Interview: Joanna Myrda — The Executive Coach Who Transforms Leaders from the Inside Out

In a world where professional success is often measured in titles, revenue targets, and quarterly results, Joanna Myrda offers something far more enduring: the tools to lead with clarity, confidence, and genuine self-awareness. A former senior leader at one of the world’s most demanding consumer goods companies, Joanna brings a rare dual lens to executive coaching, one grounded in the realities of corporate life and sharpened by deep expertise in psychology. For the leaders she works with, she is not just a coach. She is a trusted partner, a sparring partner, and when needed, a mirror.

The Origin Story: A Lifelong Curiosity About People

Long before Joanna ever sat across from a boardroom executive, she was a child quietly observing the people around her. “I remember that already in primary school I liked analyzing people’s behaviors and patterns,” she recalls. “Today I can say that this was the beginning of my passion for human psychology.”

That early curiosity never faded. It followed her through a business degree, into the corridors of Procter & Gamble, and across more than fifteen years of leading global brands and high-performance teams. It was during a coaching session, one she participated in herself, that the path forward crystallized. “My career transition to coaching actually started during a coaching session, after which my ongoing learning process began.”

For Joanna, coaching was not a departure from her corporate identity. It was its natural evolution.

Professional Evolution: From P&G Boardrooms to Executive Coaching

Few coaches can claim to have navigated the pressure of one of the world’s largest FMCG companies at a senior level. Joanna spent over fifteen years at Procter & Gamble, leading global brands and talented teams across international markets, an environment known for its intensity, rigorous standards, and relentless focus on performance.

But alongside the professional wins, there was a personal journey unfolding. “For many years, I was an overachiever and a ‘rescuer’ for others and for the businesses I worked in,” she reflects. “I often worked at 150%, while privately being a wife and a mother of three daughters.” The tendency to put others first, to say yes when everything inside said otherwise, was a pattern she knew intimately.

That lived experience is now one of her greatest assets as a coach. “Having gone through this journey myself, I can better understand high achievers who come to work with me.” She speaks the language of her clients not because she studied them from afar, but because she was one of them.

Coaching Philosophy & Methodology: Where Psychology Meets Real Business

Joanna works at the intersection of coaching and mentoring, bringing both disciplines together in a way that is rare and highly practical. What sets her apart is a specialization in Transactional Analysis, a psychological framework built on the principle of unconditional self-worth: I’m OK, you’re OK.

“This concept is very close to my heart,” she says. “I believe it helps solve many challenges and supports people in achieving their goals.” Through this lens, she and her clients explore the moments where that internal equilibrium breaks down, where self-doubt, old patterns, or unconscious drivers distort how leaders communicate, decide, and relate.

But Joanna is no purist. When the situation calls for it, she steps into the role of mentor, drawing directly on her corporate expertise. She works with clients on real business cases, stakeholder communication strategies, negotiation preparation, and public speaking, the full texture of senior leadership life.

“What is important to me today is supporting leaders in building unconditional self-confidence, improving their communication with others, and strengthening their relationships with their teams, peers, and senior stakeholders.” The result is coaching that is both inward-looking and outward-facing, psychologically informed and commercially grounded.

Impact & Vision: Raising the Standard Through Continuous Growth

Joanna holds two prestigious professional accreditations: she is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation and a Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. Both, she notes, reflect different but equally essential dimensions of professional excellence.

“ICF places strong emphasis on practical evidence of coaching mastery, while EMCC highlights reflective practice. I find both approaches equally inspiring.”

This commitment to standards is inseparable from her commitment to growth. She engages in ongoing supervision and now serves as a supervisor for other coaches herself, reflecting a professional maturity that runs deeper than credentials. In her view, a coach who stops learning is a coach who stops serving their clients well.

Her broader mission is clear: to help leaders find genuine balance between high performance and a fulfilling life, not as competing ambitions, but as complementary ones.

Final Insight: You Don’t Have to Lead Alone

Joanna closes with something that feels less like advice and more like a quiet truth. “The best leaders have their own coaches and mentors. They realize that once they reach a certain level, leadership can become somewhat lonely. They can no longer share everything with their teams, peers, or bosses.”

Coaching, in her view, is not a luxury or a sign of weakness. It is a strategic investment, one that pays dividends not just in performance, but in the quality of a life well led. “If you have not yet tried working with your own coach or mentor, I highly recommend experiencing the value it can bring. This is exactly what I would have said to myself a few years ago, when I was struggling myself. There is no need to go through challenges alone.”

To connect with Joanna Myrda or learn more about her executive coaching and mentoring programs, visit her profile on LinkedIn