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Anna Peterson
Executive & Product Coaching
Anna Kotliarevskaia is an Executive and Product Coach at Tech Happy, where she focuses on leadership coaching for technology professionals. She has over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, transitioning through roles in design, product management, and leadership. Her coaching approach incorporates psychoanalytic principles, aiming to help leaders navigate the complexities of their roles by fostering self-awareness and personal growth.12
Professional Background
- Current Role: Executive & Product Coach at Tech Happy since July 2022. In this role, she assists leaders in driving change and understanding themselves more deeply.1
- Previous Experience:
- Director of Product Management at ServiceNow (December 2021 - October 2022): Led customer experience initiatives and digital transformation efforts.1
- Group Product Manager at ServiceNow (August 2019 - December 2021): Managed a team to deliver enterprise agile products and defined product vision and roadmaps.1
- Senior Product Management Roles at ServiceNow: Held various positions focusing on agile development and product innovation from April 2016 to July 2019.1
Certifications
Anna holds several professional coaching certifications, including:
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation (November 2023)
- Certified Professional Co-Active Coach from the Co-Active Training Institute (May 2023).1
Skills and Expertise
Her expertise lies in product management, leadership development, and coaching, particularly within technology sectors. She emphasizes the importance of understanding oneself as a foundation for effective leadership.23
Highlights
Years ago, I was obsessed with becoming someone: a CPO, Head of Product, you name it.
During this time, I stumbled upon "Be Slightly Evil" (a fantastic book, by the way) and discovered a new perspective: there are those who desire to BE someone, and those who long to DO something.
This made me wonder if focusing on DOING something, driven by passion, could lead to a more fulfilling life.
I began pondering whether our desired identities truly align with the lifestyles we yearn for, and if not, what does it mean to explore and understand our true desires?
Now, I always ask my clients: What do they genuinely want to do each day? How can they incorporate their passions into their life and career?
Observing myself and my clients, I noticed a few things about not letting our egos dictate our fulfillment:
- Pursuing titles and status might not guarantee a satisfying life. I've witnessed some of my friends striving for prestigious positions, only to discover, after years of dedication, that they despise the responsibilities that come with it.
Endless meetings, perpetual pressure, and a lack of control over outcomes were just some of the drawbacks.
- The lifestyle you desire may hold more value than your title. When I delved into people's ideal days, I noticed that most didn't actually crave the lifestyle that accompanied their desired titles.
Instead, their dreams centered around the respect and prestige they wanted to get while ignoring the daily routines. Often, their career aspirations didn't align with the involved lifestyle.
- The power of focusing on DOING rather than BEING. Individuals who emphasize DOING something—creating exceptional products, designing beautiful apps, and so on—are fueled by their passions.
Embracing this mindset not only enriches life but can also result in remarkable titles and achievements, simply as a natural byproduct.
Chasing titles isn't inherently wrong, but being aware of the choices we make and their implications is crucial; otherwise, we risk losing sight of what truly matters to us.
I'm excited to join Akash for our live session on "The best-kept secret of Corporate America: Leadership Coaching." Join us to learn how coaching can transform your product management career.
Last year, I left my cushy corporate job to pursue my passion for helping people grow, develop, and discover themselves. My mission is to help talented people go from being inhibited to being intuitive.
Following are some reasons I am doing this full-time: 💃People over Products I love people more than products. People are fascinating to me, and it amazes me to observe different people and do a deep dive into their motivations and career trajectories.
⏰Owning my Calendar With my busy corporate schedule, I couldn't give coaching the attention it deserved. I figured that I loved this work too much to squeeze it into my packed corporate calendar.
💪Personal Struggles My own leadership journey was challenging, and I know what it's like to doubt yourself. But I can help people identify what they’re getting wrong about developing their careers & overcome that.
❓Intention & Inquiry I believe in the power of being intentional, and I want to give this power to people. My coaching is inquiry-driven, giving people the time and space needed to think about what they are doing with their careers.
See you there in our session!
