Clara Vincenc Coaching & Consulting

From stuck to strategy fast. I help leaders, founders, and companies navigate their own high-stakes transitions—without the fluff, the overwhelm, or the endless struggle.
As an ex-tech product leader turned business & leadership coach, I bring real-world product thinking, business strategy, and mindset transformation to help senior executives and teams navigate high-stakes transitions—whether that’s scaling leadership, shifting to a product-led model, or making bold business moves.

Transition and Leadership Coaching, Business Consulting

key&spark s.r.o.

Founded by Dana Poul-Graf, former Head of Global Communications at Deutsche Post DHL IT Services, Key&Spark is a boutique firm like no other. Our team, a blend of empathy, passion, and creativity, is dedicated to helping leaders rediscover and reignite their inner spark. We're here to be your strategic thought partner, opening doors to honest dialogue and fresh perspectives.

Strategic Thought Partner, Product Management Consultant

Toastmaster Global

President MSD Toastmasters

MSD Czech Republic

•	People Manager, LT member of CTO Agile Competency. Succeeded to rate 1 Direct
Report as Outperformed and be promoted.
•	Agile Coach for the Enterprise Architecture Value Team. Improved the ways of working,
coached on OKRs, product coaching, drove the creation of one product from zero.
•	Co-led a workstream for defining the role of Agile Competence in CTO.
•	Coached 2 teams outside the current assignment on vision, strategy and metrics.
•	Created and delivered a series of trainings on Product Management topics.
•	LT member of CTO Product Management Community of Practice. Led one
workstream focused on creating quality products.
•	CTO Change Agent.
•	Design Thinking extended team member since 2020. Partnered in the facilitation and design of
various workshops across the company.
•	Merck Women Network Prague Chapter LT member since 2020 focused on D&I,
promoting female leadership and support parents. Major projects: new policy for parental
leave, reverse mentoring, microaggressions trainings.
•	President of MSD Toastmasters 2022-2023, part of a prestigious international public speaking
organization. Focused on having consistent quality meetings that to grow our membership
base.

Senior Agile Coach, Associate Director

•	People Manager of 3 Product Owners in various areas: search engine, vaccines, product
catalog, product maturity assessments.
•	Received very positive feedback as people manager. Coached and helped one direct report to
become more visible. Succeeded in persuading the LT team to award a direct report as
Outperformed (there is a competition for this rating).
•	Led the creation and launching of one new product of strategic importance for CTO
•	Product Owner Academy facilitator and presenter.

Group Product Owner, Associate Director

•	Led the Product Owner activities for an internal search engine for scientific data.
•	Changed the focus from individual search to a platform for custom searches.
•	Optimized the product marketing activities to increase the awareness.
•	Optimized the Demand Management process.

Senior Product Owner

Maternity Leave

•	Led the Product Owner activities for the Web API Platform: 3 Products (Platform, Solutions,
Portal) and 5 Geographically Distributed Development Teams.
•	Created and articulated the Value Proposition in a user centric language rather than technical.
•	Focused the teams on OKRs – all KR are measured and the strategy supports the objectives.
•	Set the foundation for the Agile Overarching Scrum Process for Multiple Teams.
•	Optimized the Demand Management Process.
•	Drove the focus of the Big Data team on a Kanban.
•	Helped recruit a new Product Owner for Big Data.

Group Product Owner

Led the Agile Product Management activities for the Web API Platform.

Prague Business Toastmasters

•	Prague Business Toastmasters is the most prestigious Toastmasters club in Prague among more than 10 clubs, yearly awarded with the higher club distinction in Toastmasters, with more than 40 members.
•	Leading 8 officers to achieve the club mission: provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

President

Self-Employed

•	June 2017 - Workshop Toastmasters Division L TLI Brno, "Pathways"
•	Feb 2017 - Workshop Residential Weekend Prague, "Pitch Perfect: Fine tune your persuasive skills to inspire change" with Romi Hamplova
•	Jan 2017 - Workshop American Embassy for young entrepreneurs, "How to Pitch" with Romi Hamplova
•	Nov 2016 - Contest Chair (moderator) for the Evaluation Contest English Final, European Toastmasters Conference Warsaw
•	Jun 2016 - Workshop Toastmasters TLI Prague, "Moments of Truth"
•	Apr 2016 - Workshop Toastmasters Division Conference Brno, "Lessons on motivation"
•	Feb 2016 - Workshop Residential Weekend Prague, "Don't make them sleep, make them dream"
•	Nov 2015 - Moderator Pannel Discussion "The benefits of Toastmasters" at the Toastmasters European Conference in Prague
•	Nov 2015 - Speaker Product Management Meetup Prague, "Make time  not coffee"
•	Feb 2015 - Workshop Residential Weekend Prague, "Storytelling"
•	May 2014 - Workshop European Toastmasters Conference Krakow, "Know your own strengths and celebrate with personal stories" with Judi Challiner and Andreas Fehrens
•	Apr 2014 - Workshop Plzen, "Know your strengths with the stories you own" with Judi Challiner and Andreas Fehrens
•	Feb 2014 - Workshop Residential Weekend Prague, "Know your own strengths and celebrate with personal stories" with Judi Challiner and Andreas Fehrens

Public Speaker, Facilitator and Moderator

Siemens PLM Software

•	Led and evangelized the integration products with the flagship product the ALM-PLM Integration.
•	Transformed the integration products from outsiders into strategical products for the company.
•	Speaker at PLM World 2016 US and PLM Europe 2016, speaker and content creator for company digital marketing campaigns.

Product Manager Integrations

Polarion Software

•	Polarion Software is a leading innovator in web based Requirements Management, Quality Assurance and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solutions with 250+ Fortune 1000 Deployments, 2.5+ M users, and 15K registered community members.
•	Led the Product Marketing and Management activities for the integration products (SaaS).
•	Pioneered the Polarion – Siemens integration product as Product Manager. The only product of its kind on the market, it is very important due to the rise of software in all machines and devices. It was the reason why Polarion was acquired by Siemens.
•	Awarded with Polarion Innovation Award 2015.
•	Pioneered the integration products. Transformed an R&D project into a company strategic product. Product Manager for these products: Polarion Integration Platform, Connector for Microsoft TFS, HPQC, JIRA, IBM DOORS, Salesforce, and more.
•	Constant company speaker at conferences. The most important event: PLM Europe 2015. The largest audience: 150 people.
•	Speaker and content creator for company webinars, blog, collaterals on: agile thought leadership, and product presentations.
•	Coordinated the engineering team and coaching it in the Scrum Methodology.

Director Product Marketing

Responsible for the success of 7 Toastmasters clubs.

Achieved President Distinguished Area - the highest distinction that an Area can receive in Toastmasters

Area D5 Governor

•	Led the education activities in the club, organized meetings, organized club contests, created the club mentorship program.
•	Scheduled members’ speeches, verified the completion of projects and served as a resource for questions about education awards, speech contests and the mentor program.
•	Charter member of Prague Business Toastmasters.
•	Achieved the Select Distinguished Club award in the first year of existence of the club.

VP Education

Pivot with intention — from inner rewiring to outer results | Business & Leadership Coach | Product Advisor | Speaker | Helping leaders & companies win their biggest pivots

Hi, I’m Clara.

From navigating communist Romania to building a life and career across countries, building a family while leading multimillion-dollar product teams, and then reinventing myself as an entrepreneur, my journey has been full of bold pivots.

Now, I help leaders, founders, and companies navigate their own high-stakes transitions—without the fluff, the overwhelm, or the endless struggle.

FROM STUCK TO STRATEGY, FAST.

I don’t do endless sessions. I get leaders and companies unstuck, clear, and moving forward—fast.

As an ex-tech product leader turned business & leadership coach, I bring real-world product thinking, business strategy, and mindset transformation to help senior executives and teams navigate high-stakes transitions—whether that’s scaling leadership, shifting to a product-led model, or making bold business moves.

YOU'VE CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN...NOW YOU'RE QUESTIONING IF IT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

That moment in between—the crossroads, the career shift, the leadership challenge—awakens an inner warrior. Now you need to channel that energy in the right direction by identifying the internal barriers that are keeping you stuck.

Because what got you here won't get you where you want to go.

My counterintuitive approach gets you unstuck without adding more to your plate.

You don’t need more information.

You need better questions, sharper decisions, and the right mindset shifts to move forward.

This is not about working harder.

This is about leading, living, and working with clarity, confidence, and alignment.

WHO I WORK WITH

☑️ High-Achievers in Transition – Whether stepping up or stepping out, you need clarity on what’s next.

☑️ Founders & Entrepreneurs – Navigating the rollercoaster of building something new, scaling leadership, and making bold moves.

☑️ Leaders at Crossroads – Making decisions from deep knowing, not just data or pressure.

☑️ Companies Shifting to a Product-Led Model – Aligning leadership, strategy, and execution for long-term impact.

If you trust me to help you—I’ll honor that and bring what I believe will serve you best.

Are you ready?

Let’s get to work.

High performers are trained to equate movement with progress.
To fill every gap with doing.
Even holidays turn into “catching up.”

But there’s a point where doing stops creating value, and starts consuming it.

A client in a recent session was mapping the four areas of their life.
When it was time to pick one to focus on, they said,
"I think I need to pause and let this sink in first."

That awareness alone was progress.

Another client told me they couldn’t relax on holiday.
Checking emails, scrolling, planning the next thing.
When they finally stopped, their mind slowed.
And when they came back, they focused better than before.

The pause wasn’t wasted time.
It was recovery.
Even muscles grow while sitting on the couch. Not while lifting, but while rebuilding.

Your mind works the same way.
Gentleness isn’t softness.
It’s strategy.

It’s what keeps your energy available for what truly matters.

P.S. Where do you need to pause, not to stop working, but to start creating again?

–––
I help leaders create their next chapter with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru

I help senior leaders going through pivotal transitions with strategy, clarity and confidence | Business & Leadership Coach | Product Advisor | Speaker

You’re on your fifth call before noon.
Decisions. Messages. Deadlines.
Your brain is on fire, but your body feels like stone.

You tell yourself you’ll rest later.
Yet even after closing the laptop, the mind keeps spinning.
Overthinking replaces movement.
Stillness becomes stress.

You don’t need more pressure.
You need chemistry.
Your body already knows how to restore balance.

Serotonin for calm - time in nature, slow breathing, a short walk.
Dopamine for drive - finishing something small, celebrating it.
Oxytocin for connection - a hug, a laugh, a kind word.
Endorphins for lightness - movement, music, joy.

You don’t need a pharmacy to lift your energy.
You already have one inside you.

P.S. Which of these are you running low on today - and how will you replenish them?

You wake up knowing exactly what matters most today.
That one thing that would move everything forward.

But first - coffee.
Then email.
Then a few “quick tasks.”

By lunch, the day feels full… yet strangely empty.

You tell yourself, “I’ll do it when I feel ready.”
But motivation doesn’t arrive.
Because it doesn’t come first.
Movement does.

A client who started the meeting asking for motivation on a day when there was none, came to this conclusion: 
“When I start walking or talking to someone, my energy comes back.”

That’s it.
You don’t need a new plan. You need motion.

Walk. Stretch. Breathe.
Shift your state before you try to fix it.
Your body knows how to bring you back online.
It just needs you to move.

Movement brings energy. Energy brings motivation.

P.S. What’s the one small movement that would restart your energy today?

Most leaders lose their voice right when the world starts to listen.

They let AI polish their edges.
They trade presence for performance.
They sound perfect.
And disappear.

Yes, use AI.
Use it for speed, structure, engagement.
I do too. It’s part of how I move faster.

But there’s a line you can’t outsource.
Your creative process is not a bottleneck.
It’s your asset.

Handwriting. Dictating. Thinking out loud.
That’s where originality is born.
That’s how your nervous system meets your message.

Build intentional moments to write without AI.
Pen on paper. Or pen on device.

Let the silence sharpen your voice again.
Because once you forget how to think in your own rhythm, no tool can bring it back.

When was the last time you wrote something your system didn’t optimize, but your soul recognized?

—
In a world learning to think with machines, 
I help leaders in transition remember how to lead as humans,
with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

You can ask AI for advice.
It will tell you you’re brilliant.
It will never ask, “But is that true?”

In moments of identity shift, 
when the old self is fading and the new one isn’t steady yet,
you don’t need more agreement.
You need friction that refines you.

Real growth happens in discomfort:
a coach who won’t let you hide behind intellect,
a friend who says, “so what?”,
a pause that makes you feel everything you’ve been avoiding.

AI can mirror your brilliance.
Only humans can meet your becoming.

Who in your life still dares to interrupt your certainty?
—
In a world learning to think with machines, 
I help leaders in transition remember how to lead as humans,
with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

And I do challenge them.

Photo credit:  Jan Piskáček

You know that moment when you’re about to start something new and your brain starts writing every possible scenario?

“What if this doesn’t work?”
“What if I can’t keep up?”
“What if they see I’m not ready?”

That’s not weakness.
That’s your brain doing its job. Trying to protect you by predicting what might go wrong.

But during transitions, that protection drains your energy fast.
Because most of those scenarios never happen.
You stay busy managing futures that don’t exist.

A client once told me,
"I realized I was spending more energy on what could happen than on what I could do now."

That’s the shift.
Awareness first.
Then action.

Either decide not to do it and stop worrying.
Or do one small thing that’s actually in your control.

Send the message.
Book the call.
Make the next move from where you are, not from what you fear.

You don’t find clarity by thinking harder.
You find it by moving with presence.

P.S. What future scenario is stealing your energy today? What’s the one simple action that would bring you back here, now?

–––
I help leaders create their next chapter with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

You know those days when nothing works, even though you’re doing everything right?
You’re tired but wired.

Your brain keeps spinning, your body’s running on fumes.
So you start fixing.
New app. New planner. New routine.

You tell yourself, “I just need a better system.”
But maybe nothing’s broken.

A client came to a session in that exact place. Running full speed and getting nowhere.
Halfway through, they stopped and said:
"Actually, when I just walk to pick up the kids, talk to someone I like, and get outside every day… I feel balanced again."

That was the reset.
They didn’t need a new system.
They needed to respect the one that already worked.

You’re built for action. But sometimes, the smartest move is to come back to what keeps you steady.

That’s self-leadership:
Not control, but rhythm.
Not perfection, but presence.

You don’t need to do more.
You just need to do what matters, and keep doing it.

P.S. What’s one small habit that quietly keeps you balanced - and how will you protect it this week?

You know that moment when everything in your life is shifting.
Maybe a new country, new job, new chapter.
And you’re still trying to manage it the old way?

Double-checking every email.
Refreshing your inbox.
Planning ten steps ahead before taking one.

It feels safe, but it’s not progress.

A client came to me in that place.
They had just moved abroad and were between jobs, sending applications, waiting for replies, stuck on who hadn’t answered.

They were doing everything right.
And nothing was moving.

During our session, they realized:
"Maybe it’s not about more control. Maybe it’s about trust."

That week, they reached out to new people.
Followed up.
Sent the messages that weren’t perfect.

And suddenly things shifted.
Even the person who’d been silent for weeks replied.

When you move from control to trust, your energy changes.
And the world starts responding differently.

You don’t need to push harder.
You just need to act from a different place.

P.S. Where in your life are you still waiting for proof, when what’s missing is your trust in action?
–––
I help leaders create their next chapter with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

Your systems can run without you.
But the meaning behind them can’t.

The tools now write, plan, and decide faster than ever.
And yet, many leaders feel less in charge.

Because leadership is changing.
It’s moving from managing work to managing awareness.

Managing work is about tasks and results.
Managing awareness is about noticing what’s behind them:
your focus, your emotions, the energy in the room.

It’s shifting from control to presence.
Control forces outcomes.
Presence listens first, acts from clarity, not pressure.

It’s moving from output to alignment.
Output asks, “How much did we do?”
Alignment asks, “Did it move us where we actually want to go?”

AI will accelerate whatever already lives in you.
If you’re scattered, it multiplies noise.
If you’re clear, it multiplies impact.

When everything becomes automated, what part of you must stay handmade?

—
In a world learning to think with machines, 
I help leaders in transition remember how to lead as humans,
with clarity, alignment, and calm confidence.

taplio

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Linkedin Analytics

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru

Performance ScoreClara Vincenc-Cismaru's LinkedIn Performance

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Linkedin Analytics

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's LinkedIn Performance

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreClara Vincenc-Cismaru's LinkedIn Performance

Clara Vincenc-Cismaru's Best Posts (last 30 days)