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Hello.

I am Karen Rene. I help outliers build what comes next through strategic side moves and systemic reinvention.

 

Below is a summary of my business & tech background, my coaching track record, my work with early-stage startups, and how I might be able to help you.

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Background

I am an ex-Big 4 with 15+ years of experience in Business & Tech. I held roles at Deloitte, L'Oréal, and Aesop, managing teams of auditors, product owners, engineers, e-commerce operations specialists and project managers. My versatility stems from years of strategically pivoting across functions primarily - Sales, Operations, Digital & Tech - leveraging country relocations and side ventures to forge a broad Business & Tech expertise. This led to my tenure at Aesop, where I served as the Global Head of Digital Operations and a member of the Aesop Digital & Tech Global Leadership team, overseeing the e-commerce operations strategy, guiding 100+ staff members across 15+ markets - top markets included the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, France and Japan. I am French-Australian and currently residing in the Netherlands.

Coaching
track record

I am an Accredited Professional Coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the world’s leading professional coaching body. I hold a Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC), where I developed advanced capability in systemic executive coaching. AoEC is a globally recognised institute with triple accreditation from the Association for Coaching (AC), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). As an Executive Coach, I work with director-to-board level business & tech leaders from global organisations including Microsoft, Condé Nast, Amazon, Unilever, HSBC Innovation Banking, Sanofi, Capgemini & more. My clients include technology leaders, portfolio directors, enterprise architects, strategy leaders, general managers, chiefs of staff and board-level executives. I helped high-achieving leaders: - Progress their career amid systemic disruptions - Adapt and lead systemic change - Build and strengthen effective partnerships across functions - Grow their influence, network and visibility - Develop high-performance teams As a career change coach, I helped scientists, technologists, creatives, business operators and other high achievers discover, plan and start new career paths, building a supportive network along the way.

Startup Mentorship

As an early-stage startup mentor, I helped aspiring entrepreneurs build lean ventures from the ground up, from business ideation through product-market fit and MVP launch. I mentored Sportech, SaaS and Fintech early-stage startups through the Amsterdam Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE). ACE supported 130+ incubated startups, with ventures raising €50M+ and achieving a 72% survival rate after two years. ACE alumni include LUMICKS (~$27.1M revenue in 2025), ENPICOM (~$3.6M revenue in 2025), Metrica Sports (~$1.8M revenue in 2025), Dyme (~$2.4M revenue in 2025, acquired by RISK), and Lalaland.ai ($5.2M revenue in 2024, acquired by Browzwear). I partnered with Impact Hub (a global network of 30,000+ impact-driven entrepreneurs) to help Dutch start-ups navigate key milestones through all development phases, from MVP to full-scale product. I designed and ran ideation programs to help LATAM cleantech engineers, scientists, and researchers build lean business ventures.

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Why Sidrlabs?

I came up with Sidrlabs while reflecting on the side moves that set me apart, often positioning me as an outsider as I changed careers, built side ventures, and led system changes.

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Sidrlabs is a boutique practice that offers a suite of programs designed to help driven outliers shape their careers and the systems around them. From career change to systemic executive coaching and venture building, each initiative is built to turn deliberate moves into real change.

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It is for those who see beyond predefined paths and choose to shape their own without fear of others’ opinions (which I call FOPO); those who feel the pull to do things differently, and are ready to turn it into action.

Is this for you?

You’re an independent-minded individual or a pioneer-led organisation that sees beyond conventional paths. You’ve succeeded by doing things differently.  You often show traits such as:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Deep internal drive
Struggle with politics
High autonomy
Comfort with ambiguity
Non-linear thinking
Quiet disruption
Isolation risk
Low visibility
Self-directed growth

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​You’re ready to take it to the next level - to lean into what sets you apart, make your voice heard, take the bold move you’ve been holding back on, and build beyond what’s expected.

 

That’s where Sidrlabs comes in.

What sets my work apart

01

Functional versatility

Made side moves across finance, sales, operations, digital, and technology while independently developing hands-on expertise in product, publishing, app development and others.

02

Breadth Across Industries

  • Hands-on experience across financial services, luxury beauty & personal care, FMCG, short-term rentals, retail, and travel technology

  • Consulted and audited CFOs in luxury goods, luxury hospitality, automotive, and FMCG

  • Mentored founders in saas, sportech, cleantech, and fintech

  • Served as executive coach to senior leaders in technology, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, banking, cloud services, publishing, online travel, and other industries

03

Cross-cultural agility

  • Lived and worked in the Netherlands, France, and Australia

  • Led teams and mentored founders across 20+ markets, including Japan, the US, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, LATAM, and the Netherlands

  • Coached Business & Tech leaders from France, Finland, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands

Work with me

I work with high-achievers who are ready to:

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  • Adapt to complex systems (existing or new) or create and lead new ones

  • Execute career pivots in the midst of disruption

  • Build a diversified portfolio of lean business ventures​

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If this resonates with where you are, whether as an individual or as part of an organisation undergoing major transformation and seeking impact at scale, the next step is to apply for a private discovery call with Karen Rene.  This is an opportunity to explore fit and assess how we might work together.

 

As availability is limited, a short wait may apply.​​​

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