Sonja Buholzer
Encyclopedia
Sonja A. Buholzer is a bestselling Swiss
writer specializing in management consulting
and business coaching. She is a professional keynote
speaker and a widely-known coach who especially focuses on the role of and opportunity for women in career positions. She is the adviser of business leaders and politicians, noting "Men are persistent, women are stubborn. But where would men be without women!"
. From 1984 through 1985, she was a scientific assistant and lecturer in the State University of New York
system, earning a Master's degree in 1985. She returned to Europe
to earn additional advanced degrees—a Master's degree in Literature, Philosophy, and History from Zurich University, and the PhD in Philosophy in 1987, with a doctoral dissertation about medieval mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg
. She started her career as a bank director, charged with the responsibility of managing the global conglomerate's international training and administration. She lives now in Zurich
.
In one of her recent books, Shark leadership, Buholzer notes that people in senior management gladly participate in extreme sports—mountain climbing, marathons, and the like. They want to test their limits, just as divers will test their limits and anxieties if they encounter a shark undersea. But, Buholzer notes that each year, there are typically fewer than 10 fatal shark attacks, while humans are responsible for the death of perhaps 200 million sharks per year. She recommends that top managers actually go diving with sharks to learn their own fears and prejudices, then deal with them.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
writer specializing in management consulting
Management consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
and business coaching. She is a professional keynote
Keynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
speaker and a widely-known coach who especially focuses on the role of and opportunity for women in career positions. She is the adviser of business leaders and politicians, noting "Men are persistent, women are stubborn. But where would men be without women!"
Personal life
Buholzer was born and raised in LucerneLucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. From 1984 through 1985, she was a scientific assistant and lecturer in the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
system, earning a Master's degree in 1985. She returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to earn additional advanced degrees—a Master's degree in Literature, Philosophy, and History from Zurich University, and the PhD in Philosophy in 1987, with a doctoral dissertation about medieval mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg
Mechthild of Magdeburg
Mechthild of Magdeburg , a Beguine, was a medieval mystic, whose book Das fließende Licht der Gottheit described her visions of God....
. She started her career as a bank director, charged with the responsibility of managing the global conglomerate's international training and administration. She lives now in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Career
Across the two decades since earning her educational degrees, Buholzer has authored over a half-dozen business ethics and professional advice books that have earned spots on the best-seller lists. Her books maintain that philosophy and business are intertwined, and she attempts to demonstrate how success and ethics go together. On the basis of this expertise, she has expanded her career into the realm of paid speaking engagements before executive boards and governmental bodies. The German Manager Magazin recognized her as possibly the world's best female coach of professionals. She bemoans the "error" of women who hold the unfortunate attitude that money is inherently a bad thing. If women are to stop accepting one-third less pay for the same job performed by men, then women need to lose this attitude about money.In one of her recent books, Shark leadership, Buholzer notes that people in senior management gladly participate in extreme sports—mountain climbing, marathons, and the like. They want to test their limits, just as divers will test their limits and anxieties if they encounter a shark undersea. But, Buholzer notes that each year, there are typically fewer than 10 fatal shark attacks, while humans are responsible for the death of perhaps 200 million sharks per year. She recommends that top managers actually go diving with sharks to learn their own fears and prejudices, then deal with them.