Human, straightforward, effective.
Birnstiel Coaching & Mentoring - Ireland
About
Your Coach & Mentor
Hi!
I'm Stephanie, delighted you're stopping by.
I'm your coach and mentor, based in Ireland,
working internationally.
Check out my background & expertise.
Head over to my services.
Learn more about my personal approach.
Looking forward to speaking to you soon!
Here's what my Clients have to say!
Background, Qualifications & Expertise
Paths & avenues
A German national, living and working in Ireland.
Lived & worked in 4 European countries, and have moved house countless times – new beginnings, developing resilience, starting from scratch, and finding my path successfully in ever new surroundings has become second nature to me, both in my personal and professional life.
Global corporate career
My professional background includes a 28-year corporate career in the commercial private sector and globally operating technology companies, including 20 years of people management experience, leading various seniority levels from individual contributors to directors.
All my teams were globally dispersed – incorporating cultural awareness, managing an array of different personalities, and leading from the front is what I love.
Moving into professional coaching
Leaders do coach and mentor on a daily basis - so plenty of real-life expertise to tap into there with me.
Coaching direct reports in a corporate setting obviously has different drivers than coaching someone from an external perspective. I will have never met my external clients before, they are in a neutral context to me, and most of all: the goals are set by the clients, not by me!
Since 2026, I'm delighted to be working part-time as a Professional Coach & Mentor for external private clients, alongside my full-time corporate career.
Formal coaching qualification
My 8-month in-depth training with the Kingstown College Ireland - which is accredited by the International Coaching Federation and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council - was completed in June 2026. I hold a Professional Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring, awarded with Merit.
Next step is achieving ICF Level 1 certification (ACC). The level credentialing is dependent on hours of active coaching practice, and therefore – rightfully so! - takes time.
Other relevant formal qualifications
I offer the insights, experience, and expertise of a degree as a State-Approved Translator (Germany), CMI management college certifications (UK), and I hold an internationally focused MBA from the OU Business School (UK), which I completed alongside full-time work.
Your Coach is not an AI-Bot! Who am I outside of work? My favourite pastimes include travel, walking, hiking, and visiting live music events. I love languages, words, writing, and always have a good book on the go. Being a big fan of life-long learning, I always try to keep my mind occupied with something useful, I'm a happy dinosaur when it comes to reading (paper books all the way - I lug them with me in every house move), and since last year I've become a keen Duolingo user, currently refreshing both my French and Italian skills. I also love physical challenges and have completed several amateur sports challenges, where some of the most demanding were a 100km walk from London to Cambridge, and an overnight hike up to Ben Nevis in Scotland starting at 10pm and returning to base at 7am, in beautiful Scottish rain and fog. Both events were for charities close to my heart and were fantastic experiences, both mentally and physically. It never ceases to amaze me how much you learn about yourself not just completing the challenge, but in the many long training months before. These days I stay away from extremes and focus on moderation. I value and appreciate work/life balance, have a keen interest in nutrition and wellbeing. In the spirit of exploring and learning new & different things in life, I joined a choir a few years ago, which is one of the best things I have ever done - music is such a tonic for the soul.