Hi!
I’m Elif, Founder of Pathways Consulting & Coaching.
My journey to CFO and Board level wasn't typical, neither was my experience. Started at Deloitte, ended up becoming an expert on international partnerships and project finance in large scale infrastructure investments.
After gaining experience in various projects worth €5B+, structuring complex international partnerships, and leading high-performing cross-cultural teams—I discovered something that changed how I lead and how I help others lead.
The most overlooked source of power in any organization is self-awareness.
Not the abstract kind. The kind that drives clearer decisions, stronger teams, and measurable results.
Here's what I learned in those boardrooms and high-stakes negotiations: leadership is about strategy, execution, and delivering results—but none of that happens without people. Most organizations don't truly know where their people are, what's blocking them, or how to unlock their full potential. This leads to suboptimal results and unsatisfying environments.
That's why I founded Pathways Consulting & Coaching.
I help organizations and senior executives navigate growth challenges, transitions, and transformations through an approach most consultants can't offer: I work with both strategy AND people.
At Pathways Consulting & Coaching, I combine my finance and strategy expertise (€5B+ in deals, MBA, board experience) with certified coaching credentials (Gestalt, Team Coaching Studio Diploma, ORSC) to address:
The What: Strategy, processes, targets, results
The How: Mindset, perspective, collaboration, leadership
This isn't theory. I've sat in your chair. I've navigated these challenges myself. Now I help leaders and organizations do the same—with clarity, alignment, and sustainable results.
My Background
From CFO to Coach: Why It Matters
Before becoming a coach and consultant, I lived the challenges my clients face.
Business Leadership:
First and youngest female CFO/Deputy GM at Rönesans Holding (60k employees)
Secured €3B+ in financing for healthcare investments under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme
Contributed to the development of €5B+ across transportation, petrochemistry, and real estate sectors
Served as Board Member, shaping organizational strategy
Established and managed partnerships in major infrastructure projects with global funds and companies across Europe, Japan, Algeria, and the US
MBA with Distinction from Warwick University (Dissertation on the impact of cultural sexism, cultural masculinity and homophily on workplace gender dynamics in Turkey, achieved Distinction)
Coaching Credentials:
ICF member with 450+ hours of coaching training
Certified in Gestalt Coaching, Team Coaching Studio Diploma, Gestalt Groupworks, and ORSC Team Coaching
Works with executives and teams across finance, consulting, construction, fashion, FMCG sectors and more
Specializes in leadership development, team dynamics, and organizational transformation
What makes this combination powerful:
I bring the strategic business acumen to understand your challenges AND the coaching expertise to unlock what's blocking progress. I ask the "why" and "how" that bring clarity, then simplify complex challenges into actionable strategies.
My consulting is pragmatic, not theoretical. My coaching is empathetic and realistic, not abstract.
Whether I'm structuring a complex deal or facilitating a team coaching session, the approach is the same: clarity through awareness, strategy through alignment, results through action.
My Philosophy
Better Information, Better Decisions
Leadership requires integrating both hard skills (risk assessment, project finance, strategic partnerships) and human skills (empathy, trust-building, communication, dialogue facilitation).
Most leaders excel at one or the other. Sustainable success requires both.
I work with high-level executives navigating critical decisions –like a second generation owner building new systems– managers transitioning into senior roles, and teams of all sizes in both established corporations and growing ventures. Whether you're facing a strategic crossroads or a cultural transformation, the work is always about the same thing: gaining clarity on what's really happening, then creating pathways forward.
Ready to Discuss Your Strategic Priorities?
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