“An inspiring leader making a difference with people and organizations worldwide.”
Herma M. Schmitz is a transformational executive coach, consultant, and global business leader whose four-decade career spans continents, industries, and executive disciplines. Known for her dynamic presence, keen insight, and unwavering commitment to empowering leaders, she has become an influential figure in the fields of leadership development, organizational transformation, and executive performance. Her work has reached multinational corporations, financial institutions, healthcare systems, government offices, and high-performing executive teams across the world, all of whom have benefited from her remarkable ability to elevate capability and produce unprecedented results.
Herma’s professional journey began in Europe, where she completed her education in Germany and earned an MBA in International Trade and Shipping. This early foundation in international logistics and commerce gave her deep insight into global markets, operational complexity, and cross-border business dynamics. She later expanded her career into commercial real estate in New York, spending fourteen years negotiating major transactions for foreign firms and developing a strong reputation for her ability to navigate high-stakes environments with strategic clarity and precision.
Her success in commercial real estate and international trade created a unique platform for her next chapter: executive coaching and organizational consulting. After serving as a senior consultant with the global consulting firm LEBD/Vanto Group, she ultimately became Principal and President of Executive Coaching Group, Inc., a role she continues to hold more than two decades later. Across this journey, she has coached thousands of leaders and worked intimately with executive teams seeking alignment, cultural renewal, and breakthrough performance.
Throughout her career, Herma has distinguished herself by her ability to uncover the heart of an issue with uncommon speed and clarity. Her listening—sharp, intuitive, and deeply attuned—enables her to identify the unseen patterns and unspoken dynamics that often constrain organizational potential. Many clients experience immediate breakthroughs during their very first session, a testament to her skill in revealing pathways to transformation that others often overlook. This gift has allowed her to navigate adversarial or high-conflict environments with poise, facilitating alignment among stakeholders who previously considered collaboration impossible.
Her global exposure has shaped her into a leader with extraordinary cultural depth. She has worked extensively across The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., Eastern Europe, South Africa, Australia, and the United States. Whether engaging with multinational executives, financial institutions, or community leaders, Herma brings sensitivity to cultural context and an ability to adapt her coaching to the nuances of each environment. Her international clients—ranging from Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank to Marsh, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Swiss Re, and Bellevue Hospital—consistently praise her for catalyzing meaningful, lasting organizational change.
Herma’s work is grounded in ontology and the study of language as the foundation of leadership. She understands that transformation occurs when leaders become aware of the structures shaping their behavior, communication, and decision-making. Through this lens, she has designed and led breakthrough leadership programs, transformative seminars, cultural integration initiatives, and coaching solutions that have impacted individuals, organizations, and communities for more than forty years. Her public seminars have reached audiences worldwide, and she has been invited to speak at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, the German American Chamber of Commerce, and the European Roundtable.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Herma’s life reflects a powerful commitment to service, community, and personal growth. She has volunteered for decades with Landmark Worldwide, leading transformative learning programs that have empowered millions of people globally. She has served on multiple boards, including Aging in America, Youth at Risk, and the Germanistic Society, where she contributed her expertise to support education, social services, and community development. Her personal pursuits—marathon running, world travel, expert skiing, passionate sailing, and adventurous exploration—mirror the vitality and discipline she brings to her leadership work.
Herma’s decision to pursue board service reflects both a natural evolution of her career and a deep desire to contribute to organizations at a strategic level. With maturity, insight, and wisdom gained through decades of coaching top-tier leaders, she seeks to partner with companies committed to growth, transformation, and meaningful impact. She offers boards a grounded yet visionary approach, helping leaders navigate complexity, align around purpose, and accelerate performance while cultivating cultures rooted in clarity, accountability, and authenticity.
Today, Herma stands as a highly sought-after advisor whose influence extends far beyond traditional coaching. She embodies the belief that leadership is not merely a function of position, but a way of being that shapes the future. Her work continues to expand across industries and continents, touching lives and advancing organizations that are committed to excellence, reinvention, and enduring success.
Character:
Herma exemplifies profound integrity, approaching each leader and organization with authenticity, compassion, and unwavering commitment. She demonstrates resilience and courage in navigating complex organizational dynamics, always grounded in her purpose to make a difference. Her character inspires trust, allowing clients to engage in transformative work with confidence and openness.
Knowledge:
Her expertise draws from more than forty years of global experience across logistics, real estate, consulting, and executive development. She possesses a deep understanding of organizational behavior, cultural integration, and leadership ontology, enabling her to diagnose challenges with remarkable insight. Her knowledge continues to expand as she remains engaged in new industries, emerging leadership trends, and global business developments.
Strategic:
Herma approaches every engagement with a strategic lens, clarifying goals, aligning stakeholders, and designing pathways that produce measurable impact. She excels at guiding organizations through transformation, addressing not only systems and processes but also the human dynamics that drive results. Her strategic orientation helps leaders create long-term sustainability rather than short-term fixes.
Communication:
Communicating with clarity, directness, and empathy, enabling her to connect with diverse leaders across industries and cultures. She leverages language as a tool for transformation, empowering clients to shift narratives, reframe challenges, and generate new possibilities. Her communication style fosters trust, alignment, and high-quality collaboration at every level of an organization.
