Alumni Career Coaches

Fellow alums you can engage for advice

It’s not always easy to discern the best next step in your career. A professional career coach can help. A coach works with you to consider how your skills, knowledge, and experience might prepare you for opportunities you hadn’t considered on your own. And your coach can help you present yourself in the most favorable light.

These Duke alumni work as career coaches and offer special rates and services for fellow alums:

Please note: The counselors listed on this webpage are in no way affiliated with the Office of Alumni Affairs or the Duke Alumni Association (DAA). These professionals are independent contractors and are not being compensated or retained by the DAA.

Join our Career Coaches Network

If you are a Duke alum that is an experienced and professionally trained career coach who is interested in working with fellow Duke alumni, please apply using this link.

Career Coaches

Kelly Brown (Sanchez), '06

Location:

San Rafael, CA

Whether you’re switching careers, trying to find greater balance in your current career, or not sure what you’d like to do next, I specialize in helping people move forward with clarity and confidence. Clients describe our sessions as effective, warm, and inspiring and our conversations often lead to immediate and meaningful change. 

I’ve been coaching for over ten years and hold certifications from the University of California Berkeley, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In addition to my private practice, I’m currently a Faculty Coach at UC Berkeley and a Career Coach at Parentaly.

Prior to becoming a coach, I worked at Google and Duke Corporate Education. My knowledge of the corporate world helps me understand the nuances and rewards of building a career while juggling a personal and family life. 

On a personal note, I’m a mother of three, a lover of RV camping trips with my family, and a frequenter of coffee shops. I’ve called many places home including Chicago, Durham, and currently, San Rafael, California.

Muunie Beard, '12

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Morgan "Muunie" Beard is a creative life coach, artist and embodied healer. She got her BA in Visual and Media Studies from Duke in 2012, earned an MPS in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in 2017 and is a certified Reiki practitioner. In her 5+ years coaching, she's helped clients change careers, discover their passions, move to new cities, navigate depression and anxiety, dissolve creative blocks, be better leaders, and improve their relationships. She brings her personal and clinical experience, full-body presence, self-expression toolkit and radical insight into every session to create holistic transformation.

Rayner Jae Liu, '16

Location:

Elkhorn, NE

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(408) 515-6785

I help conscious leaders stand tall. In an age where old systems are crumbling and each individual is called to empower themselves and discover their unique leadership style, I help creative problem solvers make their visions an undeniable reality. My clients include organizational leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, highly sensitive professionals, and activists. Through deep inner and outer work, I help you gracefully handle complex situations, expand what you can accomplish, and claim your place in the family of things. A certified Integral Coach® and faculty member in New Ventures West’s ICF-accredited professional coaching course, I have worked with leaders from the Big 4 and Fortune 100 and have been recognized by 4x NYT Bestselling Author Marianne Williamson for my insight on the human condition. Through our work, you’ll learn how to find your frequency and establish new patterns in the world.

Debby Stone '84, JD'89

Location:

Durham, NC

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(404) 975-3000

Debby helps build competent, confident leaders.  Her clients are lawyers, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who want to develop and implement practical strategies for continued career success.  She works with clients on a variety of topics including career pathing, executive presence, communication skills, emotional intelligence, self-promotion and developing core management and leadership competencies.  Debby is the author of The Art of Self-Promotion: Tell Your Story, Transform Your Career, and she helps her clients speak confidently and authentically about who they are and what they do.

Paul Bernard MA'75

Location:

New York, NY

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(212) 957-3470

Paul Bernard is an executive coach, recruiter, and small business consultant with more than 25 years of experience. He is the founder and principal of Paul Bernard & Associates, an executive coaching and management consulting firm. His unique services have helped thousands of executives find jobs and advance their careers after landing a position. Paul holds an M.A. from Duke University and has provided his services to 500+ Duke alums. Paul offers Duke alums a 30% discount on the initial appointment and a 15% discount on all subsequent appointments. Further information about Paul and his services can be found on his site: http://www.paulbernard.net/

Ann Park '87

Company:

Ann Park, M.D.

Location:

Virtual, West Coast,

Ann Park, M.D. is a Board-certified psychiatrist, therapist, and coach who specializes in working with women.  Ann brings cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness approaches to managing stress, work-life integration, and relationship building. She is a certified Executive Coach with the Financial Times Top 10 ranked Center for Creative Leadership network, where she coaches C-suite and Senior women managers to navigate and lead in their organizations. Ann helps her clients thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Chris Coward, '87

Location:

Denver, CO

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(267) 226-7935

Chris works with Executives and Leaders to create a fulfilling career and life. She is trained to help her clients discover their strengths, challenges and what truly lights them up so they can excel in their career. The industries that she most works with are non-profit, government, academia and financial. Her clients say that through their work with Chris they increase their confidence, productivity and life satisfaction.

Rachel Sanford '07

Location:

Denver, CO

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(203) 550-7170

Rachel believes that people are at their best, when they are motivated, engaged and excited about their endless possibilities. She helps clients get what they want, whatever it is.

Katy Hansell '84

Location:

Chicago, IL

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(847) 687-3469

Executive and leadership coach + high performance coach + experiential transformation coach + strategic advisor to founders, early-stage entrepreneurial teams.

With two decades of business advisory experience and a decade of coaching experience, Katy empowers leaders to create breakthrough innovation, foster diversity, and deliver massive impact. Katy is pivoting away from helping clients get a new job and focuses on helping clients thrive in their existing jobs or in creating new businesses from idea through scaling. Reach out to her if you are interested in: executive coaching, leadership coaching, experiential transformation/co-active coaching (I am a certified CPCC), high performance (individuals, teams) coaching at your workplace or organization. If you are a founder or someone with a great idea and want business advisory services, reach out to her. Global clientele served over zoom.

Camille Walton, M.B.A. '00

Camille Walton, M.B.A. '00

Company:

CareerElixir

Location:

Tampa, FL

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(813) 419-2804

Camille is an exceptional career coach who specializes in guiding professionals through significant career transitions, particularly those who are uncertain about their next steps. What sets her apart is her commitment to helping you find not just any job, but the right job that fits your goals and aspirations while also considering the broader impact on your family and lifestyle. Camille's approach is comprehensive, empathetic, and geared towards long-term success. Whether you're exploring a new field or regaining confidence after a setback, Camille provides practical advice, personalized coaching, and innovative resources to equip you for a fulfilling career shift. Camille's approach is holistic and focused on sustainable success. Camille will work to transform your career by aligning your abilities, ambitions, and values for long-term satisfaction and success.

Julia Faye Wuench (Korn), MBA'17

Location:

Raleigh-Durham, NC

I am a life-long learner, omnivert and empath. I have been through many career and life transitions, but no matter my function, I have always been a coach and teacher first. An adopted North Carolinian, I have loved what this region has to offer, professionally and personally. I currently do leadership and executive coaching for emerging female leaders.

Susan Gurnik - MBA'90

Company:

Strategic Gain

Location:

Orlando, FL

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(407) 718-0895

Susan specializes in clients that are looking for a change but not sure which direction to go, or don't know how to do the job search because they have no clarity surrounding the perfect job. She helps clients gain clarity, discover and define their personal brand, and network to that next job.

Brian Alvo '11

Company:

NextGen Center

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(703) 899-2824

Brian specializes in training and coaching the "Next Generation" of leaders, especially those transitioning in their career, managerial, or Executive roles. Because there is no cookie-cutter manual for success, he works with these individuals and their companies through an intentional process of coaching and consulting to create opportunities for them to discover their abilities, develop their skills, and ultimately deliver results.

Heidi Giusto - PHD'12

Location:

Apex, NC

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(919) 698-6408

Heidi Scott Giusto, PhD, is a writer, editor, and communications consultant. She owns Career Path Writing Solutions, a consulting firm dedicated to helping people communicate when it matters most. Heidi delights in helping job seekers navigate career change and guiding business owners to present their value proposition persuasively. She holds certifications in resume writing, interview preparation, and empowerment coaching and previously sat on the Certification Committee of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. She collaborates with clients from diverse professional backgrounds and, for book editing, specializes in working on business, leadership, and self-help books. Heidi recently published her first co-authored book, The Third Paradigm: A Radical Shift to Greater Success (Entrepreneur Press). She lives in Apex, North Carolina with her husband and children.

David Cheong profile image

David Cheong '01

Location:

New York, NY

David is a Partner at Antler Capital, a US$800M global venture capital firm with 27 offices across six continents. Previously, he looked after Partner executive recruitment at McKinsey & Company. Based in New York, David brings deep experience and expertise coaching executives on how to effectively navigate career transitions. David has served a broad range of prominent corporate clients around the world and has helped hundreds of executives prepare for and secure aspirational job opportunities. He has cultivated a deep global network and leverages the full breadth of his relationships across the US, Europe, and Asia helping candidates - and Duke alumni - navigate their careers.

John Marth '59

Location:

New York, NY

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(212) 433-1390

John’s expertise is recruiting and placing professionals across functional disciplines and industries.  He guides his clients through the job search process, prepares clients for job interviews and assists with networking and mentorships. John volunteers his services and there is no charge to Duke Alumni.

Fielding Arnold, '01, MBA'10

Company:

Third Mast

Location:

Durham, NC

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(617) 939-4676

Fielding is an integral coach. She looks at the whole person and their whole life in supporting her clients as they work through the challenges they bring to coaching.That includes all aspects of life - work, leadership capacity, family and friendships, health and fitness, spirituality, culture - believing these are all interrelated, and often the need for support in one area can show up as an issue in another. Fielding works with entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders to address the issues that they feel are keeping them from achieving their goals and dreams.

Specialties/certifications:
Training, Certificate etc.
New Ventures West, PCC

Itir Keskiner, MBA, MBA'09

Company:

itirkeskiner.com

Location:

Durham, NC

|

(919) 599-3522

Itir (Duke MBA, '09) is an Executive, Life, and Leadership Coach who specializes in coaching professionals who want to get more satisfaction out of life. Whether her clients are in the midst of a career transition, trying to enhance their performance at work without compromising on life, or wanting clarity on life decisions, she helps them bring their values, strengths, and actions into alignment so that they can be their most powerful selves. Itir uses her 15 years of corporate leadership experience in creating brands and driving growth at Accenture, Unilever, Samsung, and Burt's Bees to help her clients develop and live their personal brand.

Free 30-minute coaching session offered to Duke students, alumni, and staff.

Certifications: International Coach Federation PCC (Professional Certified Coach), ELI-MP (Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner)

Hillary Schubach profile image

Hillary Schubach '93

Location:

Santa Monica, CA

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(303) 888-2588

HILLARY SCHUBACH (T’93) is the President of Shine/ MBA Admissions Consulting. Hillary received her BA in History from Duke and her MBA from Harvard in 2001. Her background includes over 20 years of marketing and brand management experience from top CPG firms such as Kraft Foods and Unilever, as well as the sports and music industries and she has been a successful MBA admissions consultant since 1999. SHINE is a full-service MBA admissions consulting firm, serving graduate school applicants around the world. As your advisor, Hillary will work with you 1x1 to develop your strongest possible applications by advising you through every step of the admissions process, from school selection to final interview.

Cassandra Shepard, MBA'12

Location:

Colorado Springs, CO

|

(970) 439-0288

Cassandra brings her years of experience as a global C-suite executive to coaching her ideal clients: talented, driven women who are looking to move into higher levels of leadership and make greater contributions to their organization, while still living an amazing life.

Elizabeth Linzer, '09

Location:

Philadelphia, PA

|

(608) 345-4285

I teach job seekers today’s most-effective steps for finding career clarity, landing more interviews and offers, and navigating career transitions with authenticity, confidence, and joy. I spent my earlier career working at LinkedIn where I developed job seeker training programs for audiences across the globe, and I have a deep understanding of the tools and strategies required to succeed in today's job market. I am also intimately familiar with burnout, and the experience of recognizing that the path you are on is not the long-term path for you. I enjoy helping job seekers explore new potential career paths and navigate the 'pivoting' process. Whether you want to transition to a similar role in a new environment, or take a turn in a new direction, I'd love to help you advance your career in an authentic and inspired direction.

Karen Shapiro '88

Location:

Haverford, PA

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(610) 642-4313

Karen’s goal as a coach is to help her clients rise to new heights, with a renewed sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Whether it be a career or life related goal (or both), Karen supports clients to navigate hurdles and be their best, most authentic self. She is a certified coach and lawyer. She coaches primarily by phone.

Marsha Egan '74

Company:

The Egan Group

Location:

Boynton Beach, FL

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(610) 780-1640

Marsha is an International Coaching Federation board certified Professional Certified Coach (PCC). She specializes in working with entrepreneurs and mid to executive level organizational leaders to assist with goal attainment, leadership strategies and confidence building.  Marsha is hired by individuals and organizations to clarify goals and to define actions to work through obstacles and to accelerate personal growth.