AKILI
VANTAGE
Executive Coaching and Supervision
Executive Coaching
Working with Sophie was an absolute delight, and was a very worthwhile investment into my professional development. She was both genuine and professional and I immediately felt comfortable working with her. Sophie listened keenly, and was a master at drawing insights and clarity out of a complex set of information. Her use of visual and tactile methods was particularly effective. She offered me useful tips and tools that I applied to build my own leadership competencies -- in short, Sophie, through her own wisdom and skill, helped me to do my job better, and with more enjoyment and confidence!
Rikka Trangsrud Country Director PATH Kenya Country Program
I thank you Sophie for your kind heartedness, the open and friendly disposition with which you engaged with me, as well as the professional approach to your support. I have truely learnt a lot that will impact my life in the short and long term.
Olufemi Abidoye
“Going through a key and difficult career decision, I engaged with Sophie as my coach and the coaching intervention was indeed rewarding. Through the coaching sessions, I was able to get clarity and perspective to my journey. The reflections, the questions and role-plays immensely adding value to my thinking process as well as challenging me. The outcome was clarity and a way forward for me. I will truly treasure my coaching with Sophie and my gratitude to her for becoming my coach.”
NIzar Tundai -Diamond Trust Bank - General Manager Information Technology
I had the opportunity to work with Sophie Bruas at a pivotal point in my career as I sought to both define and refine my career. Sophie has the capacity to quickly assess an individual, using their strengths and opportunities to help guide in the right direction. She worked with me to help create a vision and think more strategically as a people Leader. She did not hesitate to tactfully, but directly point out areas that needed to be considered a different way. Her unique ability to recognise, understand and explain complex business relationships has changed my thinking, and most importantly my actions. I would recommend her highly to anyone looking for that rare competence and compassion in a career coach.
Isabella Segina – Head of HR Access Kenya
“Working with Sophie was an eye opening experience. Sophie used a variety of technics to make me reflect and clearly identify my short and long term professional objectives. I am now in a position to better organise my work and plan for achieving them. She helped me manage important changes that happened in my professional life making a real difference for the people I work with. She also helped me work better on my work life balance.”
Marc - WFP
Working with Sophie has been amazing. In a very complex professional and personal phase of my life, she has helped me refocus on my strengths, my priorities and my professional objectives. I have emerged from our coaching sessions with enhanced confidence in my skills, a stronger ability to articulate them and a broader perspective of their relevance, and of how they can be applied, in diverse, new professional contexts. I have learnt so much and recommend her wholeheartedly: thank you Sophie!
Laura Alessandrini - Founder Bush Adventure
Sophie Bruas coached me during my recent career change. I had decided to leave an intense, high level job at the UN after 10 years of working in various organisations on humanitarian programmes. I knew I needed a change and I had a lot of ideas about what I wanted to do next but I was overwhelmed by the different options and couldn’t see my way clearly to a decision on which direction to take. Sophie helped me to explore my strengths, to understand my real interests and identify my goals using a variety of visual tools which I found very effective. It was an emotional journey in many ways but Sophie was dealt with my ups and downs with professionalism and empathy.
I was lucky in that a number of the pieces of my personal career map fell into place for me soon after I left the UN. But looking back it was Sophie’s coaching that helped my make that career map and without her I would not have even known that those “pieces” fitted into my map and I would not have had the conviction to jump at the opportunities when they came along. I highly recommend Sophie for anyone searching for a new career direction or facing professional challenges.
Nancy Balefour Founder, Center for Humanitarian Change.
Coaching has helped me tremendously, Sophie and I connected and I was prepared to be open and vulnerable and seek solutions with her support. Her tact and insight resonated with me and my style of thinking and feeling. I left each session challenged and very aware and returned with progress, results and momentum. I'm thankful for our engagement and certain it won't be the last time.
Mark Kaigwa - Founder Nendo Ventures
J’ai un travail à temps plein et possède un business que je gère moi-même en plus d’être une mère pour 2 magnifiques petites filles et être une épouse; juste assez à faire pour trois vies entières et pas réalisable en une seule vie. Voyant ma détresse, mon mari m’a offert des séances de coaching pour mon anniversaire, drôle de cadeau non !!!
Sophie m’a aidé à faire une analyse de mon emploi de temps, l’élément qui me fait défaut. Cette analyse m’a ouvert les yeux sur les points d’ombre à améliorer pour une meilleure efficacité. Je suis arrivée à mieux organiser mon business, j’avance maintenant avec des objectifs clairs et surtout j’arrive à bien balancer ma vie privée et ma vie professionnelle. Merci encore Sophie."
Kiki Kamana
Sophie Bruas has played a key role in transforming my professional career. The coaching that Sophie provided enabled me to successfully navigate a transition from employee to director of my own company. She is extremely professional, with a natural ability to identify the internal constraints that were holding me back from realizing my potential. Sophie empowered me to find internal solutions to professional challenges, and gave me to the confidence and the tools to take risks and embrace change. I would not be were I am today without Sophie's exceptional coaching. I can recommend her without reservation.
Jeff Worden - Director Osilalei Ltd
"I invested in Sophie's services on my own initiative. I found that the approach and tools she used in the coaching exercise were extremely useful and have been a beneficial investment. The sessions triggered fresh ideas and clarity for both my personal and professional journey. I would highly recommend working with Sophie if you need to engage at a new level of effectiveness."
Rosemary Rop - World Bank
" When I started working with Sophie, I was very frustrated in my career, and struggling to keep it growing, rather than shrinking. Sophie was amazing at listening and understanding the complex network of feelings, wants and needs that I was going through around my work - and in a way translating it back to me in a way that made it easier to see what I could shift and develop towards getting satisfaction from my career.
The work we did pointed out to me that there are aspects to my career choice that are challenging because they are coming from a place of proving myself rather than enjoying myself. By breaking down the elements that were frustrating me, I was able to see what I wanted to replace those elements with - and for me that was definitely more play and fun in my working life."
Today I am daily moving away from the "shoulds" I once thought integral to my work, and am enjoying discovering the lighter side."
Eva Gilliam - Videographer and Improviser
“Sophinaaa I am so so grateful I met you! Thanks so much for being such a great inspiration and guide... You might not realize but to me our talks and thinking was so useful to take my decision! I'll never forget you! Keep shining and inspiring people cause you are just amazing ....”
Clelia - Communication Expert
"After our son was born, I wanted to return to work, but knew I wanted to do something different, meaningful and rewarding with my skills. Sophie was amazing at listening, understanding, guiding me through the process and challenging me by asking tough questions. She was always professional, discreet, compassionate, and prepared. Leaving one career path and moving onto the next can be difficult and emotional, but Sophie helped me make the transition with ease and confidence. Sophie is excellent at what she does and I would highly recommend her as a career coach."
Natasha Sweeney - Videographer "Little Film"
Interview preparation & Job search support
'I got the job with xxxx, just found out this week. I'm really happy and have accepted the post. Thanks again for all your help with the interview preparation, I couldn't have done it without you.' - Olivia
'J'ai le plaisir de te partager de bonnes nouvelles: j'ai reçu deux offres d'emploi depuis et ai maintenant l'embarras du choix. Ton appui y a été pour beaucoup et je tenais à t'en remercier infiniment.' – Anonymous
'I would like really express my thanks a million times for your time and support before my interview for International Head of Disaster Risk Management. I got the position!!! I really am so thank you for your encouragement and support that you gave me.' - Victor
Sophie's support was helpful and productive: not only, I have secured interviews, in less than a month but had later been spoiled for choice between the offers. Thanks Sophie, it was a fulfilling experience to be with you. - Ando - PSI
Team Effectiveness
I met Sophie Bruas during my Executive Coaching training sessions at Career Connections in 2013. She was one of the trainers and her style of coaching and delivery method resonated with me.
The Marketing and Communications department have been working with Akili Vantage from 2013. We have had two annual 2 day sessions where we have engaged on the area of team from a personality, dynamics and building point of view. In 2014, Akili Vantage added an aspect of testing and the tool was very helpful in the continued conversation on how to better improve our delivery and performance of the team.
We have seen change within the team as a result of the training and we are now able to work better because we understand the various aspects that contribute to us becoming a better and performing team.
The learning and development services that we have received from Akili Vantage have been customer oriented and very tailored to our needs. Sophie has been critical in doing pre-work with each member of the team to understand what will be important in driving the sessions, not just for the team but also for the team members. This tailor made approach has been very effective.
We have enjoyed remarkable services of utmost professionalism and integrity. We are more than happy to recommend Akili Vantage to you for purposes of coaching, learning and development.
Nancy Salamba- Head ofMarketing & Communication - CfC Stanbic Bank