I was born in France to an artistic family and moved to Asia in 1990. At the time, I had studied Geography and Mandarin Chinese at university, followed by a degree in business and finance. I managed a number of companies (mostly in the cosmetics and fashion industries) and a small investment portfolio. In 2004, following an observation in my own professional activities that mental models often hinder both individuals and organisations, I founded The MasterMinds, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to creative leadership through the exploration and transformation of mental mindsets. A curiosity and a thirst to understand all facets of “Mind” (as per Gregory Bateson’s definition) has driven my work since then.
This was the time when my journey took me toward working with people (individually and in groups) and as a result, I hold a variety of certifications that reflect this skill set. I am a certified hypnosis and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Trainer and a Master Coach Trainer. I trained with Peggy Dylan as a Firewalk & Glasswalk Trainer, and worked with Chris Cowan and Natasha Todorovic to become a certified practitioner of Spiral Dynamics™.
Beyond my personal and professional endeavours, I also have been actively involved in my community, especially in the capacity of mentor to younger women, by serving in the Women’s Foundation mentoring program and on the Asian University for Women (AUW) Foundation. For many years, I also served on the Steering Committee of the Amcham Women of Influence committee and was a Co-Chief Judge of the Women of Influence annual conference which gathered over 300 participants every year.
In 2016, I was invited to speak at TEDx Tokyo on “Japan In An In-Between World”. Later on, I served as a core member of the TEDxTinHauWomen curation team and a coach to TEDx speakers. I also served as a French Foreign Advisor (CCE) to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly 10 years.
Coming from an artistic family, artistic expression is a vital aspect of my life. I have performed on stage in various roles (as an amateur actress, violinist, singer, and dancer) for over four decades. Recently, I fulfilled a long standing dream by producing and releasing my first music album. “The Guru Project” blends the universal language of mantras with musics from various cultures and genres. With this, I hoped to promote a message of unity in an increasingly polarised world.
In June 2023, I completed a Ph.D. research at the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, titled “DATAFIED: A Critical Exploration of the Production of Knowledge in the Digital Age.” This epistemological investigation into datafication (the quantification of qualitative aspects of life) was inspired by Walter Benjamin’s work “The Arcades Project.” It explores the significant underlying shifts in ways of thinking in the digital age, and our societal faith in technologies of quantification even (and especially) when they apply to qualitative aspects of living.
We often hear or read about the digital as a medium, or as an actor in the reconfigurations of power taking place today, but very seldom do we reflect on the systemic and seismic reshaping of how we know what we know. Like Benjamin one century earlier, I aimed to understand how these changes affect the civilisation emerging at the dawn of the 21st century. I teach part-time at the School of Design, sharing epistemological insights through a course on Systems Thinking for Designers.
NB: I have a Vimeo channel where I posted a number of recordings of presentations I did for various groups around this topic: a June 2023 Solstice Capra Alumni Gathering 20mn presentation on my PhD, a presentation on Datafication as the Phantasmagoria of the 21st Century (a benjaminian concept that has found new relevance today), some epistemological musings (2024) and more.
I have been a student of Eastern philosophies and practices for several decades, first through Taoist practices, then Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, and I finally found my home in Vajrayana Buddhism (it has been a long journey!) I completed a Master of Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong in 2014. It was an exceptional programme, and I highly recommend it by the way. More recently, I also delved into Native American Earth Wisdom under the tutelage of a wonderful lineage holder called WindEagle of the Ehama Institute.
I think I can say that my practice informs my life philosophy, which resonates with the quote from Rachel Carson: “The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”