Founder Coach

Alexander Volz Executive Coach and Advisor Founder / McKinsey / $1B Scale-Up


Clients backed by:

Achieve sustainable and fast growth for you as a Founder and CEO

With experience as a Founder, advising the most prestigious companies through McKinsey, and scaling a business to become a Billion dollar enterprise - I run an exclusive coaching practice where I work with only a handful of clients at a time.

My clients build high-growth companies that are authentic to who they are. The people I work with, usually have quit six-figure jobs at prestigious places like McKinseyGoldman SachsAmazonOxford UniversityGoogle and have instead chosen a path of greater freedom and impact through building their own company.

Trusted by Founders for exponential impact, purpose and freedom

Being at the top can be lonely, and only a few people give us real feedback. While nobody needs a coach, the most successful people hire a coach to help them see their blind spots, go deeper and grow faster.

"Alex, I've got to give credit where it's due – your coaching has been a game-changer for me as the founder of 11x. When it comes to my leadership style, you've helped me dial it up a notch – sharper, more effective. The decisions I make now? More strategic and on point, and it's thanks to your guidance. Operating at my best is not just a phrase anymore; it's the reality.

The progress I've made under your coaching has translated directly into high-performance outcomes for the team and the company. Your insights have been a compass guiding me through many crucible moments, and the results are speaking volumes (e.g., went from 0 to >$1m ARR in 5 months and to Series B in under two years). Here's to more wins together, Alex!"

Hasan Sukkar, Founder & CEO of 11x.ai, Forbes 30 under 30, Series B $50m+

xMcKinsey | funding by Project A Ventures, Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, etc. |

"I recently analysed the sequence of events that have led to the best decisions/breakthroughs for my company so far (such as getting into Y Combinator) and I realised that I could tie so many of them back to conversations with Alex. Alex is by far the strongest coach I have ever worked with. His ability to uncover hidden beliefs, test assumptions, and ask thoughtful questions that help anchor me back to the time investments that really matter is exceptional. Perhaps most importantly, working with Alex has made me realise that being a founder of a fast growing company does not need to be a chaotic and overwhelming endeavour, and that actually, by bringing the level of reflection and rigour to my thinking that Alex's coaching promotes, I can massively accelerate my company's progress whilst in parallel cultivate a healthy, balanced life that I rarely see other founders attaining."

Reece Griffiths, Founder & CEO (YC S23) of Deasie

xMcKinsey | funding by Y-Combinator, General Catalyst, Rebel Fund, RTP, etc.

"As a dynamic scale-up with a team of 850 FTE globally, we had the boon and bane to go through a long phase of hyperscaling. One growth pain was the silos that formed, with more than half of the company being newly hired and spread across 3 continents and 12 departments. This also included our cross-functional leadership group, which was struggling to operate as a unified team.

Alexander’s leadership team coaching approach to building trust between these leaders was transformative. His ability to facilitate constructive conflict and steer those conversations towards alignment, common goals and joint actions was pivotal. His work allowed us to move beyond individual interests to act as a cohesive entity, focused on the group’s success. For any scale-up grappling with the challenges of growth and team cohesion, I can warmly recommend Alexander."

Philip Rothhardt, COO at CoachHub, Series C $300m+ xMcKinsey | funding by Sofina, Softbank, Molten Ventures, HV Capital, Speedinvest, etc.

"I highly recommend Alexander as an executive coach. As the CEO of IT4Kids a non-profit organization with 50+ people. I have seen tremendous results since we started working together. With his guidance, we have achieved +20k h of training for children, 4x growth in revenue, and 2x team size. Alexander helped me gain clarity and focus, make faster decisions, and improve my emotional intelligence as a leader. I feel more balanced and fulfilled in my work than ever before. Thank you, Alexander!"

Moritz H., CEO

"As a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience, incl. VP of People in a fast-growing scale-up (+250FTE), I have high expectations on coaching. In our session, I was hoping to leave with a well-thought-out action plan to navigate my challenge. However, Alexander's approach was much more than that. He guided me through a deep reflection process, helping me clarify my values and decision-making criteria. These insights have been invaluable in guiding my actions and making sure they are aligned with what really matters to me. I highly recommend Alexander as an executive coach for anyone looking to achieve deep, transformative change."

Helen W., VP of People

Forget what you know about effective communication and listening. You can always improve, and this course was a really good inspiration. I think this course should be mandatory for all leaders. The great insight and the good discussions gave a lot of reflections for better communication. - Senior Manager, Lars Henrik F. The sessions were both inspirational as well as providing concrete tools to take with you. - Head of Lending Fraud Strategy, Louis A. This was an excellent opportunity to become a better leader. Going into this session, I knew that the way we communicate makes a very big difference. This session allowed me plenty of opportunities to consider how I used language to communicate effectively. I really enjoyed the format as well and a very good balance between sharing information and working in break-out groups. I will 100% recommend this session to all leaders. - Core Payments Platform Lead, Martin S.

Coaching has long been a secret superpower in the start-up world that is now becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs as a tool for personal and professional development. Coaching demonstrates a leader's dedication to growth and can fast-track progress while also providing emotional resilience in tough times. When it comes to your business, you’re the leading expert; however, if you’re running a successful, rapidly growing startup, new challenges will inevitably arise with greater frequency, requiring ever-expanding skills.

Read the full article on forbes.com

I bring exceptional experience to support you through all stages of growth...

As an executive coach, I support CEOs and founders of fast-growing organizations, from the first funding to leading 100+ people. My experience allows me to support you through all the growth stages of your company.

Founder

As CEO and founder of a B2B startup (sold), I learned how to move super fast in uncertainty while maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. Before, I worked in different roles in a number of startups.

McKinsey

As a consultant, I worked in 10+ engagements, from strategy & finance to digital & operations, in a wide range of industries. Further, I co-led leadership development workshops for top-level executive teams.

$1B Scale-Up

As Chief of Staff (CEO office) at a high-growth unicorn with 1000+ FTE and 330m€ funding, I created the governance and systems to support exponential growth while building a strong, trust-based leadership team.

My professional experience spans eight countries on three continents, and I serve my clients in French, German, and English. I received ICF-approved coach training in France, Switzerland, and the US and spent 7 days in silence - all to guide my clients across the entire spectrum of personal and professional growth.


... so you will grow in all key dimensions

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This is how we work together

Time investment

Time is the scarcest resource a leader has.

My practice is focused on optimizing results to reduce time investment.

Process:

Our first meeting is free and a chance for both of us to explore the partnership. Over the course of our partnership, I am available when you need me.

Financials:

Significant growth takes time, and I want to ensure we are both in for the real game.

So we will collaborate in a long-term partnership.


Readings to accelerate your growth

I read a lot, so here is an extract of books that my clients often find helpful:

Leading Self:

  • Essentialism - Greg McKeown (6h14)
  • Getting Things Done - David Allen (10h23)
  • Positive Intelligence - Shirzad Chamine (8h46)

Leading Teams:

  • The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni (3h42)
  • The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership - Jim Dethmer & Diana Chapman (7h53)
  • The Great CEO Within - Matt Mochary (5h01)

Leading Organizations:

  • Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building - Claire Hughes Johnson (11h32)
  • The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz (7h57)
  • High Growth Handbook - Elad Gil (12h26)


If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] © 2023 European Leadership Institute