About

Meet Elena Khomenko

I founded Lead With Whole Heart in 2014 to support executives who build careers across cultures, markets, and industries.

In my coaching, I leverage my experience in leading multicultural teams on three continents, professional coach training by CTI, and the learnings I get from the global executives and leadership teams I coach. My Doctoral research on how managers and their teams learn from experience fuels my passion for bringing up the human side of leadership.

My goal is to bring back humanity to the workplace, so people can collaborate with whole hearts. My work contributes to the world where happy and fulfilled people engage in creative and meaningful work.

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7 facts that shaped me as an Executive and Leadership Coach

  1. I was born in Kazakhstan, went to University in Ukraine, graduated from the Booth School of Business in Chicago, IL, and currently work in Canada and Europe. The powerful influence of cultural background on what we consider important, urgent and fulfilling fascinates me.
  2. I speak 5 languages, four of which I learned as an adult because I wanted to work and communicate across cultures. I thrive on global connectedness that enriches us when we work, play and create together.
  3. In my executive career, I worked in advertising, B2B and B2C marketing, sales, government relations, and general management. I was involved in corporate restructuring, lead business transformations, and contributed to the launch of a global diversity initiative. I get the complexity and challenges of a high-powered global executive job.
  4. I am a global citizen. I am also an expat, an immigrant, and a minority executive. Except for my native Russian, I speak all languages with an accent. I am also over 50, which makes me feel very visible (or invisible) in some situations. I connect with cultural bridge-builders, interpreters, and guides that hold communities and businesses together.
  5. I moved houses 8 times across 4 countries. My husband and daughter have gifted me with their love, support and playful company throughout the thrills and challenges of a global executive career. The challenge of maintaining work/life balance in a constantly shifting environment is as real for me, as it is for my clients.
  6. I am a life-long learner. I have spent literally half of my life as a full or part-time student. In my professional and personal life, I had my share of successes and failures, which served me well as reality checks and as powerful learning moments. Learning from experience is the focus of my doctoral research and my professional interest as an Executive Coach.
  7. As I transitioned from an executive to a consulting career, I’ve invested a lot of effort to restore my wholeness and to embrace my vulnerability. I understood the importance of relationships and learned to be with the emotions of others. These new skills made me a better leader, partner, and coach. They also complimented my strengths in analyzing complexity, finding and executing sustainable solutions. As a co-active coach, I believe that people are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. I come to my clients with powerful questions so they could find their brilliant solutions. In the process, we learn and progress together.

Testimonials

“I had a privilege to co-lead a workshop with Elena. She is a phenomenal facilitator: engaging, passionate and very knowledgeable. Her approachable personality and enthusiasm make her a pleasure to work with. I will highly recommend Elena for any facilitation and training work.”

Anya Romanova
Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant

“Elena is a powerful results-oriented executive coach. She focuses on the bigger picture and is ready to adapt her workshops to her Client’s organizational development needs. She conducted an amazing workshop with one of our teams and the participants of the workshop loved the experience. Elena is very energetic and demonstrates passion and drive for learning and growth – this keeps her audience engaged and promotes curiosity and learning.”

Floyd Carson
Director Talent & Leadership, Greenheck Corporation

“She impressed management with her authenticity, professionalism and leadership expertise. She truly listens to you, acknowledges you as a whole and capable person and offers fresh perspectives to deepen your learning.”

Mahal H.
Program Manager, a leading Canadian non-profit

“Elena is a very pragmatic, candid and insightful coach. She listened well, challenged me at appropriate times and provided effective tools and guidance when needed throughout our engagement. The cherry on top was the fact that she comes from a caring , nurturing place . I appreciated that.”

Chris K.
Functional VP of a leading workplace technology company

“Elena is incredible at guiding you on your journey of self-discovery”

PARTICIPANT
Leadership Development Program Women in Leadership Canada

“What sets this program apart from others, is that Elena and her partners are excellent business coaches that work with the participants on an individual basis to help them understand what drives them as a leader through the values assessment and how they can use this information about themselves to adapt into their personal and truly authentic leadership style. Excellent program!! 5 stars.”

PARTICIPANT
Leadership Development Program Women in Leadership Canada

“I liked Elena’s approach very much – at the planning stage, we discussed all the details about the training objectives, the format and structure of the session, and the specific learning needs of the team’s..
At the session, Elena created a warm and friendly atmosphere and supported the team’s learning with engaging material delivered in an easy format.
I appreciate Elena’s mastery in delivering on the training objectives – the participants explored all aspects of the topic in full depth…. I hope to get another opportunity to cooperate in the future.”

OV.
Project Innovations Head, ordered a leadership development program for the team

.. Elena’s approach is collaborative, reflective, and incisive. Under her coaching I’ve been able to elevate my leadership skills, providing me with the opportunity to expand my impact and lead a bigger team. I recently accepted a promotion and have continued to excel, navigating new teams through significant change …. Elena, thanks for all your amazing support, feedback and generosity – I wouldn’t be where I am today without it!!

Leona B.
Director Program Management, a leading social services agency

Credentials and Accreditations

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