Dr. Anja Degen
Degen&Diederen Consulting
Dr. Anja Degen
Sustainable change and awareness arise in the spaces we usually don’t open – not in the actions on a to-do list.
My own transformation
Meine eigene Reise
Learn more about my professional background and the path that led me to my calling.
I spent many years working in top management at a global pharmaceutical company.
I was fascinated by the idea of building a career and taking on ever greater responsibility.
I lived in different countries and held new positions time and again.
Each time, I thought this new role would make me happy — but that was an illusion.
The stress took its toll, both physically and emotionally.
I found myself more and more often in situations that no longer aligned with how I wanted to live and work.
I felt like I was in the proverbial golden cage.
Whenever I thought about changing something, I was overwhelmed by deep existential fears that kept me trapped in my situation.
Of course, those feelings eventually affected my private life as well — even though I wasn’t able to recognize that connection at the time.
At that real low point — when nothing seemed to fit anymore, neither my personal nor professional life — I joined a program that opened both my eyes and my heart.
My Leadership Circle Profile showed me the tensions I was stuck in — and why I kept running in circles.
When I became aware of this, I decided to change it once and for all.
I trained as a coach and began working with the Leadership Circle Profile tool. The first steps on this path already showed me how much value it brings — for me and for my clients — to combine my business and leadership experience with deep personal development work.
At first, I worked with other leaders and colleagues within the organization. Through this process, a new professional future began to open up for me.
I have since lost all fear of failure — even though my path eventually led me into self-employment, something I had previously never even considered.
Today, I find deep fulfillment in accompanying people through my work — creating a space that enables them to resolve their own inner tensions.
I make time for reflection, for nature, and for my animals — everything I need to stay grounded.
Each day brings new insights and opportunities to shape life with meaning.
In my work, I bring together all that I am:
my leadership and business experience, my diverse coaching methods, my ongoing learning, and my personal development journey.
That’s what makes me — and my work — unique.
Guiding Principles of My Life and Work
Relationship
Authenticity
Presence
Wholeness
Achieving goals
How I Accompany People
Individual Coaching
You will gain new perspectives — about yourself and the people around you. These perspectives will help you approach situations that currently challenge or frustrate you in new ways.
You’ll experience how reflection and mindfulness give you the freedom to choose your responses, allowing you to act in ways that create the impact that truly matters to you.
Working with me strengthens your sense of self-efficacy and helps you experience your own agency.
Team Development
Your team will get to know each other on a deeper level and build trust.
As a result, it will become capable of engaging in constructive conflict and will recognize that a sole focus on tasks does not necessarily lead to faster results.
The team will learn to listen to and value all voices in the room, enabling better decisions that everyone can support.
Ultimately, the team will be empowered to collaborate effectively and sustainably.
The Core of My Work
My passion and strength lie in holding space where deep, holistic self-experience can unfold. Within this space, we develop practical experiments that allow change to be not only understood rationally but also experienced on a holistic level — mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Born in 1970 in Trier; grew up and lived there until after graduation
Studied Biology in Würzburg and Bonn
Doctorate (PhD) in Bonn
1.5 years Postdoc in Bonn
In 1999, moved from laboratory work to field sales for research instruments and reagents
20 years of business experience with one of the world’s Top 10 pharmaceutical companies
12 years of international leadership experience (UK, USA, CH) at SVP level
In the most recent role: P&L responsibility for a portfolio with approx. 1 billion CHF annual turnover
During this time, began focusing on agile transformation, with a particular emphasis on supporting leaders
I work with a wide range of methods, always depending on what best fits my clients’ goals.
A starting point for many development journeys is the Leadership Circle Profile™, a unique 360° feedback tool.
The insights gained can then be further developed using different approaches — for example, the Immunity to Change® process.
For those wishing to dive deeper into emotional and embodied awareness, the Transformative Coaching approach by Nicholas Janni (Leader as Healer) may be exactly the right fit.
Immunity to Change, Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey, Harvard Business Press, 2009
Leader as Healer, Nicholas Janni, LID Publishing, 2022
Integral Life Coaching, Veit Lindau, 2017/18
Voice and Personality I & II, Lucas Seminar, 2017/18
Leadership Circle Profile Certification, The Leadership Circle, 2018
Collective Leadership Certification, The Leadership Circle, 2018
The Art of Developmental Coaching, Coaches Rising, 2018
u.lab: Leading Change in Times of Disruption, MITx, Otto Scharmer, 2018
Leadership System Certification, The Leadership Circle, 2019
Co-active Fundamentals, CTI, 2019
Cynefin Basecamp, Cognitive Edge, 2021
Immunity to Change Facilitator Workshop, Minds at Work, 2022
Equine Osteopathy, EquiCanes Academy, 2021/22
Applied Neurology and Chiropractic Principles in Horses, EquiCanes Academy, 2022
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, EquiCanes Academy, 2022/23
Learn Integral Coaching, The Leadership Circle, Bob Anderson / Nicholas Janni, 2023
Reimagining Leadership, Coaches Rising, 2023/24
Transformational Coaching Programme, Matrix Development, Nicholas Janni, 2023/24
Tim Binnewies
VP Medical Device Industry
It was a pleasure to work with Anja, she challenged us as a team and the best part, she made no effort just being “nice” to us, she shared her observation's without sugar coating them. That helped us to reflect as a team. Thank you for that!
Verena Neuhold
Law & Project Management HIC Lübeck
An excellent coach. Anja manages to uncover the real core of even the most complex issues with calmness, persistence, and empathy. I haven’t often experienced this so clearly and effectively.
Brua Sonntag
Head of Logistics, Roche Diagnostics Germany
Your ability to truly listen — not only to what’s being said but also to what resonates between the lines. You have a calm, clear presence that immediately creates trust, while asking the right questions that genuinely move people forward. Everything about your style feels natural and authentic — clear, experienced, and deeply grounded.
Let’s Connect
Let’s get to know each other.
Schedule a conversation or simply send me a message.