Companies Organisations Systems

Organisations are living entities. They are fundamentally capable of adapting to the conditions of the market, their environment, their cooperation partners, and their employees - continuously and often without any effort. They do this with their own values, control mechanisms and behavioural patterns that have evolved over the course of their history.

Sometimes, however, this ongoing process of adaptation is not enough. Fundamental changes may be on the horizon: the methods used so far no longer meet the requirements of the market; fractures or crises occur in the environment or in the organisation that require targeted reactions; companies or parts of companies with different cultures are merged; people leave, people with different ideas join. This can trigger hope, a spirit of optimism, but also disquiet and uncertainty.

In such situations, one cannot rely on everything working itself out automatically. Change must be shaped. It may be sufficient to review and adjust and to optimize the existing business and strategic management tools. Alternatively, a comprehensive renewal process may be necessary to deal with the new requirements: questioning products and offers, reflecting on one's own values and behaviour patterns, finding a new strategic positioning and, building on this, designing, planning, and implementing new structures, processes, and a new way of working together.

We have many years of experience in designing change processes in industry, commerce, service providers, in schools, in administration, in value-oriented and non-profit organizations.

We support our clients in the following ways:

• We analyse with them which changes - if any - are necessary.
• We design and structure optimization and renewal processes.
• We develop and facilitate events and workshops in change processes.
• We coach project leaders, managers, and teams in dealing with change.

Ursula Preininger

lead&learn AG

Even after several decades on the job I am still gratefully fascinated by people’s growth. Those moments become even more precious if I have been involved in facilitating such development.

Faced with the daily challenges of running and leading my own SME with up to 60 employees for 12 years, I was able to build a deeper, experience-based understanding of the complexity of leadership, communication and management in real life. These years of hands-on experience, combined with the theory acquired in continuous further education, form the foundation of my focus on my clients’ individual and practical needs when I design leadership development or coaching interventions for them.

Professional Experience

• Since 2020 partner in the onion: Consultancy Network
• Since 2010 owner of Lead & Learn AG
• 2016 – 2023 member of the Board of Directors of inlingua International
• 2010 – 2021 owner and manager of the inlingua language centers in Olten, Biel and Solothurn
• 2005 – 2010 leadership roles in the corporate world at Syngenta: Head of Learning and Development Switzerland and later Global Head of Leadership Development
• 2000 – 2005 Pedagogical Manager at inlingua International, the licensor of the global network of inlingua language centers. Since 2015 member of the Board of inlingua International
• Grammar school teacher for English and history in the Canton Baselland

Educational background

• Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, CTI/ICF (2022)
• Diploma for Systemic Coaching and Consulting, CTAS (2019)
• Integral Coaching, imu, Augsburg (2018)
• Certificate in the Foundations of Neuroleadership, Neuroleadership Institute, (2014)
• Leadership Development Program and various programs on leadership and coaching at the Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, USA (2006–2009)
• Postgraduate Certificate in the Psychology of Organisational Development and Change, Heriot-Watt University, Chartered Institute for Psychology and Development London (2009)
• Postgraduate Diploma in General Management at the PHW Bern (2003)
• English linguistics and literature and general history at the universities of Basel (CH), Sussex (UK) und King’s College London (UK). MA in 1993 and grammar school teacher diploma in 1995
• Certifications in TLCP, HBDI, MBTI, DiSC, Situational Leadership II, 360° Feedback by Design, 360° Benchmarks. Ongoing online training as a virtual trainer

Miscellaneous Information

• Cooperations with Businessquest.de (Gesa Heiten), Jayteetraining.co.uk (Julie Thayne), Welltraining.co.uk (Leanne Lloyd)
• Bilingual in English and (Swiss) German
• Skipper with International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft with the Cruising Club of Switzerland. Teaching navigation courses for decades. Participation in various long-distance races such as the Fastnet Race, Round Skagen, Middle Sea Race. My husband and I love to spend our free time at sea on our sailing boat.