From French countryside to global boardrooms: Meet Audrey Daumain, CIO Global’s Most Influential Female Executive Coach of 2024.

Audrey Daumain’s journey is a masterclass in seizing opportunities and following one’s heart. Born in rural France in 1977, her childhood advocacy for the underdog foreshadowed a remarkable career. A “short holiday” to England in 1998 turned into a life-changing adventure which lasted over 12 years, catapulting her from the French consulate in London to the bustling floors of Morgan Stanley. Audrey’s career reads like a who’s who of finance and philanthropy. She’s rubbed shoulders with royalty at King’s Charles’ foundation, navigated the high-stakes world of investor relations at Lombard Odier, and spearheaded digital transformation at Edmond de Rothschild. Each role added a new dimension to her expertise, from organizing large-scale investors conferences to managing complex change in resistant environments. But it’s not just her impressive resume that sets Audrey apart. It’s her unique ability to understand people’s needs and fears, break down resistance, and bridge the gap between intention and impact in business conversations. Now, as a Communication Expert, she’s revolutionizing how leaders and their teams communicate, ensuring their words drive real change and meaningful engagement.

Curious about how this French-born powerhouse is reshaping business dialogue? Read on to discover Audrey Daumain’s secrets to transforming business communication.

“Life is everything that happens when you are busy making other plans, and I know a thing or two about that!”

Audrey, a passionate and accomplished executive coach, brings an extraordinary blend of corporate acumen and personal insight to her role. With over two decades of experience in diverse corporate environments and a very colorful personal life, Audrey has honed an acute sense of what truly matters in the business world.

Her professional and personal journey took a profound turn in January 2020 when a life-altering and tragic car accident reshaped her perspective and purpose. This was the catalyst for her to embark on a deeply meaningful journey towards fostering clear, candid and intentional dialogues in the workplace.

Drawing from her extensive corporate background in operational excellence and change management, coupled with her rich personal experiences, Audrey has cultivated a unique ability to frame productive and meaningful conversations. She expertly guides her clients to make well-informed decisions that align with both their personal values and their company’s ethos. Her approach is rooted in the belief that ethical behavior and strategic success are inherently linked.

Audrey’s coaching philosophy is built on three pillars: active listening, pragmatism and unwavering trustworthiness. Whilst she refrains from dictating solutions, she is a dynamic problem solver, a reliable sparring partner and sounding board, therefore providing different perspectives and empowering clients to discover their own paths. An avid learner, she ensures she remains within her areas of expertise, building trust through relatability and consistent support.

What sets Audrey apart is her gift for bridging the gap between high-level strategic vision and actionable implementation. She guides executive committees and their teams through the intricate process of defining and clearly articulating strategies in way that speaks to people.

Staying at the forefront of executive coaching, Audrey remains keenly attuned to emerging challenges in the corporate landscape. She understands the critical topics her clients are facing such as Data Management and Cybersecurity, ESG concerns, and the growing emphasis on Well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In the bustling corridors of modern workplaces, a silent epidemic lurks – the fear of genuine conversations. Despite our hyper-connected world, many employees find themselves trapped in a paradox: surrounded by communication tools yet terrified of truly speaking.

The hidden cost of poor communication is absolutely colossal. Many companies focus on tangible assets to keep employees happy – gym memberships, subsidized commuting, massages, flexible and hybrid work (amongst many other things).   However, they too often overlook our most fundamental need: consideration and clear, meaningful communication.  The consequences can be devastating:  burn out, mental health issues, high turnover.

“Confusion always creates chaos. Confused people cannot agree and engage!”

Audrey underlines the harsh reality she experiences in her consultancy work: people don’t have the tools: they feel neither equipped nor entitled to handle day to day necessary conversations.

Why do we fear open dialogue?

At the heart of this fear lies vulnerability. Audrey explains that this vulnerability comes from our beliefs.  Our beliefs shape our minds, our emotions and therefore our actions.  Sharing a feeling or point of view exposes us to potential criticism, rejection, or worse, indifference. The human brain, wired for survival, often interprets these social risks as threats. As a result, we retreat into safer territories of platitudes, small talk and email chains, now online calls and avoiding the discomfort of real conversations. At times, we lose control and might burst out and inevitably, words do not come out the right way, creating a chasm between intent and impact.

But what if we’re missing out on the very thing that could revolutionize our work environments and sustainably solve many of the conflicts and troubles of modern workplaces?

Audrey talks about clear, intentional conversations as the lifeblood of innovation and progress. They challenge assumptions, spark creativity, and forge stronger relationships.

Yet, most employees lack the training and the safe spaces to navigate these waters effectively, Audrey talks about “the untapped huge potential of meaningful and open debates at work”.

“New employees have to go through compliance, information security mandatory online trainings – but companies neglect the importance of learning the communication codes and skills needed to evolve and grow within their teams.”

Audrey forges idea battlegrounds, not ego arenas. Diverse viewpoints collide in a dance of ideas, insights emerge, progress is made. This is the promise of meaningful debates – a skill woefully underdeveloped in most professional settings and leading to unthinkable and most of the time preventable stressful and profoundly damaging events.

Breaking the silence

Audrey works with organizations so they invest in their employees’ communication skills and create the safe spaces to welcome those healthy dialogues. This goes way beyond basic presentation techniques. It involves teaching the art of active listening, the courage to voice unpopular opinions, and the wisdom to separate ideas from individuals – which is the most difficult part for so many of us.

Many organizations mistakenly equate harmony with productivity. However, Audrey reminds us that research shows that teams engaging in constructive conflict often outperform their conflict-avoidant counterparts. The key lies in framing disagreement as a tool for growth, creativity and fulfillment rather than a source of tension.

Unlocking the power of clear and candid conversations

Audrey’s extensive Digital Transformation and Change Management experience have fueled her methodology.  She has built her very own practice based on NLP New Code and Non-Violent Communication. Intuitive and sharp, Audrey quickly pinpoints issues and adapts to client’s unique needs, objectives, and time frames, making her coaching truly bespoke. She spends time with CEOs and their committees, sometimes immersed in teams, observing the way they interact and address each other. The way they understand the company’s mission, embody its values and tackle strategic topics.

She runs training days in small teams sharing real life situations, anecdotes and highly interactive role-plays.  Audrey informal and personable style sets her apart as an executive coach. Her dedication to continuous learning and adapting of her content to real-life situations ensures that she provides valuable and relevant advice.

Through these examples and her facilitation of both operational and executive committees, Audrey provides concrete feedback on communication. She notes that people often build barriers in conversations by using phrases like “I agree, but”, “I disagree because” or “You have lost me, I don’t understand what you are saying ….”  Instead, she encourages curiosity about others’ perspectives. She encourages clients to ask questions like, “How did you come to this conclusion?” or “Can you help me see what you see?” or “Can you please clarify your intention?” “What would you like me to remember from this conversation?”. These small changes foster open dialogue and reduce defensiveness.

Audrey is often called “Mrs. Intention” by her clients. Always working to get to the bottom of what people feel and want others to understand and perceive, she works with great skill to train people to clarify their own needs and feelings and ultimately get what they want.

The workplace can be a tough place to evolve in. Some comments or situations can create confusion, frustrations and chaos.  She talks about the power of asking the right questions – so instead of reacting strongly to what is perceived as an accusation (the cactus!), ask the person this simple question “What do you mean?”, invite the other person to expand on their comment. Should you be told that “You’re too slow!” or “You’re not precise enough”, don’t hesitate to reply “oh! Too slow compared to what?”. This puts a distance and gently re-routes the conversation, the person in front needs to think about what they need and want and will reframe to give more essence to their criticism.

Don’t sit on the cactus! Put it on the side and engage in a constructive discussion.

Audrey invites people to really focus on having conversations that leave everyone feeling serene, curious, or excited, rather than frustrated, or misunderstood.

Her approach to Executive Coaching is deeply rooted in practical, real-world applications, and her emphasis on intention and impactful communication helps her clients achieve meaningful and lasting change in their professional working environments.

“Inspiration and commitment don’t come from grand gestures but from sharing our intentions and communicating with clarity and purpose.”

Executive Coaching: Cutting through the noise

The world of executive coaching is booming (over 100,000 executive coaches in the world and that’s just the certified bunch, that’s a sharp 62% rise since 2020 globally- source: Allied Market Research) but with growth comes misconceptions and serious challenges.  

One major misconception is the idea that anyone can become a coach without significant experience or knowledge. Audrey has encountered many coaches, some of whom inspire her greatly, while others have made her wary of the profession’s credibility. She feels that the sheer number of coaches leads to market saturation, especially those who might not have found their path in life and dilutes the profession’s perceived value. Audrey shares that on top of her proven career experience, it’s the heart she puts into everything that she does, coupled with her high sense of duty and professionalism that makes the difference. She believes that being a good coach requires humility, diligence, honesty, and transparency.

“I am their strategic business partner. Their trusted friend and ally. I care, I tell them how it is. No fluff, no B*S*.”

Admitting when she doesn’t have the answers and refusing contracts she cannot fulfill are part of her commitment to integrity. For Audrey, coaching is about sharing a piece of someone’s or a team’s journey, redirecting, strengthening and seeing them grow and perform as a result. Today she works with international high-profile clients in Luxury, Finance and Oil& Gas industries, testimonies to her credibility and impact.

Balancing Professional Responsibilities with Personal Life

Balancing professional responsibilities with personal life is challenging these days. Since leaving her banking job in 2020 and starting her own consultancy business, she has had to manage a growing workload. Today, Audrey is engaged in public speaking, writing her books, and managing her coaching practice, all of which place demands on her time and energy. She is married and has two daughters, aged 20 and 6 who are her pride and joy. Things aren’t perfect but she wouldn’t want it any other way!

“When you have a session, clients don’t care whether they are your first meeting of the day or the 6th. They need your undivided, full attention. They need to feel that at that very moment, they are the only thing that matters to you.”

The daughter of a highly ranked military man, Audrey recognizes that she owes her father the structure, discipline and grit required to balancing everything at work and at home in the most efficient way.  

Goals for the Coming Year

Audrey Daumain has clear goals for the coming year, both personally and professionally. She plans to focus on three main areas:

• Books and Podcast: Audrey works to finish her books and launch a Podcast entirely dedicated to the evolution of workplaces dynamics.
• Expand Market Reach: Audrey wants to start working with Big 4s and Business Schools to humanize and sharpen communications skills of consultants and future business leaders.
• Public Speaking and Conferencing: Audrey has started to accept public speaking engagements and would like to share both her incredible life story and her key learnings on impactful conversations with a wider audience. 

A message of hope, respect and meaning!

Unwinding and Hobbies

Audrey shares that a day spent without learning is a day wasted! Unwinding for her both means learning and sharing precious moments with loved ones:

• Reading & Learning: Audrey loves to read and constantly seeks to learn new things through books, online articles. She is a fan of Masterclass and Podcasts.

• Organizing Dinner Parties: She enjoys bringing people together Audrey sends out invitations by post, avoiding digital invitations, to make the events feel more special.

• Cooking: Cooking is another passion of hers, and she enjoys entertaining guests with her culinary skills.

Audrey knows she survived that unthinkable life-threatening incident on January 30, 2020, because she was meant to serve others. This sense of purpose drives her to continue working and supporting people in any way she can. It’s a philosophy of life, a true calling.

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