Who I am
About
At a glance
My mission
Turning inclusion into an operational lever.
A driver of collaboration, innovation, and sustainable alignment.
Presence. Courage. Connection
Three simple words. Yet when a leader truly embodies them, everything changes.
Teams engage. Tensions ease. Innovation flows naturally.
This is what I witness every week in my work as a coach.
Conviction
I believe an individual is never just a résumé.
And a leader isn’t there to have all the answers, but to create the space where the real questions can emerge.
A space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
What drives me is transformation — not through pressure or shock, but through deep internal shifts.
A well-placed silence.
An unexpected question.
A moment when we finally say what really matters.
These are the coaching moments that quietly change everything.
Journey
Three defining Experiences
Presence
Returning to what matters
At 50, I left a senior leadership position.
A flawless performance on paper, but an inner sense of emptiness.
That was the start of a return to self.
I began to listen rather than persuade, to slow down and sense what truly matters.
Courage
Stepping beyond the familiar
Leaving the comfort of familiar ground — France, Benelux — I discovered the richness and complexity of intercultural encounters.
The expert stepped aside. The explorer emerged.
And I understood that courage sometimes means not knowing — and going anyway.
Connection
Reveal the potential
He wrote slowly, with effort. At the end of the workshop, he said:
“I didn’t know I could write such a beautiful story.”
That day, the young teacher understands that she can awaken what has long been dormant.
Between sectors, cultures, and borders
For 35 years, I’ve navigated between the public and private sectors, working in both local and multicultural international environments.
Education, professional training, publishing, diplomacy.
.
As a professional coach, I work with ambitious leaders since 2017 in complex and intercultural contexts.
I’m also an author, a trainer of trainers, and the creator of tools designed to develop professionals’ soft skills.
Inclusion can’t be declared. It’s built—through posture, choices, and conversations.
Catherine Macquart-Martin
My approach
My approach is rooted on Co-Active and narrative coaching: a space of presence, deep listening, and transformation through conversation.
Posture
What do my clients value most?
I don’t tell them what to do. I hold up a mirror.
A mirror that’s kind — but uncompromising.
With me, they learn to slow down… in order to move forward.
To hear what’s really being said… beyond the words.
To have the conversations they’ve been avoiding for too long.
Each session is tailored to their context. But always, I work with three core anchors:
Presence
to fully inhabit the moment.
Courage
to move beyond habit and speak up.
Connection
to build lasting and authentic relationships.
What my clients say
“Catherine helped me find clarity in my multicultural identity and my core values. That gave me more confidence — and changed the way I assert myself with my team and my leadership.”
– Marketing Manager, Chemical Industry, Netherlands
“Listening used to feel vague to me. Each session helped me understand how it really works — and gradually turn it into a lever for my tech team, who aren’t always at ease with communication.”
– Manager, Tech Sector, based in the Netherlands, leading a remote team
“Zero fluff. With Catherine, you get straight to what matters.”
– Coach in transition, former consulting leader, Germany
Presence. Courage. Connection.
Are you at a turning point?
Do you sense a new kind of leadership is needed, but you’re unsure where to start?
Let’s have a conversation — no strings attached.
To see if what I offer resonates with what you’re navigating.
And maybe… to create your next transformative moment.
About Thélème International
A humanistic vision
Born from the fertile imagination of Rabelais, Thélème is the first utopia in French literature.
This ideal place allows Rabelais to depict a society free from constraints and conflicts, as its inhabitants, both men and women, inherently possess a sense of honor and self-regulation.
Inspired by this humanist vein, my partners and I assert that education, diversity, and responsibility are the pillars of societies and organizations that provide equal opportunities to their members.
We are committed to promoting these values through our actions and engagements.
In constant evolution
Since 2008, we have embodied these values through our actions. Founded by Catherine in the Netherlands and later established in France, Thélème International initially dedicated its expertise to education.
A team of trainers and consultants has supported educators, educational organizations, and ministries in over 30 countries, transforming pedagogical and managerial practices.
In 2018, Thélème International returned to the Netherlands and expanded its scope of action.
Since 2023, Catherine has been fully dedicated to coaching leaders. Her ambition? To help leaders develop their agility and impact in a constantly changing world. Interconnected. Demanding. Complex.