My Red Couch Talk with Marion Kemmler
Marion Kemmler has worked in leading international service organizations as an HR expert and leader, developing and implementing modern HR systems and approaches. Her core expertise is talent and leadership development and transformation management. Marion Kemmler worked for PwC Germany, heading up Talent and Partner Development and serving as Head of HR for PwC IT Services GmbH, before moving to HSBC Germany as Head of HR Development. When her husband’s beer-brewing business catapulted them to Paraguay in 2023, she set up her own HR Consulting and Coaching business, Kemmler Consult.
As a people and organization consultant, she primarily supports companies in selecting and developing high-potential staff and leaders. As a Business and Executive Coach, she supports leaders and individuals at turning points in their personal and professional lives.
She works 100% remotely, mainly for clients in the DACH region. Marion Kemmler holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Organizational Development from the University of Cologne and became a Systemic Business Coach via DBVC in 2008. She is also trained in Leadership Development and Assessment by Korn Ferry (Assessment of Leadership Potential) and Hogan Assessments. Marion Kemmler is also an expert in Change Management and Design Thinking.
🛋️ My Red Couch Talk with Marion Kemmler: Craft Beer, Future Skills, and the Paraguayan Pause
What happens when a senior HR executive with 20 years of corporate experience decides to retire at 49, pack her bags, and move to Paraguay? You get the incredibly inspiring journey of Marion Kemmler.
In this episode, Marion joins me on the couch (remotely from South America!) to talk about what it really takes to transition from an in-house corporate consultant to an independent remote coach. We discuss the cultural whiplash of moving from highly regulated, low-context German-speaking countries to the slow-paced, high-context culture of Paraguay. Marion also shares her profound observations on why the rise of AI is making “future skills”—like self-awareness and sense-making—the ultimate career differentiator.
Key Talk Takeaways:
- The Bold Proposal: A fun look into Marion’s personal life, including the story of how she proposed to her husband (they are celebrating their 20th anniversary next year!).
- Future Skills in the AI Era: Why traditional linear career paths are giving way to self-reflection, purpose-driven leadership, and personal fulfillment.
- The High-Achiever Trap: Why highly successful leaders tend to “over-function” and “over-think,” and how to use real-world data to quiet your inner critic.
- Lifestyle Expat Realities: The honest struggles and triumphs of establishing a new life and a craft beer business in Latin America in your 50s.
- The Laptop Nomad: How Marion manages a high-impact DACH-region coaching business while traveling through Patagonia, Argentina, and Bolivia.
WATCH OUR FULL RED COUCH TALK HERE
