The Daily Work Executive coaching & leadership
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Leadership is daily work.

ICF-certified executive coach and leadership facilitator, based in Abu Dhabi.

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Sofia Borodulina-Abboud walking outside a glass office building in Abu Dhabi
PCCICF Professional Certified Coach
800+hours of executive coaching
4.8/5average participant rating across programs
10+years in leadership development and executive search

My approach

“Far too often, leadership development stays in the classroom. I am here to help leaders carry it into their daily work and translate it into long‑term business results.”

Sofia Borodulina-Abboud

Services

Who I work with

Inside organisations

Bespoke leadership journeys, coaching and workshops.

One to one

Executive, leadership and career coaching.

With leading academies

Associate facilitator with PwC Academy, Korn Ferry and New Metrics.

Experience

Across industries

I have partnered with leaders from organisations such as:

Technology, media & telecoms

Microsoft, GitLab, Honeywell, Dentsu

Energy & industry

Masdar, Kuwait Oil Company, Enerflex, ista, EDO

Finance & investment

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Bank Muscat, Alizz Bank

Healthcare, consumer & hospitality

Merck, Nestlé, Accor, Miral

Government & public sector

Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, Dubai Business Women Council

Education

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, GEMS Education, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

In their words

What clients say

Executive Coaching

Sofia gracefully combines presence, discipline, and improvisation to deliver a coaching experience that inspires insight, confidence & action. I have been extremely impressed by Sofia’s “sixth sense” to probe questions that reveal personal insights that would have gone unnoticed otherwise.

Martin HeinrichAssociate Director, Strategy Realization, Merck Group
Leadership Journeys

What distinguished Sofia and Sirafima [her co-facilitator] was their ability to translate our business objectives into a comprehensive leadership journey … Their approach was highly tailored, engaging, and directly relevant to the challenges faced by our leadership team.

Svetlana KhairliyeraEmployee Experience Manager EMEA, Enerflex
Executive Coaching

Working with Sofia is a tremendous valuable experience, due to her structured and knowledgeable approach … an insightful exercise of aligning my ambitions with a path to follow, skills to improve and clear actions to achieve.

Hugo VianaCommercial Director, Leica Biosystems
Executive Coaching

Sofia has been instrumental in unlocking my potential by helping me recognize unnoticed behaviors and bringing awareness to different perspectives. … It has been 2 years with Sofia, and it is the best investment in myself.

Adham AlattarEcosystem & GTM Strategy, GitLab
Emotional Intelligence

Sofia’s workshop was not your average training session. She created an atmosphere that encouraged open conversation, personal reflection, and growth. … If you’re searching for an exceptional facilitator who genuinely cares about the participants’ growth and development, I wholeheartedly recommend Sofia.

Almudena Berzosa PeñarandaExecutive Advisor, University Lecturer & Author
Career Coaching

Sofia is a career coaching professional of a high caliber! … a sharp eye to important nuances in career trajectory thanks to her executive search and recruitment expertise, but also a unique touch of mindfulness and emotional intelligence.

Irina GritsevskayaHead of Marketing, Developing Markets EMEA, Solventum
Career Coaching

Working with Sofia has been a game-changer. Her approach is a perfect blend of professionalism, warmth, and strategic insight. … She helped refine my CV and LinkedIn profile … highlighting strengths I hadn’t fully valued.

Marco BelgradoManaging Director, Fractional CEO & Senior Advisor
Search Inside Yourself

Sofia is an excellent, passionate coach. She makes all the complex concepts accessible and tangible, while always being precise and relevant.

Charlotte LieffringAssociate Director, Category Management, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Career Workshops

I enjoyed working with Sofia on a project, she is very professional, has strong knowledge and skills, takes her work seriously and carries out the job to a very high standard.

Soraya BourhanyCareer Services Expert, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
EQ & Resilience

Sofia provided research-backed practical ways to gracefully navigate the startup rollercoaster ride. … Sofia’s workshop offered practical ways to train our brains to adopt resilient behaviours and as such is relevant and current to executives leading teams in uncertainty.

Hilal MengiFinancial & Transformation Executive
EQ & Resilience

Our members had the pleasure of attending one of her sessions on emotional intelligence, and I must say that she was an outstanding speaker. Her knowledge of the subject matter was evident, and so was her ability to engage with the audience.

Dima El AssiMarketing Specialist, Partnerships & Events
Emotional Intelligence

Her warmth and support allowed participants to truly open up and form a real community during the course.

Zsofia HajnikProduct Leader, AI & Private Markets
Resume Review

Just in one session Sofia helped me a lot. She made me feel heard and understood … her comments on my CV were very thoughtful and kind.

Anna ErkoMusic & Content Lead, ex-Spotify

All recommendations on LinkedIn

Sofia Borodulina-Abboud leaning on a railing with the Abu Dhabi skyline behind her

About

Sofia Borodulina-Abboud

As an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), I have spent over seven years coaching leaders across the GCC and Europe. My approach is hands‑on and practical. I focus on what works for each person and each business, not just what the textbook says.

A decade in executive search, including as VP and Associate Partner, taught me that organisations stand and fall with the right leaders. I was lucky enough to study at Cornell University, Harvard Business School and Georgetown University, learn four languages and live in six countries. This international experience allows me to connect with leaders from every background.

What drives me is genuine care: for every professional I work with, and for turning their growth into business results. If I cannot add real value, I do not take on the engagement. That is my promise to every client.

Steering Success podcast

Let’s start with a conversation.

Book your complimentary call

Assessments

An objective view of strengths, drivers and working style, for individuals and for teams.

Instruments
Hogan (HPI, HDS, MVPI), MBTI Step I & II, EQ-i 2.0 & EQ 360, Reiss Motivation Profile.
How it works
A short briefing to choose the right instrument, an online assessment, then a one-to-one or team debrief with a written summary.
Used for
Leadership development, career decisions, team collaboration and selection.
Next step
Optional follow-up coaching to translate insight into lasting change.
Book a complimentary call

Career Coaching

For professionals at a career crossroads, from first-time managers to senior leaders.

Your story
Clarifying direction and articulating a professional story that is compelling and authentically yours.
CV
Refined in your own voice, with a considered layout and the keywords recruiters look for.
LinkedIn
A profile aligned with your story that invites the right conversations.
Interview
Preparation and practice interviews, informed by more than a decade on the hiring side.

Before and after

Before“A turn improvement in Working Capital.”

After“460 BPS earnings expansion and working capital improvements unlocking $0.15B of capital.”

Request the client portfolio
Book a complimentary call

Executive Coaching

One-to-one coaching for first-time managers finding their footing and senior executives stepping into bigger roles.

Focus areas
The first 100 days in a new role, executive presence, stakeholder alignment, leading teams through change, and integrating AI into your leadership practice.
How it works
Clear goals agreed at the start and reviewed along the way, often supported by an assessment.
Format
In person in Abu Dhabi, or online, in English or German.
Sponsored or private
Engagements can be sponsored by your organisation or arranged privately.
Book a complimentary call

Leadership Journeys

Bespoke, experiential solutions, focused on behavioural change and measurable business impact.

For
First-time managers, high potentials and leadership teams.
Topics
Leading oneself, leading others, the manager as a coach, effective communication, emotional intelligence, performance management, conducting performance reviews and leading in the age of AI.
Format
3, 6 or 12 months, combining workshops, assessments, group coaching and one-to-one coaching.
Design
Built around your leadership framework and goals; larger cohorts are delivered with a trusted group of fellow coaches and facilitators.
Example
A leadership program for the EMEA operations leadership team of an international energy services company: assessments, executive coaching, business case studies and a two-day leadership workshop on cross-functional collaboration, executive communication, strategic thinking and decision-making.
Book a complimentary call

Training & Facilitation

Interactive sessions that are practical, research-informed and immediately applicable.

Topics
Career development, emotional intelligence, resilience, feedback culture, communication and influence, Search Inside Yourself® (the emotional intelligence program born at Google), leading with AI.
Formats
Keynotes, half-day and full-day workshops, master classes, in person or virtual.
Delivered
In-house and with leading academies in the region.
Feedback
Participants rate programs 4.8 out of 5 on average.
Book a complimentary call

Send a message

Education & certifications

Education
Master's Degree, International Development, Cornell University
Program for Leadership Development, Harvard Business School
Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching, Georgetown University
Bachelor's Degree, International Business, European School of Business, Reutlingen
Coaching
ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
Assessments
Hogan Certified Practitioner
EQ-i 2.0 & EQ 360 Certified Practitioner
MBTI Step I & II Certified Practitioner
Reiss Motivation Profile Master
Facilitation
Search Inside Yourself® Certified Teacher (emotional intelligence program born at Google)
#IamRemarkable Certified Facilitator
Languages
Fluent in four languages; coaching in English and German.
Book a complimentary call

Imprint

The Daily Work FZ-LLC
RAKEZ Business Zone, Al Nakheel Area
Coworking BIZ00406, Compass Building
Al Shohada Road, Al Hamra Industrial Zone-FZ
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

Represented by: Sofia Borodulina-Abboud
Email:

Licensing authority: Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
Trade Licence Number: 47008927
Registration Number: 0000004042241

Responsible for content: Sofia Borodulina-Abboud, address as above.

Despite careful review, no liability is accepted for the content of external links. The operators of linked pages are solely responsible for their content.

Privacy

Who is responsible

The Daily Work FZ-LLC, represented by Sofia Borodulina-Abboud (contact details in the imprint). For any privacy question, write to .

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Email and bookings

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Coaching confidentiality

Everything shared in coaching is treated as confidential, in line with the ICF Code of Ethics.

Your rights

You may ask at any time which personal data I hold about you, and request its correction or deletion, in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the UAE Personal Data Protection Law. Data is kept only as long as needed for the purpose above or as required by law.

Last updated: October 2026