Maureen Adams MBA, ACC

As the founder of Cumulus Coaching Ltd, I work with individuals, leaders, and SMEs to strengthen collaboration, improve performance, and build teams that are motivated, engaged, and aligned with their organisation’s goals. My coaching is rooted in the belief that when people understand their purpose and play to their strengths, they not only perform better — they lead better.

With an MBA, ICF ACC accreditation, and a background in business development, I bring both strategic insight and a people-centred coaching approach. I support clients in navigating change, communicating with clarity, and making confident decisions that drive progress.

💬 I work with:

Leaders and emerging executives who want greater clarity, confidence, and direction in their leadership journey.

Companies and leadership teams are looking to improve alignment, retain talent, and embed a coaching-led culture that supports long-term growth.

If you're ready to create a more aligned, resilient, and purpose-driven way of working—for yourself or your team—feel free to reach out or connect. I’d be glad to start the conversation.

CEO and Founder of Cumulus Coaching Ltd

An executive coaching company whose purpose is to enable individuals, teams, and organisations to transform how they work to create more value through working collaboratively and with a clearly defined purpose. 

I help people at the managerial level to get the best from their teams and to recognise the value of motivation for themselves and others through aligning with their strengths and values

“Our activity is not unduly complex or out of reach of the team, but the volume is overwhelming.”

I remember saying this as a senior leader – and realising I was on the verge of burning out a very capable team.

Nothing was “too hard”.

The problem was how work hit them: constant demand, duplicated requests, blocked processes, everything “urgent”.

My first move was the usual: push harder, reprioritise, rally the troops.
It helped briefly. Then the same problems came back.

What finally changed things was stepping back to look upstream:

- Where is demand being created unnecessarily?

- Where does work bounce around or get stuck?

- What assumptions am I making about “this is just how it is”?

Psychology calls this confirmation bias – proving our old view right instead of imagining a better system.

The better move is not to squeeze more out of a capable team, but to create the space to challenge the assumptions you’re unconsciously confirming. 
Looking at demand upstream, not just productivity downstream.

Bringing in different perspectives lets us see the problem from different angles.

So instead, I worked with 'Imagine'

- Imagine if we could drive up satisfaction with our services, what would it take?
- Imagine if we could deal with the root cause of the problem, what would that look like?

Because, by borrowing the phrase of one of my coaching clients, 'the art of the possible' is where creativity starts, and frustration and tensions dissipate.

We all have invisible obstacles in our minds. We cling to approaches that worked in the past, even when they’re no longer right for the present. 

That’s our brain on confirmation bias: proving ourselves right instead of asking, “What else might be possible?

🔍 If you’re noticing the same issue repeating in your team or role, it might not be a performance problem – it might be a thinking problem.

That’s the work I do now, creating a protected space to step out of firefighting mode, examine the system you’ve built, and redesign it so your teams can thrive rather than endure.

If you’re leading a capable but overwhelmed team, and you suspect the issue is bigger than “more effort”, independent and confidential coaching can give you that space to unpack the sticking points and assess your solutions in a way that works for you.

Maureen Adams ICF ACC

Executive Leadership Coach | Leadership Development for Individuals and Teams | NED and Chair| Business Owner of Cumulus Coaching

Leadership in Balance

Leadership-in-Balance is about Intercultural Leadership with interfaces to Diversity & Inclusion, Psychological Safety and Business Ethics & Sustainability.
My primary task as a mentor and facilitator of executives is to ensure that international assignments are successful and that virtual intercultural teams will grow and develop success stories regarding cooperation and performance.

Intercultural Leadership Counsellor

Fussball-meets-Business

I tell stories and write about experiences that can be transferred from Fussball (Am.: Soccer) to Business Life. If you are interested, feel free to follow #fussballmeetsbusiness or visit my blog at https://prepare4landing.blog/en/category/football-meets-business/

Storyteller

Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen

Business ethics and sustainability is my topic - as a lecturer at the Albstadt Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences at the Faculty of Business Science and Management for the Bachelor's degree program in Business Administration in the sixth semester.

University Lecturer - Dozent

GABAL e.V.

1) Buchbeitrag "Wege aus der Krise, fünf Empfehlungen aus der Praxis im GABAL Impulse Sammelband "Zukunftssicherung", erschienen am 10.10.2023
2) Commentary in Journal of Business Chemistry, October 2023, "Intercultural leadership - A need for now and the future in chemical industry. A personal observation based on experience".

Author

LEADERSHIP RHEIN-MAIN - Netzwerk auf Augenhöhe

Together with Laurin Strößenreuther as the initiator of the LEADERSHIP RHEIN-MAIN - Netzwerk auf Augenhöhe gUG, I am accompanying a project as a mentor and coach in which we train young adults as sustainability auditors in their "Voluntary Ecological Year" (FÖJ for short) and refer them to interested industrial companies in Hesse for an audit on the topic of sustainability.

Mentor and Coach for a Sustainability Dialogue between Generations

Celanese

Executive role at IBN SINA, a Manufacturing JV of SABIC and CTE (Celanese, Duke), producing Methanol, MTBE and Polyacetal

Vice President Finance - IBN SINA

Located at Amsterdam, Netherlands: Leading Manufacturing and Technology for Acetate Tow (global), Engineered Materials (Europe) and Food Ingredients (global).
Reporting Sites: Narrows, VA, US; Ocotlan, Mexico; Lanaken, Belgium; Spondon, U.K., Oberhausen, Germany, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Celanese @ Industriepark Höchst, Frankfurt, Germany.

Manufacturing Director Material Solutions

Located at Amsterdam, Netherlands: Leading Manufacturing, Technology and Procurement of Strategic Raw Materials and Logistics for Cellulose Derivatives (Acetate Tow) during transitioning of the EU HeadOffice to Amsterdam setting up a Principle Operating Company (POC) model. Reporting Manufacturing Sites: Narrows, VA, US and Lanaken, Belgium.

Director Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Cellulose Derivatives, Celanese

Located at Frankfurt, Germany: Leading Manufacturing, Technology and Process Improvement for Celanese Emulsions (global). Reporting Sites: Enoree, SC, U.S.; Meredosia, IL, U.S., Boucherville, Canada; Perstorp, Sweden; Geleen, Netherlands; Tarragona, Spain; Celanese Emulsions @ Industriepark Höchst, Frankfurt, Germany; Celanese Emulsions @ Nanjing, China

Global Manufacturing Director Emulsions

Manufacturing Site within Industrial Park Höchst - Integrated and managed operations of acetyls, acetyl intermediates, specialties, acetaldehyde value chain, conventional and high pressure emulsions, sorbic acid and sweetener operations and ensure compliance for all operational, technical, technological and product safety needs
Managing Director (Technischer Geschäftsführer) of Celanese Chemicals Europe GmbH (2004 - 2009) and Celanese Emulsions GmbH (2007 - 2009)

Site and Managing Director - Frankfurt, Germany 

Director of Technology & Operations, Celanese, Ruhrchemie Site

Corporate Facilitation role across Europe (1.800 employees) after spin-off of Celanese from Hoechst - Implemented and steered Corporate process improvement initiative applying organizational development, change management and methodic know-how such as continuous improvement, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Lean Management (certified Six Sigma Green Belt)

Facilitator, Business Process Excellence, Celanese Europe

Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG

Mitglied im Gesellschafterausschuss, Aufsichtstätigkeit im Auftrag des Gesellschafters Celanese

Board Member

Hoechst AG

1996 – 1997	Operations Manager, Solvents and Plasticizer 
1995 – 1996	Supply Chain Planner, Acetyls Europe, Basic Chemicals Division
1993 – 1995	Project Manager, catalytic epoxidation, Central Research
1990 – 1993	Lab Manager, organic synthesis and process development, Central Research

Various

During my more than 30-year career as a global (intracultural) manager at an international chemical company, I gained experience as an executive managing director, in HR organizational development and in directing various chemical plants around the world. 

Over the years I became more and more of a coach and mentor, both inside and outside of my own organization. 

And that’s what finally I am: A life-balance guide and experienced in intercultural leadership excellence.

Prepare4Landing...

as I listen, still in my thoughts, to the announcement on the plane. A feeling of joyful expectation accompanies me during the landing approach. I know this from my expatriate and family life and from my business trips for more than thirty years.

What can I expect? How am I perceived? What will I observe? What can I learn? How can I integrate?

✳ I was an expatriate, with family, for the first time in 1988/89 in Boston. Later again from 2015 in Amsterdam, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

✳ I was a business traveller. Always to the same locations in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, England, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, China or Saudi Arabia. Because it was about being in contact with people at those plants for which I was responsible. Leadership in a global environment.

✳ In family life, this meant and still means regular visits to our two daughters, who have developed into "Third Culture Adults". In Sydney, Montreal, Vienna, Barcelona, Oxford, Brighton, St. Andrews and Des Moines, Iowa. More to come, I'm sure.

✳ And also in my private life: As a family, we are interested in culture and have travelled to countries to see, experience and learn. Prejudices disappear, new insights emerge, new interests are awakened.

I'll tell you about that.
▶ Of all the stories that have accumulated,
▶ share my learning experiences,
▶ and assist you with words and deeds if you like.

Support and mentoring for executives.

It's about experiential knowledge that I was able to learn in my roles as a leader and manager, as a father and husband and as a human being. It is about the development and – more importantly – the application of intercultural leadership skills.

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