Education
Keio University (Tokyo), BA, International Policy Management
Al-Quds University (Jerusalem), MA, Community Mental Health
Experience
Yumi has extensive work experience in complex high-pressure environments and in building trusting relationships with people from diverse backgrounds without losing focus on organizational goals. Before shifting to executive and team coaching, she spent 16 years leading emergency response and development programs for non-profit organizations in the Middle East and Asia, from small grassroots set-ups to international non-governmental organizations, including the Netherlands Red Cross, International Medical Corps, and International Rescue Committee. Yumi’s specialty is in supporting people—especially in remote/hybrid environments—to communicate better, gain clarity and alignment, and leverage differences for creative collaboration in rapidly changing contexts. She brings a systems lens to her coaching and supports clients to connect the dots between leadership behavior, team interactions, and business results. Yumi is a global citizen and moves from country to country around the world. She speaks English, Japanese, and decent Palestinian colloquial Arabic from having lived in the Gaza Strip for close to a decade.
Recent clients
Abry Partners, LLR Partners, Amazon, Indeed, Microsoft, Voltron Data, Wayfair, Nespresso, Optum, Biogen, US State Fire Department, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, United Nations Office for Project Services, World Food Programme, European Commission
Training and certification
International Coach Federation, Professional Certified Coach (PCC); CRR Global, Certified Organization and Relationship Systems Coach (ORSCC); The Co-Active Training Institute, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC); Harvard University, Postgraduate Certificate in Global Mental Health; Growth Edge Coaching, Conversations at the Growing Edge & advanced workshops; Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) Certified; Hogan Leadership Assessments, Certified Facilitator; Team Diagnostic Survey (TDS), Certified Advanced Practitioner
At The Boda Group…
Yumi is dedicated to her clients’ growth and progress. She enables leaders to see their challenges in perspective and offers them the tools and support they need to address their and their organization’s most important priorities. Yumi’s clients rely on her as a trusted partner and value her warmth, sense of humor, candor, and ability to keep vision and hope front and center while navigating chaos and change.
One place that is special to me is…
Rafah, the southernmost town of the Gaza Strip. I spent 5 years here as the “only” foreigner (i.e. someone not married to a Palestinian), running a psychosocial program for teenagers living along the border with Egypt. Here, my kids taught me colorful curse-words and shared their dreams with me, the community looked out for me, and I saw around me time and again what it takes to be resilient in the face of adversity.
What matters to me is…
that people can feel that there are always options, no matter in what situation they find themselves, and that in those moments when they feel stuck, they don’t have to feel alone. In the wise words of Robert Fulghum, “When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.” This sounds to me like good advice for going the long haul.