Neuroscientist of the Mind, Coach at the Core | Purpose-driven mindset Coach | NLP Practitioner | Researcher & Lecturer | Founder of The Courage Quest | PhD in Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience

"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." – Nora Roberts
This quote isn’t just on my wall—it’s in every brave step I’ve taken. From leaving home to pursue a life built on science, service, and soul work, it’s been my anchor through fear, growth, and becoming.

Who I am:
I’m Dr. Srinidhi Desikan—a Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscientist, Lab Manager, Lecturer, NLP Master practitioner, and Life & Mindset Coach. My path bridges many worlds: the rigour of academia, the depth of the human psyche, and the quiet (yet loud) transformations that happen when someone remembers who they are.

What I do:
- I manage the VU Behavioral Lab, where I’ve built systems and community across faculties to support research in human behavior.
- I guide students through their academic and personal journey of discovery.
- I coach individuals—often those navigating identity, fear, and transition—through a non-profit, pay-it-forward practice that centers on growth over transaction.
- I write, speak, teach, and listen. And I hold space for people, even (and especially) when they don’t know what they need yet.

How I do it:
With both precision and depth. I bring together neuroscience, psychology, NLP, and lived wisdom.
My approach is raw and reflective—I go beneath the surface, gently but directly. We get honest. We get clear. We shift from “Why me?” to “Why not me?”

Why I do it:
Because too many people live beneath their truth. Because I’ve been there. Because I’ve watched science transform systems and life—and seen presence transform people.
And because I believe that courage, when met with the right support, creates lives that feel like home.

✨ Curious to work with me—on research, coaching, or something in-between? Just send a message.

Dr. Srinidhi Desikan

Anticipa Real Estate

General Manager

Head of Finance & Tax, IT & Operations. Responsible for all back office functions and for the optimisation and automation of processes following the purchase of Anticipa by Blackstone from Caixa Catalunya.
Functions managed include Financial & Treasury reporting, Technology Infrastructure & Applications support, Operations & Back Office functions, PMO.

CFO & Corporate Director

Executive Coach

Altamira Asset Management

Responsible for the successful setting up and running of the Finance and Operations support areas in Altamira Asset Management SL. Altamira, which was created as a standalone entity in January 2014 following its sale by Banco Santander,  is one of the leading Real Estate and Debt Recovery servicing companies in Spain.

CFO and Operations Director

Citi

Responsible for ensuring execution of regional strategy across EMEA O&T. Support to Regional consumer O&T head in all administrative issues, with specific focus on tracking and achieving scorecard metrics - cost, controls, customer experience, capital allocation and culture. Regional contact for key initiatives such as Digitisation and new Consumer platform implementation in EMEA.

Chief Administrative Officer - Consumer O&T EMEA

Achieved annual cost reductions of over 6% per annum through process engineering and restructuring.
Optimised real estate requirements.
Imrpoved customer satisfaction (measured by Net Promoter Scores) and service levels by between 5 and 10% for all clients serviced.
Restructured workforce and migrated services out of Centre following a number of Citigroup divestitures, mitigating impact on customer and employee satisfaction levels.

Site Director - Barcelona Service Centre

Responsible for Business Planning and Analysis, Expense control and reporting, Work Force management planning, Sales Analytics and Internal Audit and control areas for the Barcelona Sales and Service Centre.

CFO & Audit / Compliance Director - Barcelona Sales and Service Centre

Responsible for US and Bank of Spain reporting, Business Planning and Analysis and Internal Audit/Control functions for the CitiFinancial consumer finance business in Spain

CFO - Spain

Responsible for Financial and Central Bank reporting for Spain and Portugal covering 5 major legal entities and 6 special purpose vehicles.
Member of Management Committee.
Responsible for team of 20 people.

CFO - Corporate & Investment Bank, Madrid & Lisbon

Head of team of 6 people reporting into the CFO for the Corporate and Investment Bank. Responsible for US Financial reporting of the business as well as oversight of the Capital Markets trading business middle office. Led project to centralise Derivatives and FX books to London. Also responsible for implementation of new derivatives trade product processor.

Deputy Financial Controller - Corporate & Investment Bank, Madrid

Financial Reporting group manager responsible for financial consolidation and regional reporting to US Head Office. Monthly and quarterly reporting included group consolidation, cash flow, currency and cross border exposure. Responsible for a team of 9 people covering several European countries (Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France, Austria and Switzerland)

Regional Financial Controller - EMEA

Responsible for supporting the Treasury and FX Options desks at Cit in London, managing the daily and monthly P&Ls, both product revenue and business expenses. Managed risk position tracking and balance sheet liquidity reporting and controls.

UK Financial Controller - Treasury and FX Options

Audit senior at Coopers and Lybrand. Experience in the financial services group working mainly with clients based in the City of London.

Senior Auditor

The C-Suite Coach | I help senior leaders thrive in their roles by optimising their performance, energy and time to enjoy their careers once more (you deserve it). Book your discovery call today.

I leverage my 20+ years of experience in C-Suite and executive positions to help clients: 

-> Significantly increase their focus and energy. 
-> Get back time and level up their productivity. 
-> Become a high-performer and enjoy their work. 
-> Get recognized for what they do and make a greater impact in their organization. 

Most importantly, I help them save years of frustration and remove all the guesswork when it comes to improving performance and advancing their careers without sacrificing the things they enjoy. 

Maybe you are at a point where you feel stuck and don’t know what’s next. 

• You have too much to do to fit into a working day.
• Your time is spent putting out fires rather than thinking.
• You easily get distracted and lack concentration.
• You used to be a 10/10 leader, but most of the days, you only score a 6.
• You can’t see how you can get to the next level in your career.
• Your boss wants you to be more strategic, but you are always in the weeds.
• You feel undervalued for all of the effort you put in.

And you are afraid of where it could end.

♦️You will never fulfil your full potential in your career.
♦️These high levels of stress could lead you to burnout.

You face a severe challenge.

-> How can you dedicate time to what you enjoy without sacrificing your career?

That’s where I come in! 

Over 3 months, I’ll help you:

✅ Get clarity on the changes you need to make to become a highly effective leader.
✅ Implement a new way of working that will give you back time and energy.
✅ Recover your zest at work and home, beginning a new successful period in your life.

Additionally, you get the benefit of my experience to help tackle the challenges you face now, such as:

1️⃣ Board meetings and investor presentations.
2️⃣ Difficult relationships with your boss, peers or employees.
3️⃣ Negotiations with third parties.
4️⃣ Large project implementations.

If this is something you would like help with, send me a message here on LinkedIn, and I’ll be happy to share more about my program and how it works. 

Testimonials

Peter is a brilliant coach. We have been working together for the past two years, and in that time, he has helped me set clear goals and given me the tools and encouragement I needed to achieve my goals. He is a great listener, truly cares and freely shares his wisdom with me. 
Nora Tandberg - CFO Papirfly

Peter is a fantastic coach - his unique perspective of coaching is very effective in a business setting and brings a fresh perspective to solving contemporary challenges. 
Guy Nicholas Mansfield - CFO C-Quest Capital

Peter McKenzie

My career stalled for 3 years because I was busy being a good team player, not a driver of change.

I found out the hard way that people-pleasers don't make top management.

Hedging every statement with "maybe" and "possibly" to avoid offending kept the peace. 

It also kept me stuck.

I was the popular team player who never ruffled feathers.

Seeing more abrasive colleagues move above me.

Because strong leaders take a clear position.
And people follow that conviction.

The meeting where I refused to back down when being pushed back was pivotal.

It was a feisty budget review with an overspending business head who needed to toe the line. I refused to let him have his way.

From that moment, people listened when I spoke.

At last they knew who they were dealing with.

Some agreed. 
Some pushed back hard.
And I learned how to argue my case.

When you're willing to take a clear position, people trust you more. 

Even when they disagree.

Being liked won't get you promoted.

Being clear on what you stand for will.

-------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

The C-Suite Coach | Elevating Executive Presence for Greater Leadership Impact | C-suite at Citi, currently GM at Anticipa - a Blackstone portfolio company | I coach from the arena, not the sidelines.

9 years ago I woke up to the fact that my career as a CFO was built on knowledge that could be automated.

So I made a decision that my peers thought insane.

I stopped trying to be the expert in the room and started learning how to communicate, influence, and lead across functions.

It was uncomfortable. 

I'd spent 20 years building technical credibility.

Now I was deliberately stepping away.

People didn’t expect to see a CFO who put leadership skills before technical ability.
Who valued communication as highly as finance. 

But it positioned me for a disruption I didn't see coming: 

AI.

Today, armed with ChatGPT and an internet connection, anyone can access the specialist knowledge you spent decades building.

Your hard-earned expertise hasn't been commoditised yet. 

But it's coming.

Accountants, lawyers & marketeers know it.

The winners in the AI age won't be the specialists. 

They'll be the people who:

• Connect insights across multiple domains
• Communicate complex ideas with clarity
• Inspire & influence their teams and stakeholders

The winners will be the generalists.

But only those with the ability to influence others.

Those with executive presence.

It's the only competitive advantage AI can't replicate.

The question: 
Are you developing it, or still hoping your expertise will be enough?

The more senior you get, the more you need to communicate with your boss.

Not less.

As you climb the corporate ladder, you get more responsibility and autonomy, but not independence.

You may think you have it when things go well,
But when things turn ugly, you'll realise your mistake.

I learned this when I was CFO at Citi.

Everything was under control. 
My team was performing, and the work was getting done.

So I stopped updating my boss.

After all, I was senior enough to manage it myself, right?

Wrong.

When we had a liquidity problem I had the solution - or so I thought.
 
But he questioned my approach, my timeline, even the solution.

All valid concerns I could have addressed if I'd kept him in the loop.

I blamed him for not asking.
He blamed me for not communicating.

The situation turned out fine. 
But the relationship was badly damaged.

It took me 18 months to recover my boss's trust.

How did I do it?

I established a communication protocol.

Here's what I agreed with him:

"I'll send you Friday updates on key decisions and issues. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you're OK with my approach."

He got visibility without micromanaging. 
I got air cover when things went messy.

The Stoics said: Control what you can control.

You can't control how your boss thinks.
But you can control how proactively you manage up.
You can control how much uncertainty you remove from their world.

Many senior executives fail to communicate upward because they think it demeans them.

It doesn't. 

It's strategic influence.

Your boss isn't reading your mind.

And your silence will cost you more than you think.
----------------------------------
PS What conversation are you avoiding with your boss right now because you think you shouldn't have to have it?

Everyone preaches the idea of having a growth mindset. 
But no-one says what it really means. 
"Failure is a chance to learn" they say.  

As though you're going to set up a company, invest $100,000 and be quite happy when the thing burns and crashes.  

You just walk away and say "Well I've got a valuable lesson from that. Now off to get my next bank loan and start another business"  

I think that's all BS spread by people that never risked anything. 

Here's what I think growth mindset really means:  

Being prepared to look stupid.  

Imagine this: 

You have a reputation of being smart.
You're in a meeting with a question you're dying to ask. 
But you think: "If I ask this question I may look stupid."  

Your heart beats faster. 
You feel the sweat. 

Chances are you won't say a word.  
You want to keep your reputation intact. 

It's integral to who you are. 

That's a fixed mindset.

Growth mindset is risking your reputation - and speaking up.  

Someone may roll their eyes and explain to you like you’re a 5 year old. 
"Weren't you listening?"  
(Embarrassing) 

But who cares? 

For every time that happens, you will have launched 5 good questions. 

That is the power of a growth mindset:  

But you must be prepared to look stupid. 

It's that simple. 

So when you hear people preaching about growth mindset, ask yourself: 

Are you prepared to look stupid?  

Because that’s what separates leaders who keep growing from those who stay smart... 
And stuck.

PS What question have you been holding back?

Your team doesn't read the value statement on your company website.
They watch you instead.

How you show up is all that counts.

Every action sends a signal.

Show up late for meetings?
-> Your team will too.

Take calls during your 1:1s?
-> Your direct report feels unimportant.

Check emails when someone is presenting?
-> People will do the same.

Interrupt people mid-sentence?
-> Respect is not a core value.

People mirror what they see. 
And your habits become the real value statement:

"How we do things here."

If you think you don't have a problem, test yourself.

On a Friday afternoon, reflect on your behaviour for that week.

Ask yourself:

Did I pay attention?
Did I follow up on commitments?
Did I actively listen or was I somewhere else?
Did I lose my cool or my respect for others?

Then imagine if everyone did the same as you.
Would your company be a great place to work?

Or a terrible one?

And just remember:
Your behaviour is the only value that counts.

----------------------
PS How did you score?
And what actions will you take?

"You'll never know what would have happened in the job you didn't take, but you'll always regret turning down an exciting opportunity for more money."
 
That's what I told a client facing a tough choice:
 
Option 1: Financial institution. Great pay, clear career path, solid title. 
Safe - but boring?
 
Option 2: Tech startup. Lower base salary, stock options, massive growth potential. 
Risky - but exciting.
 
On one hand, she loved the startup interviews - she had a great vibe with the CEO and CMO.
 
On the other hand, the financial institution was pleasant & professional, but her pulse didn't rise.
 
The higher salary was hard to turn down. 
But option 2 sounded like an adventure.
 
Here's what 30+ years in Corporate has taught me:
 
→ Work with people you like at every opportunity.
→ Learning in your job today beats promises of a future career. 
→ Leading an energetic team is an unbeatable experience.
 
So trust your gut.
 
I once didn't.
 
I accepted a counteroffer to stay at Citi when I was ready to jump into a startup.
I watched their growth and success from the sidelines with regret.

She asked me if I'd ever faced her situation, and that was my story.
 
The final decision is hers - whatever she chooses will teach her something valuable.
 
But I know what I would do.
 
What about you? 
Have you ever faced a dilemma like this?

-----------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

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Dr. Srinidhi Desikan

Peter McKenzie

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