Luchi Vitales, PCC
CEO of A and N Consultancy and Former HR Director at Monde Nissin
Luchi Vitales already had the makings of being a great coach as early as 7 years old. She fondly recalls hanging out in her parents’ clinic (they were both dentists) and just talking to their patients of all ages, asking them about their lives and listening to their stories.
Fast forward to her university days, as a transport strike was going on, Luchi found herself sitting down with the members of the transport union to really understand their plight.
Later on, in her HR career, she would hear out members of the labor union and use their concerns to improve company practices.
“It’s instances like these that indicate to me that I have the proclivity to listen and empathize with people,” she says.
So it comes as no surprise that Luchi was drawn to professional coaching, especially after having seen its impact on people. She was the Director of HR of the Monde Nissin Corporation for 25 years and was responsible for creating its coaching culture in the company. It is even weaved into their Competency Development Program and taken into consideration in leadership succession. After retiring from the company in 2021, she focused on her coaching career and is now a PCC credentialed coach of the International Coaching Federation.
“Every coachee is also a learning platform for me,” she says with a smile. “As they change their mindsets and I witness their growth, it is an A-Ha moment for me as well.”
One of the highlights of her coaching practice occurred during the lockdown. She had been coaching a business leader of a startup for 8 months who was suffering from self-doubt, and it was affecting the business. Eventually, his change in perspective and leadership style, improved collaboration with teams and adoption of the growth mindset positively impacted the strategy of the company and improved its bottom line.
This is one of the reasons why, to Luchi, coaching makes sense as a full-time career. It is now the second largest segment globally as a profession, and revenues generated as a result of coaching continue to grow, especially after the pandemic. But you need to work hard on it too. She advises: “Begin with good coaching foundational skills. Practice. Practice. Practice. And aim to level up…always.” She has promised herself to learn a new thing every year, so she invests in learning programs and immerses herself in learning the developments in different industries, from banking and fintech, retail, and so on. “Always ask yourself, “What more can I do? And invest in upgrading yourself.”
When asked about the future of the coaching profession, Luchi believes that coaching humanizes the environment and will continue to be in demand. “As AI advances, let’s not forget that we are still human and we will always need someone to listen.”
