it takes to stay.