Anna Urbaniak
Business Advisor, Transformation Coach and Change Leader
I’m no stranger to change. In fact, I thrive on it!
Our comfort zones wire us to feel better with familiarity. It’s normal for change to feel daunting because it leads us into the unknown.
Yet without change, there is no progress.
Repeating the same things may feel safe, but it eventually becomes limiting. It leaves our businesses stagnant, employees unfulfilled and growth stalling.
That’s why I’m on a mission to alter the way we see change.
I support ambitious organisations and leaders to thrive in times of challenge and intense growth.
Thanks to my background in diplomacy and my international career journey, working in the UK, India, Russia, Poland and South Africa, and remotely across many other countries and cultures, I have a truly global outlook in my approach, drawing on many different influences in my consultancy work.
I want to inspire the people behind ambitious organisations to see the power in doing things differently.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT TRANSFORMING THE WAY YOU WORK CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE WORLD FOR THE BETTER.
Change and challenge are times for each and every one of us to take radical ownership of our human experience and the important role we have to play in the world around us. We just need a little support, accountability and, yes, sometimes tough love, to get there.
As a qualified coach, I can introduce and apply effective coaching methodologies to optimise the performance of your senior management and teams, refining the way they operate and interact.
My long-term vision is to inspire people to do things differently, whether it’s the leaders of today or tomorrow’s talent. When we all do our bit in this life to develop ourselves and grow, we improve the path for future generations.
That’s why my work is rooted in guiding and provoking change at both an organisational and individual level through compassionate, empathetic leadership.
Operating as an external consultant I can see the blind spots in your organisation, to deliver you the truly impactful, exciting change you want and deserve.
“Anna has a rare quality of being able to connect with just about anybody.”
“She epitomises modern-day leadership through her empathetic style. Anna was parachuted in to support some of the toughest teams I’ve worked with as a coach. Each time there was a consistent question that would be asked. Why can’t we keep Anna as our coach?”
Pardeep Dhanda, Head of Agile Learning at Deutsche Bank
Get to know me
How I live my values
Coming from a small town in Poland, I didn’t have many role models or opportunities back home. But I ended up securing international internships, scholarships at leading universities and incredible opportunities the world over because I dared to dream, and then dared to ask. Was it scary? Yes. But was every part of the process worth it? Absolutely. People often gasp when I tell them my crazy stories, from the week I spent with nowhere to live to a spontaneous backpacking trip with three total strangers!
COURAGE
Travel and adventure fill me up. There was a time when I’d visit two cities a month, bags packed for adventure every other weekend. The pandemic (and my beloved German Shepherd, Thor) may have put a stop to that level of spontaneity, but I can find adventure in many things. Whether that’s cycling through a forest that reminds me of where I grew up in Poland, skydiving and bungee jumping, or narrowly managing to outswim a crocodile on the Zambezi river (yes, really!) I’m always looking for my next adrenaline dose.
ADVENTURE
I’m not one for small talk in a big group, but I love to muse on the machinations of the world one-to-one. Perhaps it’s my Scorpio energy, but I’m certainly prone to intensity. I think it comes from growing up spending a lot of time with my Polish grandmother, who would host people to stay from all over the world. I loved to hear their stories, and I know this ignited my love for travel, unconventional careers and lifestyles. It truly opened my eyes to what’s possible if you can dream big enough and I can’t get enough of hearing about other people’s magical and unique journeys.
CONNECTION
I’m a free-spirited, adventurous thinker and doer who enjoys exploring the road less travelled.
I wholeheartedly believe that challenging assumptions, experimenting with new ideas and disrupting the status quo is the key to unlocking better ways of living and working, enabling us all to become who we truly should be so we can enjoy life fully.
“There is never a single moment of boredom when Anna is around!”
“Anna was brought into Deutsche Bank to bring about Agile transformation within our IT and Business teams. Throughout the training and coaching that Anna provided, her enthusiasm, friendly and energetic personality enabled clients to break out of their shells and start actively participating in change activities.”
Krithika Theyagarajan, Product Manager at Deutsche Bank
