I’ve often been asked,
what is the one thing that differentiates you as a Coach?
I’ve been there . . .
Having changed careers and industries three times over a rewarding career, I know what works and how to help YOU create your personal strategy for success.
The hardest part of pivoting into sustainability is in the formulation and then the execution of your pivot strategy.
The method I use amplifies your unique assets to create your personal brand as a key to achieving results.
How many people have you worked with?
I have coached, mentored and facilitated hundreds of people in the sustainability field and in other professions and industries.
How coaching makes a difference – – from the client’s viewpoint
Pivotal professional
transition
I worked with Mark as my career coach during a pivotal professional transition. His guidance proved invaluable.
What sets Mark apart is his exceptional ability to blend strategic career planning with practical leadership development.
Through his framework for strategic questioning and strength profiling, he helped me gain clarity about my professional strengths while developing concrete leadership skills.
Mark creates a collaborative space where insights emerge through thoughtful dialogue, combining emotional intelligence with business acumen.
The leadership tools and frameworks he shared continue to influence my daily decision-making and team interactions.
I wholeheartedly recommend Mark to professionals seeking to elevate their leadership capabilities or navigate career transitions.
His coaching creates lasting positive change that extends well beyond the engagement period.
—
Laura Carolina Gutierrez
International Business Development Executive, Greentech Renewables
Make change
happen
Change is hard…it’s a cliche mostly because it’s true.
Sometimes you pick the pivot and sometimes the pivot picks you.
I was fortunate enough to have Mark guide me through a number of major life changes and allow me to develop clarity and a sense of focus on what I needed to do to not only respond to change, but to make change happen as well.
Mark expertly coached me through life-changing personal and professional events.
His practical approach to change incorporates Socratic methods as well as the sharing of practical advice and experience.
I highly recommend Mark as a coach that will guide you through your period of change and well beyond.
—
James Goudreau
Head of Global Environmental Sustainability Operations, Takeda | VP ESG, CVS Health |
Head of Climate, Novartis | US Navy
Unstuck
I was stuck in my current role and knew I wanted to make a pivot towards sustainability leadership but where should I start?
That’s where Mark’s coaching came in.
He guided the journey to understand my motivation,
build a new network and
create sustainability engagement opportunities
for myself both inside and outside my organization.
I’ve grown as a strategic leader, a subject matter expert and built a reputation as a positive influencer and sustainability champion.
Mark’s continued guidance gave me the confidence to conquer my fears and gain acceptance as a peer among senior decision makers.
—
Jim Jenkins
Senior Product Sustainability Manager
Speaker | Sustainability Champion
Circular Economy | Safer Chemistry
Landed climate job
I found Mark to be an exceptional coach, pushing me to challenge myself and reach new heights of self-understanding.
I found a rewarding position at a climate-focused organization, working with an exceptional team to solve the planet’s greatest sustainability challenges.
I had made previous attempts at working with career coaches, but was not satisfied with my progress nor sure how to move forward.
Simply put: Mark has changed my outlook and given me the confidence to navigate my future career path in sustainability.
I know that the lessons I’ve learned from working with Mark will aid me throughout the rest of my career.
I would recommend Mark’s services to anyone feeling stuck in their current career path and ready to focus on the future.
—
Benjamin Abrams
Manager, Analytics, CERES Inc.
Got a better job
suited to me
I never thought I would work with a career coach. After 20+ years with one employer, I knew I did not have the chops to negotiate a challenging job market, let alone pivot to make better use of my passion and advanced sustainability degree.
Mark did a lot more than help me polish my resume. He guided me to learn more about myself.
Knowing my strengths and understanding the difference between implementing and leadership was critical to homing in on what I was really looking for and marketing myself accordingly.
In a way that felt more like a journey with a wise friend than a business process, he helped me grow.
So how did it work out? Not only did I land a better job – tailored and upgraded to suit my background – but I took the first concrete steps to flesh out a social media sustainability persona I had previously only dreamed about. And I have a good idea of how they can co-exist.
If you are ready to let your passion for sustainability fuel the future you see for yourself, Mark can provide the tools and insight to get yourself there.
—
Heather McAdam
Assistant Director, The Culinary Institute of America
Won the position
Mark’s Sustainability Career Coaching definitely helped me to win the position!
They remembered the one thing I want to be known for – my passion for decarbonizing commercial and industrial buildings.
Mark helped me to learn, and practice, how to share my wisdom in a highly impactful and engaging manner:
I was able to explain that my top natural strengths are relationship building and strategic thinking.
Further, I communicated that throughout my career, I have used my natural ability to connect authentically, and lead with integrity, to establish credibility and trust that has enabled my success in teaming with others.
This position checks all of the key boxes for me – and I love the team I am working with.
—
William Schoellkopf
Assistant Operations Manager, DNV
Built my network
Mark is incredibly knowledgeable about the wider sustainability sector and how it interacts with all industries, and his network in this sector is comprehensive and ubiquitous.
He is able to coach people on how to approach their professional goals and the best methods to realize them.
I would recommend Mark if you would like professional coaching in sustainability, insights from people directly involved in all areas of the industry, or would like to expand your network in any area of sustainability.
—
Max Maguire
Senior Project Manager, Emerson
Uplevel sustainability impact
I have collaborated with Mark and recognize his excellent coaching skills and leadership within the sustainability community.
He is passionate, knowledgeable and committed to developing leaders in the sustainability profession.
Whether you are an experienced professional seeking to pivot into a sustainability role or a sustainability professional seeking to uplevel your professional impact, I recommend Mark as a Coach.
—
Nitesh Dullabh
Founder & CEO, 2Pod Ventures
Remain visionary
As a professional coach and mentor, Mark … has empathy for his clients, but is not afraid to make his opinion known.
He starts with [you] having a clear vision about the outcome you want … and he is quick to keep his clients on the task at hand.
Mark understands remaining visionary in planning is key, as being caught in a tactical vortex can really [get in the way] of your ultimate goals.
—
Richard Goldman
Founder and CEO, Competiscan
About the Coach
Mark D. Wolf is a career & executive coach, successful career changer (three times), CEO of Lava Fish Advisors, and the Founder and past Co-Chair of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) NYC chapter. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSP Global, the largest global professional association for leaders across the sustainability sector, recognizing his leadership in building the premier chapter in New York City.
Mark has professional experience within the Fortune 500 company ecosystem from highly technical and regulated industries to newly emerging verticals. He has coached and mentored both experienced and emerging sustainability professionals in addition working 1:1 with executives.
Mark previously led teams at: Guardian, Castrol, Verizon Wireless and Prudential Financial, worked in ad agencies (Y&R, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi) and prior worked in the mental health field.
He has been published in the Journal of Sustainable Banking and Finance and in the Association of National Advertisers Magazine. Mark is also a co-author of the book “Thriving in the New Business Environment – Why the Strategic Supply Chain Matters.”
Mark holds an MSc, Sustainability Management from Columbia University, Coach Certification from New York University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The time is NOW to pivot your career and have more impact.
What are you waiting for?
Ready to take the next step?
Let’s bring your vision to life!
Contact me
