Success Stories from Finance Professionals
Testimonials
Public Testimonials
There were many tangible results including: 1) Arriving at absolute clarity on my values which in turn drove clarity in my career choices 2) Being more intentional and strategic with my job search which included a detailed LinkedIn Job search strategy, widening my network and thinking out of the box 3) Landing my DREAM JOB!
Thanks to Claudio’s guidance, I built a CV that landed an interview with Bloomberg and eventually landed the job. I’ve been able to achieve the difficult goal of a career pivot and relocation to Dubai in a single step.
Gained career clarity in 2.5 months; (2) Landed interviews with 6 different companies within 3 weeks; (3) Landed the job I wanted in a different country in 3.5 months and now relocating to a new country. With Claudio’s help, I moved from private banking to fintech as a finance director, covering investor relations and fundraising.
We focused on improving the networking skills and developed a LinkedIn strategy that yielded several informational interviews and job interviews. It has been very helpful for me to speak with many contacts that Claudio gave me in all the considered industries.
I highly recommend working with Claudio as he is a very capable and talented coach. Claudio leverages his years of corporate experience and gives helpful advice and practical tips on important career related topics. It’s a pleasure working with Claudio.
Claudio is an incredible career coach and I cannot recommend him more. I started having sessions with Claudio when I was considering changing jobs. He gave me amazing tools to enable me to make the right choice. I am now so happily ready to start my new adventure!
Together with Claudio, I went through a comprehensive analysis of my goals as a person and as a professional and finally decided to start my company. Best decision ever!
Mattia Montepara
CEO at Sibil
I recommend Claudio as professional coach mainly because he helps you think about what your current barriers are to achieving your goals, asks you questions that allow you to identify those obstacles and barriers, and helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
There were many tangible results including: 1) Arriving at absolute clarity on my values which in turn drove clarity in my career choices 2) Being more intentional and strategic with my job search which included a detailed LinkedIn Job search strategy, widening my network and thinking out of the box 3) Landing my DREAM JOB!
Thanks to Claudio’s guidance, I built a CV that landed an interview with Bloomberg and eventually landed the job. I’ve been able to achieve the difficult goal of a career pivot and relocation to Dubai in a single step.
Gained career clarity in 2.5 months; (2) Landed interviews with 6 different companies within 3 weeks; (3) Landed the job I wanted in a different country in 3.5 months and now relocating to a new country. With Claudio’s help, I moved from private banking to fintech as a finance director, covering investor relations and fundraising.
We focused on improving the networking skills and developed a LinkedIn strategy that yielded several informational interviews and job interviews. It has been very helpful for me to speak with many contacts that Claudio gave me in all the considered industries.
I highly recommend working with Claudio as he is a very capable and talented coach. Claudio leverages his years of corporate experience and gives helpful advice and practical tips on important career related topics. It’s a pleasure working with Claudio.
Claudio is an incredible career coach and I cannot recommend him more. I started having sessions with Claudio when I was considering changing jobs. He gave me amazing tools to enable me to make the right choice. I am now so happily ready to start my new adventure!
Together with Claudio, I went through a comprehensive analysis of my goals as a person and as a professional and finally decided to start my company. Best decision ever!
Mattia Montepara
CEO at Sibil
I recommend Claudio as professional coach mainly because he helps you think about what your current barriers are to achieving your goals, asks you questions that allow you to identify those obstacles and barriers, and helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Case Studies
Switching Roles Within Finance: Securing a New Job and Advancing Your Career
I made my career transition from middle to the front office, which was my dream job.
The Challenge:
Before working with Claudio I felt lost. My career took a path as a result of choices made since I was 18 years old, and, as a consequence, I found myself in a job position I didn’t like, but that I didn’t know how to get out of.
The Solution:
Thanks to Claudio, we set up together three possible career paths from my starting point so that I have a clear view of who I am, who I would like to become, and how I can do it by planning step by step.
The Results:
After two months I started to see the first tangible results. I started my coaching experience when I did not yet know what I wanted to do with my career, so it would be enough for me to figure out what to do next. Not only have I figured out what I want to do and how to achieve it, I’ve also started to take action, and most importantly, thanks to Claudio’s advice and networking strategy, I have done a lot of informational interviews and eventually made my career transition from middle to the front office, which was my dream job.
Sara Cuccato
Structured Finance Associate at Intesa Sanpaolo
How Claudio's Program Helped Me Transition From Debt Capital Market to Debt Advisory and Restructuring.
The Challenge:
I decided to contact Claudio because I needed somebody that could fully support me in my career change. First, I was convinced by his capacity to listen, understand and speak to me. Since day one, we built a strong empathy and trust that allowed me to be always sincere, question each step of the process and have Claudio’s full support even in the most challenging times. Secondly, I chose him because he had a strong experience in the financial sector and with finance professionals that allowed me to navigate in the difficulties of a competitive environment as investment banking.
The Solution:
- Analyze my current work experience, identifying the elements that I struggled with.
- Understand my strengths and weak points.
- Learn how to effectively communicate them.
- Define my ideal work and evaluate potential new opportunities.
- Plan an operative strategy to change job and find new opportunities.
Claudio was able to create an environment where I could thrive and express myself at my best. He listened, spoke, and understood me to give me direction and always provided me with the right piece of advice, both on important questions on career change and on more practical aspects (e.g. job interviews).
The Results:
Claudio’s program helped me transition from Debt Capital Market to Debt Advisory and Restructuring.
How Claudio's Program Helped Me Land a Role at a FTSE Pharmaceutical Company in the UK.
The Challenge:
I was lost, not even evaluating the potential of my professional profile and background. I worked in Treasury and Financial Risk Management for a travel company that was not aligned with my professional and personal goals for four years. I was stuck in a niche sector, struggling to show how transferable my knowledge was to other businesses.
The Solution:
The sessions were like an oasis: fresh air, clean water, full of kindness and empathy. Claudio empowered me to achieve my goals and career success. I now have a strategy to network and look for new opportunities and know how to align and assess the evolution of my life.
The Results:
Claudio’s program helped me succeed in getting a position in an FTSE pharmaceutical company in the UK.
From Corporate Development to Landing a Dream Chief of Staff Role: How Claudio Helped Navigate Values, Networking, and Salary Negotiations
The Challenge:
I knew I wanted to make a drastic change in my career but didn’t know when to start. Claudio really helped me to have more clarity in my thoughts by helping me to focus on my values as a baseline for all my decision making.
The Solution:
I came across Claudio on a LinkedIn video and liked his energy, so I reached out for an initial consultation, and the rest is history! The sessions were really varied rather than traditional coaching, which tends to involve the coach asking many questions to help you arrive at a decision. Claudio thought creatively about how to keep me engaged, and we covered everything, including my life journey to date, how I arrived at my values, salary negotiations, and everything in between.
The Results:
There were many tangible results, including:
- Arriving at absolute clarity on my values, which in turn drove clarity in my career choices
- Being more intentional and strategic with my job search, which included a detailed LinkedIn job search strategy, widening my network, and thinking out of the box
- Incredible support on salary negotiations and making sure that I thought holistically about what was important to me, i.e., flexibility, growth opportunities, impact
- Support formulating a 90-day plan
- Landing my DREAM JOB!
I saw tangible results very early on from the first couple of sessions
Helen Ghebreluul
Chief of Staff at Moove
From Valuation and Financial Modelling in Advisory to FP&A in Industry: How I Pivoted Careers, Matched My Salary, and Achieved Work-Life Balance
The Challenge:
By the time I came across Claudio, I was exhausted and feeling worthless. I needed clarity and direction about what I wanted to do next, where I could fit best experience- and culture-wise, and a clear understanding of an efficient strategy to pursue and achieve a career move.
I had been very tired for some time before pursuing the coaching journey. I loved my work but was frustrated from never feeling good enough and for continuously having to prove my worth and competence to my superiors by giving my everything. This impacted the amount of work I did (evenings and sometimes weekends) as well as my emotional well-being.
I had been thinking of changing jobs for 1-2 years before starting the coaching journey. Initially, I did not know what I wanted or could do with my background. When I eventually got around to sending out applications, I was faced with no responses and automated rejection emails. The few interviews I had made me feel unsure of the positions I was interviewing for, so I did not pursue them further.
The Solution:
Claudio’s coaching journey helped me understand what I wanted to do in a systematic and structured way, from self-discovery exercises to importance scoring sheets and career discovery interviews.
Claudio taught me how to network effectively—a skill I thought I understood but only truly learned during my sessions with him. This skill will stay with me and benefit me greatly in my future career.
He also taught me how to discuss and negotiate salary and money matters, giving invaluable tips and tricks to hold my ground and negotiate a pay worth my experience and expertise.
Claudio helped me change my mindset and confidence level for the better. For example, I felt uncomfortable re-writing my CV and preparing interview answers, thinking I was over-selling or being arrogant. The process made me realize I was downgrading the results of my hard work, expertise, and experience. Through the change, I became more confident, not only during interviews but also at work and in the way I communicated with colleagues and clients.
The Results:
- Developed career clarity in 5 months and landed a job in 4 months after that.
- Held 22 informational interviews.
- Made a career pivot from Valuation and Financial Modelling in advisory to FP&A in industry.
- Landed 3 interviews despite challenging market conditions and limited geography by applying Claudio’s networking strategies.
- Achieved £20k more on the initial salary offer while matching my current salary despite a career pivot.
- Found a healthy work culture with great work-life balance: a 9–6 job allowing for a balanced life and focus on interests outside of work, alongside an interesting role that does not consume my entire life.
Clear Strategy to the Buy-Side: A VP's Journey from Leveraged Finance to Private Credit
The Challenge:
I was struggling to come up with a clear career strategy and make well-informed decisions to deliver such strategy. I was also struggling with deciding on a clear timeline to achieve such goals.
I felt very indecisive with conflicting thoughts about next steps in my career. Whilst I was very clear on the desired outcome, I was struggling with being decisive and clear about how I was going to get there.
The Solution:
By spending more time researching and really thinking about a strategy, I was able to make better-informed decisions. I also found myself making realizations on my own, simply by speaking with Claudio on a regular basis and being asked challenging questions (something which didn’t come out naturally in my own head).
Also, the exercises were very useful, namely in linking various career/business choices with my personal values.
The Results:
I have now come up with a clear strategy and action plan for my career and life goals, based on a well-thought-out process and informed decision-making, fully taking into account all of my values and personal attributes.
By aligning my career strategy with my core values and leveraging insights gained through Claudio’s guidance, I successfully transitioned from leveraged finance to private credit with clarity and confidence
Career Pivot from Structured Finance at a Big 4 to Public Sector Financial Strategy
The Challenge:
After many years spent working in a company, I was looking for a career pivot and noted I needed to improve on interviews, particularly competency-based. Also, I realized I could make several improvements on how to draft my CV and LinkedIn profile to land more interviews. Last but not least, I wanted to go deeper with career clarity and also see if starting something on my own could make sense.
The Solution:
A coach like Claudio can be a valuable help for your next career step no matter which direction you’re looking to. He can help in all steps along the way: help to understand the career path you really want (including entrepreneurship), as well as starting to advise on how to network, improve on your CV and LinkedIn profile, interview prep, offer negotiation, and project your mindset onto how to perform better in the new roles.
The Results:
Landed a great job offer further to training and preparation with Claudio. Other great results achieved have been: CV optimization, side hustle discussion (development of ideas and prototyping), building my professional brand ahead of my new job, how to resign and handle the transition from my previous to the current role.
On the qualitative side throughout the program and the sessions, Claudio was able to help me expand my mindset and made me think about things in general about my life and career I wouldn’t have ever thought.
International Career Moves: Achieving New Opportunities Abroad
From Stuck in Private Banking at UBS in Switzerland to Landing My Dream Fintech Job in Dubai: 6 Interviews in 3 Weeks Changed Everything.
The Challenge:
I felt stuck in my current job and didn’t know what would be the right step to take to break out of this situation. I felt extremely unmotivated and needed some guidance on what to do next.
The Solution:
I particularly liked how Claudio skillfully guided me to my own insights and conclusion. He always asked the right questions and steered me toward effective decision-making.
What stood out to me was his encouragement to envision various career possibilities, ultimately revealing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The Results:
- Gained career clarity in 2.5 months
- Gained a clear understanding of my strengths and weaknesses
- Improved my CV with Claudio’s help
- Landed interviews with 6 different companies within 3 weeks
- Landed the job I wanted in a different country in 3.5 months and am now relocating to Dubai to start my new job as Finance Director, covering investor relations and fundraising.
Anna Ferrazzini
Finance Director, Web3 Gaming & Fundraising at Farcana (former UBS Private Banking)
From Sell-Side M&A to Buy-Side Infra: How a 4-Legged Job Search Led to 3 Interviews Across Europe, a Move to Amsterdam, and a Salary Boost
The Challenge:
Lack of career clarity and no clarity about what I wanted to do in the next phase of my career and how to get there. I had different potential paths ahead in my mind but was unsure about which one to choose and was afraid to make the wrong choice.
In addition, another challenge was the lack of confidence (also as a consequence of several episodes that happened at work that made me start doubting about myself).
The Solution:
The massive LinkedIn reach-out strategy – which was a thing I was a bit diffident to do in the first place – leading to the possibility to create genuine connections with other professionals.
Claudio was always there motivating me even if I was a bit down or in a bad mood for work-related reasons. I think that was very helpful to keep the mindset strong along the way.
Also, the possibility to create an Equity Story for my profile, a 7-page branding & positioning doc to highlight how my transferable skills would be relevant in my next role, that would allow me to position efficiently in front of a potential employer.
The Results:
Moved from sell-side M&A to buy-side infra fund.
The execution of our 4-legged job search strategy helped me land 3 job interviews: 1 in Milan, 1 in London, and 1 in Amsterdam.
Moved from Milan to Amsterdam.
Significantly increased my base salary.
Following Claudio's Networking and Job Searching Strategies, I Pivoted from Trading to Treasury While Relocating from Bahrain to Kuwait!!
The Challenge:
I think the main thing that I liked about our sessions is that Claudio was able to encourage and convince me to get out of my fixed mindset. I thought that career coaching was about strategy. Claudio showed me that the biggest hurdle that was limiting my results was myself. Claudio’s approach was to help you realize what you want out of a career and how to approach the job-hunting process. Claudio provided me with the tools to become a better job seeker, and these tools and skills will stay with me for life.
The Solution:
I formed more contacts, started networking with more people and as a result, got more interviews.
The Results:
By following Claudio’s networking and job-searching strategies, I pivoted from trading to treasury while relocating from Bahrain to Kuwait!!
Redefining Success in Private Equity: From 10+ Years Abroad to a Fulfilling Role Back Home
The Challenge:
I was not motivated by my role in private equity and was looking for a drastic change, partly driven by personal motives (moving back to my home country after +10 years abroad). I was aware of the challenges in finding a role that was fulfilling while consistent with my experience.
The Solution:
Several discussions and exercises helped me clearly identify my personal objectives and priorities, separating critical goals from distractions.
The Results:
During the program, I managed to identify two roles in line with my goals, participated in both processes, and ultimately secured a fulfilling position back home.
Role switch from Sales & trading to Bloomberg while making a move to Dubai
The Challenge:
I knew I was unhappy in my role but I didn’t know which direction I wanted to move my career. I also had self-doubt brought on by a previously toxic work environment. This made me feel like I was ‘lucky’ to work for this prestigious firm, instead of valuing my contribution to the firm and understanding that I deserved to be in a role that provided me with greater satisfaction and purpose. This inner critic had prevented me from making the decision to move earlier on in my career.
The Solution:
One of the most impactful takeaways was learning to address my inner critic with facts and data which proved my self-doubt wrong.
Using a network-centred approach to looking for opportunities as well as providing a real-time market review of the practicalities of my career plan has allowed me to have greater ownership of the recruitment process as opposed to sending my CV to a black box and being frustrated with the lack of feedback. Viewing myself as a business ensures I’m always communicating the value I can and have proven to add to hiring managers.
The fact that you encouraged me to explore certain avenues, but kept things grounded in reality and in what would work in the current market. I decided to pivot to consulting and relocate to London, which even in good economic periods can be difficult to do, but you encouraged me to explore for myself whether that is possible. That approach not only helped grow my network, but also prevented a situation where I’d be frustrated by a lack of progress as the market was not widely supportive of a pivot and relocation to London (especially since most London consulting firms had laid off staff last year).
After exploring consulting opportunities, I realised that it was not for me, and instead of feeling defeated, you were able to help push me to work on other avenues that would be a better fit. You were very encouraging, especially when I encountered roadblocks and was feeling discouraged, always pushing me to do more and remain consistent.
The Results:
- I’ve gained career clarity about my next career step.
- I’ve been able to achieve the difficult goal of a career pivot and relocation to Dubai in a single step.
- Built a CV that landed interviews with Oliver Wyman, Moody’s, LSEG, YellowCard, Binance, and Bloomberg, including offers from Binance and Bloomberg.
From India to the UK: Achieving a 5x ROI and Landing a Sponsored Role
The Challenge:
Prioritizing and having a focus on my professional brand
- Prioritizing and having a focus on my professional brand
- Thoughts and courage to make bold decisions
- Lacking execution
The Solution:
- Designing a customized LinkedIn Strategy resulted in several informational interviews with hiring managers in the UK. Claudio helped me tailor messages and tap the hidden job market.
- Claudio shared with me several job opportunities as he’s well-connected to recruiters.
- Mock interviews – Technical and Soft Skills and Real-time salary negotiations
The Results:
- A satisfactory job offer with sponsorship in the UK. I will be moving from India to the UK.
- My investment has multiplied by more than 5 times.
- Built a strong professional network in the UK.
Recovering from Burnout and Securing a Fresh Start in a New Job
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Leaving a 5-Year Rut in IB, Securing Clarity, a New Job, and a 6.5x ROI in Just 4 Months
The Challenge:
I have been stuck working a job I disliked for 5 years and although I knew I wanted to leave, I had no idea what I wanted to do next.
Beyond not knowing, I think I lacked the courage and will to actually make the move as I was getting lots of calls from recruiters at the time but very rarely did I actually foresee or visualise my move. Was it worth leaving my comfortable job to venture off into unknown territories?
The Solution:
- Take medical leave to have the time to treat my burnout.
- My plan changed too many times during the first few months, and each time Claudio helped me look into the possibility of going down the path.
- It was a critical time in my visa status as well given I was just about to get my Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK and didn’t want to jeopardize that. That didn’t stop me from exploring my options and finding a solution that would leave me happier and healthier.
- I was stuck in IB not just because of the money, but Claudio helped me realise that a lot of it was a need to appease those around me but not myself.
The Results:
- Within 4 months I had a new job, but within the first 2 months, I had a renewed sense of hope and clarity on my next steps.
- I ended up getting a raise, which was an unexpected and great surprise. My ROI is 6.5x on the investment.
- When I started with Claudio, I was extremely unhappy and frustrated, and now only 5 months later I feel like I have more clarity, not just on what I want to do next but even, in some sense, what I want to do long-term.
- Claudio was the single greatest investment of my post-university life.
From Burnout in Investment Banking to Thriving in Venture Capital: How Coaching Enabled a Career Pivot, Two Promotions, and a Better Quality of Life
The Challenge:
Throughout my early career, I was singularly focused on breaking into investment banking – a path I pursued with unwavering determination for years. However, this intense tunnel vision prevented me from stepping back to evaluate whether the role truly aligned with my personal values and life aspirations.
The demanding nature of the industry left minimal time for self-reflection or exploration of alternative career paths, even as doubts began to surface.
In retrospect, I had inadvertently boxed myself into a narrow career trajectory without having a comprehensive understanding of the diverse opportunities available to someone with my skills and experience.
The Solution:
The coaching sessions helped me uncover and articulate my core professional values, which became my compass for exploring new career directions. Claudio provided practical, actionable strategies for networking with industry insiders, which proved invaluable in gaining real-world insights into potential roles.
Beyond this foundation, the coaching equipped me with concrete tools for executing my transition – from crafting a compelling narrative in my CV to developing effective job search techniques and presenting myself confidently to potential employers.
The Results:
Through our coaching partnership, I successfully pivoted from investment banking to venture capital – a transition that has proven transformative both professionally and personally.
The impact has been remarkable: I’ve achieved two promotions in rapid succession, demonstrating that finding the right career fit unleashes your true potential.
Beyond the professional achievements, this shift has fundamentally improved my quality of life.
Recovering from Burnout in Private Equity: Regaining Confidence, Managing Anxiety, and Reclaiming Career Direction in 3 Months
The Challenge:
I experienced a total burnout, largely driven by work and the toxic work environment I was in. Symptoms included: insomnia, constant anxiety, feelings of malaise, and constant self-doubt.
I initially spoke to a therapist, but they had very little understanding of the professional context I was in (private equity and before that M&A investment banking). I felt like I needed to speak to someone who “got me,” which is why I reached out to Claudio.
The Solution:
Claudio gave me various practical exercises to help understand how I reached this state of burnout (e.g., assessment of my values, my life and career steps, etc.).
Once we identified the problem, Claudio recommended various strategies and actions to take to help improve my situation (e.g., breathing techniques, mindset changes, among others).
He held me accountable to these and, before each of our sessions, forced me to reflect on what I would like to achieve and what steps I had taken to make those changes happen.
The Results:
After 3 months, I feel like I have made these consistently and recovered for the most part. I feel like “myself” again.
I have learned how to better manage my anxiety and the panic attacks I had been experiencing.
I have learned various effective strategies for job hunting (e.g., the power of networking vs. headhunters and other methods) and landed the job by accessing the hidden job market.
The position was created on the back of me reaching out—it had never been posted.
From Burned Out and Stuck at a Big 4 to Thriving in Corporate Finance in 1.5 Months
The Challenge:
I had been directionless in my career, I was burned out from my current job and desperately seeking another while being clueless how to proceed with the job search. I was questioning my career choices so far.
The Solution:
The most valuable aspect of our coaching sessions was gaining clarity around my career goals and the steps needed to achieve them. You helped me break down the tasks into actionable, manageable steps, which made the process feel achievable. I also appreciated the emphasis on aligning my career path with my personal skills/values.
You didn’t just provide advice; you helped me think critically about my own decisions and motivations. Your personalized approach made me feel understood and supported throughout the process.
The Results:
I would say that within 1.5 months of the course, I was able to see personal development. I was able to thoroughly evaluate the job offer I received. Securing a job opportunity is one thing, but you helped me assess whether it was truly the right fit for me.
Gaining Confidence and Embracing Career Growth as an FX Treasury Risk Manager
The Challenge:
When I found myself struggling due to overwork and pandemic stress, I asked Claudio for help. I was struggling to find a work-life balance, to be an effective boss, to correctly evaluate and perceive my own results and therefore to share them with others.
The Solution:
Through each session, Claudio made me get rid of many self-limiting beliefs I was struggling with, helping to focus on what I really needed to work on and improve.
The Results:
In the last year, I was proposed to change positions in my team, embracing a new and a more challenging activity. I do not think I would have accepted such a role without the help of Claudio in gaining the strength and the self-confidence necessary to believe in my skills.
Anna Ferrazzini
Finance Director, Web3 Gaming & Fundraising at Farcana
Promotions and Salary Increases Landing the Next-Level Role
From Career Clarity to an 85% Salary Increase: How I Landed My Target Role at a FTSE 10 in a Single Application and Interview.
The Challenge:
- Directionless and Lacked Career Clarity: Like many others, I was aimlessly chasing the ‘revered’ finance career, applying to Investment Banks without even reading the Job Descriptions.
- Underselling My Profile: Although my profile was strong, I focused on current achievements I thought were good rather than those relevant to the job.
- Interview Struggles: Due to lack of preparation, I came across as nervous and flustered during interviews.
The Solution:
- Discovering Core Skills: Exercises to identify core skills became invaluable tools for the next 30 years.
- Profile and Strategy Development: In just two months, my CV, LinkedIn, and job search strategy were ready.
- Networking: This daunting step became pivotal and ultimately landed me the job.
- Refining My CV as a Sales Pitch: Learning to withhold some information for interviews struck the perfect balance. This approach led my interviewer to state, “I didn’t understand your previous job role, but I liked your profile otherwise, hence the interview to talk more and understand what you do.”
- Guided Reflection: Claudio guided me to self-reflect and answer questions, helping me grow as a professional and individual.
The Results:
- Achieved Career Clarity in Four Months (minus one month on holiday).
- Streamlined Job Application Process: My first and only application converted to my first and only interview, resulting in a job offer.
- Successful Career Switch: I transitioned to my target role at AstraZeneca (FTSE 10).
- Significant Salary Increase: My salary jumped from £34,000 base + £500 bonus to £59,000 base + up to £5,100 bonus + £2,500 relocation bonus—an 85% increase overall.
- Qualitative Growth: Beyond achieving a fulfilling job, the skills and mindset improvements gained during coaching will benefit me throughout my career.
Claudio’s coaching brought out the best in me, and words fall short of describing the positive transformations in my professional and personal life.
From Credit Analyst to Strategy Manager: Landing a £75K Pay Rise in Just 2 Months
The Challenge:
- Motivation.
- Setting out priorities.
- Felt stuck in a bit of a rut.
- Never really had a formal career plan. Whilst I had a good job that I enjoyed, I felt I had meandered into my current job without really questioning if the role was the right direction to where I really wanted to go.
The Solution:
- Clear view of what is important to me.
- A career path plan.
- Interview preparation.
- LinkedIn makeover and CV review.
The Results:
A new job within 2 months, paying an extra £75K per annum. Through Claudio’s career coaching program, I successfully transitioned from a role as a Credit Analyst in a fund to a Strategy Manager in the aerospace industry.
From Frustration to Fulfillment: How I Pivoted from Finance Business Partner to Group FP&A Manager with a 19% Salary Increase After Interviews with 10 FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 Companies
The Challenge:
There was frustration and unsatisfactoriness at the current role where my total value was not recognised—only the latest 1/3 of my professional career was leveraged for the current position (Commercial Finance).
I wanted to make a career transition to pursue my career goal (Corporate Finance) by connecting the current role and the past 1/2 of my career (Investment). Yet, I found out through internal networking that it wouldn’t be possible in my current company, headquartered in the US, regional role in Belgium, while I’m based in the UK with my family.
The Solution:
I had zero confidence in myself at the start as I wasn’t sure of my value despite various experiences. However, six months later, I was able to confidently stand alone and keep going on my job search because I gained confidence step by step:
- Creating a punchy CV/LinkedIn profile, improving them along the way.
- Numerous reach-outs & informational interviews to get “out there.”
- Tailoring CVs to each role I applied for.
- Practicing for interviews with Claudio.
All helped me get to interviews where I gained more confidence by doing over and over and improving my message and delivery each time. By the end of the final round interviews and presentations of the company at which I landed the job, I was very comfortable, confident, and naturally able to present myself well, because I had so many “practice” opportunities in advance.
The greatest thing is that I can carry this confidence moving forward in my career/life, knowing how I can be valuable in each role, and that I’m fully capable of making a career transition in the future, as I now know how.
The Results:
- I’ve done a total of formal interviews with 10 companies (FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies), totaling 20 interviews (all of them are the companies with which I had informational interviews earlier).
- Finally, after 9 months of job search, I received an offer from the company that was at the top of my target list, whose value aligns with my personal values, and the role transition from the current local Commercial Finance/Finance Business Partner role to Group FP&A at a UK-headquartered company with potential internal career progression to Corporate Finance role.
- Job title: 1 up from Senior Analyst to Manager.
From Finance Director to CFO: Securing a 40% Salary Increase with Claudio’s Coaching
The Challenge:
My main challenge was a growing sense of frustration in my existing role and that I had hit a career ceiling. I had been promoted to Finance Director at my current company in 2022 but as an ambitious person, felt I had nowhere else to go! I engaged with Claudio to help me understand my feelings of frustration and to assist in making a comprehensive career plan for the next 5-10 years.
The Solution:
During the first few months together, we focused on my ‘career clarity.’ Claudio asked/challenged me to focus on what I wanted from my career assuming anything was attainable. It was this gradual removal of my limiting beliefs and scarcity mindset that really made me see what was possible and acknowledge all the possibilities available to me, rather than dwelling on any restrictions or constraints.
Three months into our coaching journey, this mindset shift helped me identify a possible new job opportunity. It was for a CFO role at a competitor organization but had clear potential for career progression, which my existing role did not have. The recruitment process lasted three months, and Claudio’s practical advice (e.g., interview preparation, CV review) during this process was invaluable.
The Results:
The clearest result from my career coaching with Claudio was being offered the role as CFO at a competitor organization. This role had the opportunity to stretch me from day 1, had enormous career progression potential, and also increased my annual remuneration by over 40%. However, perhaps the biggest change was my mindset shift and removal of limiting beliefs. It is very likely I would not have received this job opportunity at all without first working on my mindset changes!
Secured a 25% Salary Increase and a Promotion to an FP&A Leadership Role in a New Industry in Just 6 Months with Claudio’s Expert Coaching
The Challenge:
Lack of understanding of the business needs of the companies I searched for a job in.
Lack of detailed job strategy.
Job interview preparation was not deep enough.
It was difficult to determine and show my value during the interviews.
I was lost just having a dream in my head. It turned out to be remote from my reality and the situation in other spheres of my life.
The Solution:
Networking – I was afraid to start, but it gave me a lot of energy, joy, and broader understanding of my future position. I felt strength and determination when reaching and communicating with people who already are where I want to be. I would not start doing it myself. I believe this also gave me confidence and understanding of the role that I showed in the interviews.
Understanding of my strong points and values and career strategy based on them.
Getting clarity and then acting, without being lost in planning and obstacles – this approach was very helpful.
I started to build the skills and habits I need in my future career.
The Results:
I got a job presupposing team leadership (after an expert position) with a more extensive and interesting scope in the industry that is more exciting for me.
I got a gross salary increase of 25%.
The whole journey took less than 6 months although it was rather intensive.
From Career Confusion to a New Role at EY: How Claudio's Coaching Led to a c.10K Salary Increase and a 3-Month Career Transformation
The Challenge:
I was at a point in my career where I was quite confused. I started working immediately after graduating, and perhaps this started to weigh on me because I hadn’t chosen 100% what I wanted to do. I was at a standstill. My working life after meeting Claudio has had an important turning point from this point of view.
The Solution:
I understood that he knew about finance because he had past experience in the field, moreover, he already had many people with whom he had been successful in the coaching experience. The structure of the lesson is decided by the interested person, by analyzing himself and his moment.
The Results:
- Mapped out possible careers in Finance
- Landed a new job at EY in 3 months
- c.10K salary increase
- CV makeover
- Cover letter makeover
- LinkedIn makeover
- Learned advanced networking techniques that yielded several informational interviews
From Unemployment to Thriving in a New Role
After 2 Years Out, Claudio Helped Land a Job as a Trader in Just 2 Months
The Challenge:
I had been out for work for 2 years – 1 year travelling, 1 year job seeking. I initially hoped to go back into my prior field, [convertible bond] trading, as I did really enjoy the role. But I found there to be few opportunities given it’s a niche field.
Given the lack of opportunity, I tried switching roles by engaging in online applications in related fields such as Risk Management. I made over 100 applications and did not receive one interview. By the time I reached out to Claudio, I was extremely frustrated, very low on confidence, and felt hopeless.
The Solution:
Each step you take with Claudio contributes to building your overall brand. Looking back now, it’s clear that once you have created that strong consistent branding, it does a lot of the work for you in the recruitment process. Beforehand I was seeing CV, LinkedIn, and Interview prep all as separate individual pieces, but Claudio did a great job in improving each piece and linking it all together to produce a consistent message.
Claudio is right when he says that you have to discover the hidden job market and forget about online applications. The process in which Claudio guides you to do this through networking also really helped my confidence, as it got me back up to speed with my product, made me realize, “yeah, I do know what I am talking about,” and I do belong in this field.
The Interview prep I also found very useful with Claudio. I have always prepped by myself, but having a second person who’s very experienced to bounce ideas off was very useful.
The Results:
From 1 month within starting to work with Claudio, I was having informational interviews. I then completed the process with [Barclays] and received an offer within 2 months. I got the first job I interviewed for while working with Claudio.
From Sell-Side to Buy-Side: Securing a PM Role in Structured Finance with a 36% Salary Increase after 1 year of unsuccessful attempts
The Challenge:
I had several months of an unsuccessful job search despite having a great CV with valuable experience and long continued employment at one place.
There were a few interviews but no offers. This led to feelings of inadequacy and feeling stuck without knowing which way to turn.
The Solution:
I came across Claudio on LinkedIn and was immediately drawn to his very focused and structured no-nonsense approach.
He has a deep understanding of finance, the environment, the people, the jobs, and the subject matter.
He knows what toxic environments look like and the impact they have on highly skilled professionals.
He also knows exactly how to navigate a successful job search in the era of social media.
With all these insights and his network, he is able to direct you in a very strategic way and most of all, successfully. He is also always available.
The Results:
I realized that I wanted to stay in the structured finance industry instead of making a career change, as I first thought when I started coaching with Claudio.
Claudio helped me revamp my LinkedIn profile, build a story to explain my long unemployment gap, and set up a daily job searching routine to uncover my hidden job market.
As a Result:
- I landed job interviews and got to the last rounds after over 1 year of unsuccessful attempts.
Eventually, I landed my dream job, got a 36% salary increase, and became a people manager.
From Redundancy After Maternity Leave to Competing Job Offers: How Coaching Helped Me Overcome Imposter Syndrome, Land Two Offers in 3 Months, and Achieve a 6.14x ROI
The Challenge:
I had 15 years’ experience within the industry before I met Claudio, but I had an overwhelming imposter syndrome and an abject fear of facing a job change. This was compounded when I was made redundant on returning from maternity leave. Working in a niche sector of the industry, I was skeptical of my ability to harness my transferable skills into a new role and felt that I needed to take a step back and assess. So I started looking for a coach to act as a sort of ‘personal trainer’ to help me through the process.
The Solution:
I wanted to hire a coach proactively early on in my search as I felt the need for guidance and direction. A lot of ‘career coaches’ I looked at focused on people who were looking to change industries, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I was looking specifically for a coach who could help me navigate through the complexities of the finance industry and who had the experience to understand it.
Claudio’s focus on coaching finance professionals really appealed to me. The fact that he had a background in corporate finance meant that there was much that was innate to my role and my career that I didn’t have to explain to him, which meant we were able to get to the quick of my ambitions much quicker. His approach was practical and methodical which also appealed to me and felt like a good match for my natural style of working.
The Results:
My greatest fear was that it would take me months and years to find another role. I ended up having two competing offers within 3 months. My much improved confidence made me feel better prepared for the role, and Claudio’s reprogramming of my mindset made me feel better able to strategize for the new challenges ahead without feeling overwhelmed.
My ROI on coaching was 6.14x.
From Unemployed to Finance Leader: How Claudio Helped Me Pivot from Transaction Services at Big 4 to Renewable Energy in Just 3 Months
The Challenge:
Before working with Claudio, I was unemployed (having already left my previous role) and job-searching for several months without success. Hoping to make a career pivot, I was struggling to gain traction in application processes, with hiring managers not recognising my transferable skills and valuing my experience to date. I was also unsure as to the exact right sort of role for me. By the time I reached out to Claudio, I was feeling frustrated at the lack of progress and useless at my inability to go far in application processes.
The Solution:
Claudio is very knowledgeable about the finance industry as a whole and the recruitment process, so advice was always very specific to my situation, which I appreciated.
I gained career clarity after approximately one month, which helped give me direction and regain confidence. My personal branding was then optimised within 2 months, and I felt confident at this point of landing a role: I believed I had the best possible starting point for landing a career pivot role. The personal branding optimisation really helped me believe in my abilities.
The Results:
- Landed a new role in 3 months
- Gained clarity in my career (through conducting over 20 informational interviews)
- Claudio introduced me to his contacts to have informational interviews with, which was particularly appreciated
- Regained confidence in my abilities as a finance professional
- Using his techniques, I ultimately landed a role at a renewable energy start-up, moving from Transaction Services at a Big 4 firm to an FP&A and Controllership position: doubling the number of people reporting to me and better aligning with my career aspirations.
- The first interview I got through the program, I passed all the interview steps and landed the role. Claudio’s interview preparation and mindset framing significantly helped with this
Career Changes: Successfully Starting a Career in a Different Field
Coaching Helped Me Transition Teams at a Bulge Bracket Bank and Chart a New Path as a Software Developer
The Challenge:
- Lack of passion for the work I was doing, which led to a general sense of low energy and mood.
- No Motivation to progress higher up in my industry as I didn’t want to be or have the lives of my senior management.
- Minimal time to focus on reskilling or hobbies due to the demands of my job.
- Apprehension about the future and feeling stuck in my career.
The Solution:
- Coaching enabled me to pivot my thinking from viewing career change as one big problem to solve into a series of incremental and much more manageable actions.
- The sessions served as a motivation to progress my career change as I knew I had to come prepared.
- Every session felt like progress as they have been an opportunity to reflect, track progress, and create new actions and goals.
- Felt comfortable discussing all concerns and questions in a non-judgmental setting whilst also benefiting from Claudio’s advice, experience, and best practices.
The Results:
- Made a transitional step by changing my team internally at my current job.
- Discovered what I was truly passionate and motivated about in terms of my career.
- Figured out my software developer career path.
Developed my detailed career change plan.
From Job Loss to Entrepreneurial Triumph: How Coaching Helped Me Launch a Consultancy and Build a Second Business in Just Six Months
The Challenge:
For me, it was the sheer scale of the question: “What do I want to do?” This is something I agonized over for a long, long time. Without knowing what I actually wanted, it was impossible to think of a plan and then execute it.
The Solution:
Prototyping is key. This will show you what you like and don’t like, what you are good at and what you are not, and ultimately whether that dream idea/life you had in mind is really what you want.
One of the best tools I have acquired and am still working on is self-compassion. Now my approach is totally different. If I mess something up, I can still be critical, but I catch myself quickly to stop the negative talk and be more objective about the events.
When you make peace with failing at stuff, you take yourself off the hamster wheel of negative thinking and fear of making decisions.
The Results:
Because of the coaching, after I was fired, I was able to fast-track a business idea I already had and make it a reality. I set up a consultancy and within the first three months was already making a great income.
Within six months, I had set up a further company to support the clients we have by helping them with execution of their financial transactions.
Mattia’s Decision to Launch a Fintech Start-Up Company. “Best Decision Ever!”
The Challenge:
When I started working with Claudio, I was leaving my job at a 300-people company looking for something more challenging, and I luckily had a few good options. I had to choose between very compelling offers, but I was also considering starting my own business and becoming an entrepreneur. It was a completely new thing for me, and I did not have any experience in running a business, plus the level of risk I had to sustain was consistent.
The Solution:
Every session leaves me with a sense of calm that I hardly have at work. At the end of the session, I feel charged up, energized, and ready to tackle all the challenges of my entrepreneurial journey.
Claudio is very open and skilled when it comes to industry knowledge and career journeys – he went through the same decisions I made and that helped the discussion a lot.
The Results:
Together with Claudio, I went through a comprehensive analysis of my goals as a person and as a professional and finally decided to start my company. Best decision ever!
I decided to launch my own business, preferring this over stable and satisfactory offers I had received from other companies. It was a big change for me and a decision that will impact my (professional) life in the future.
