Personal profile
Bente is an experienced coach and consultant with a strong track record of improving the effectiveness of leaders across a range of organisations. She concentrates on business-focused coaching programmes improving self awareness and thus leadership effectiveness of individuals and groups. Client feedback emphasises Bente's ability to generate profound insight into the unique personality of the coachee, and providing the right balance of holding up a mirror and providing suggestions.
Bente Thomassen was born in Friedrichstadt, Germany in 1955. She holds a BSc degree in computer science, and a MA degree in The History of Ideas, Aarhus University. While finishing her master's degree, she worked as assistant professor at the Department of the History of Ideas at Aarhus University. Post graduate studies sponsored by the Carlsberg Foundation. Extensive post graduate education in the field of organisational behaviour, and social psychology.
Bente developed her international career in the software and telecommunications industry, and gained extensive management experience in an international environment, before turning to executive coaching and leadership development.
For more than a decade Bente has worked on leadership development programmes for DIEU, The Danish Leadership Institute. She designs and delivers programmes across Europe, and enjoys working in networks, and cross-disciplinary teams. Her main area of interest is supporting individuals at key points in their career and in building a strong link between individual, team and organisational development.
She is part of the IMD coach faculty, for both open enrolment programmes (Mobilizing People), as well as customised in-house programmes. IMD, International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, is one of the world's leading business schools with over 50 years' experience in developing the leadership capabilities of international business executives at every stage of their careers.
Bente coaches and facilitates in English, German, Danish, and Swedish.
Qualifications include certification in MBTI Myers Briggs Type Indicator I Step 1 and Step 2, GPI Global Personality Inventory, LEA Leadership Effectiveness Analysis, PD Personal Directions, and PROFILOR 360 Feedback Instrument.
Her focus being on executive coaching and leadership development, she is an active member of EFMD, the European Foundation for Management Development, and EMCC, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.