In conversation with Katrin Oblikas-Peretti

In this interview, we speak with Katrin Oblikas-Peretti, executive coach and faculty member on the AoEC’s Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching. Katrin’s professional journey began in veterinary medicine before she moved into the corporate world, eventually becoming CEO and part of a global people and culture team. She shares how a pivotal coaching experience transformed her path, what shaped her own coaching model, and why neuroscience and true partnership are at the heart of her approach. Now an ICF-accredited coach and mentor, Katrin reflects on the evolving role of coaching in a changing world and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

You originally trained as a vet, before moving into the corporate world. Can you please tell us more about your professional background and who or what introduced you to the wonderful world of coaching?

As a veterinary surgeon, I started my professional life in a small animal clinic, where we also sold pet food. To be more present for my children, I moved from practicing veterinary medicine into the pet food industry. I started working for a pet food brand importer and later joined the international corporation that manufactured the same brand. I immediately fell in love with their purpose and corporate culture. I grew from scientific support into CEO for the Baltics and was part of the Global P&O team in charge of HPC (High Performing Collaboration). Just before moving into a big career step as a CEO, my personal life was in turmoil. I met a coach, an Englishman, David Miller, living in France. This collaboration was critical for navigating a divorce and successfully growing into a significant new role. I became a fan of coaching.

What was your own personal coach training journey?

Having already had experience as a client and understanding that as a leader, I work through others, I wanted to learn coaching.

I was super happy to find the first AoEC Executive Coaching Diploma course in Estonia. This was later followed by the Systemic Team Coaching and Senior Practitioner Diploma, also offered by AoEC. An important moment in my coaching career was when I learned about neuroscience and followed Judith E Glaser's course on Conversational Intelligence and transformational coaching by Marcia Reynolds.

Can you tell us about your own personal coaching model and what influences you most as a coach?

Everything clicked into place when I came across neuroscience. For example, in leadership, we talk a lot about trust, but finally, neuroscience explains why it is so important and what happens in the brain. My coaching model is based on Cognitive Behavioural Coaching. Our behaviour is shaped by the meaning we assign to our thoughts and emotions. I like to say that the shortest way to a desired outcome is a matching mindset.

As someone who mentors other coaches, what do you think is the most important quality for a coach to develop today - and why?

We are a true thinking partner for the Thinker, the person a coach is working with. We support the Thinker in their thinking process by creating an environment that allows deep thinking to happen. The role of the matching partner for the Thinker is unique to coaching; it rarely happens in another role.

You have gone onto be accredited with the ICF at PCC level. Why was becoming accredited important to you and what value has it brought your practice?

The word "coaching" can be interpreted in various ways, and the client can be confused about what kind of service they get. I believe the quality of professional coaching and what we mean by talking about coaching is of high importance. ICF has worked out a set of competencies and ethics that an ICF-accredited coach adheres to.

Therefore, the client is reassured of the nature and quality of the coaching.

ICF PCC level accreditation is acknowledged globally, opening doors to work globally easily.

You lead a module on Partner Conversation Dynamics in the Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching. What is it about this topic that particularly interests you?

I am fascinated by partnerships and how being a true partner unlocks the potential in both parties. It is unique to coaching. Partnerships are influenced by context and how we see our roles in it. The context is constantly evolving, and so should the partnership. When defining the partnership, we come across the unbalancing hats -our set of beliefs in other roles. Seeing how our unbalancing hats influence our presence in a coaching conversation is fascinating. The partnership is visible in the voice. We feel whether we are held as partners before the words are spoken.

In your own coaching work, who are you working with and what type of coaching services are you offering?

Mostly, I work with leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset, as well as designers, movie directors, and athletes. People who value a human adventure in their lives and roles, who need to be self-aware, creative, and curious for their best performance. I mostly work one-to-one with a person, sometimes with teams, mainly on the mindset and behaviour needed for the desired outcome. I am also a mentor for other coaches.

How do you think the role of coaching will develop in response to the future of work?

The human adventure and human intelligence aspect will be even more critical. Being human, not perfect. AI cannot help here, but coaching can.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you were starting out?

Keep that curious mind, explore and experiment, it is more valuable than you might think.

Coaches just starting are genuinely curious, have an open learning mindset, and are truly there for the client, sharing the discomfort zone. You are partnering more than you realise.

What would you like your professional legacy to be? 

Performance = Potential - Interference (W. Timothy Gallwey)

Often, interference with a person's best performance is not underperformance but overperformance - pushing too hard for great and sustainable results. I support shaping the behaviour for optimal performance.

Our deepest gratitude to Katrin for sharing her expertise and insights into coach training.