Education
University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School, BS, Economics with a concentration in Marketing
Experience
Zahra began her career in marketing at Hanesbrands, Inc. as a Senior Marketing Analyst, helping the brand marketing and sales teams understand the underlying economics of the business and recognize opportunities for revenue, share, and profitability growth for retail customers. Next, she joined Philosophy IB, a Heidrick & Struggles management consulting firm, where she led client engagements focused on innovation, change management, operating model optimization, and effective corporate communications for Fortune 500 companies. Her responsibilities quickly expanded to a leadership role where she was responsible for leading large client teams and identifying and selling new client projects. After working with some of the world’s leading companies and observing great leaders in action, she realized she wanted to focus exclusively on leadership development, and so she shifted to executive coaching.
Recent clients
Google, Verizon, IBM, Red Hat, Merck, Accenture, Cooper Design & Strategy, Transdigm Group, Canadian Space Agency, Oxford Properties Group, University of Manitoba, Canadian Federal Government Agencies, Farm Credit Canada, Star Financial.
Training and certification
The Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC); International Coach Federation, Professional Certified Coach (PCC); Hogan Leadership Assessments, Certified Facilitator.
At The Boda Group…
Zahra’s coaching is informed and guided by research in psychology, leadership, adult development, and neuroscience. She brings flexibility, patience, challenge, trustworthiness, and respect to the leaders she coaches. Clients value her ability to raise and ask thoughtful questions—the questions no one else asks—and to listen deeply to hear what’s being left unsaid. From this, her clients gain clarity, identify root causes, find new and pragmatic solutions, make confident decisions, and achieve better performance. She supports and challenges her clients with equal tenacity to help them develop, grow, and operate more effectively.
What matters to me is…
making a palpable impact on each client’s life, not just at work. When ease enters one aspect of our lives, it permeates throughout it.
I’m inspired by…
humans! We are complex, yet simple creatures and it is fascinating to witness each point of transformation and evolution.
One thing I learned recently is…
that I can do hard things. Sometimes we learn the same lesson over and over, with it sinking deeper each time. Without the first 99 times, I would’ve never had the courage to embark on learning how to ski as an adult!
Things that make me smile include…
my husband, two daughters, my entitled cat, sun setting into the lake, a bonfire under the stars, an awe-inspiring landscape, a nostalgic song, and old printed photos.