What our clients say...



"Cynthia was my executive coach when I joined Tibotec as its President and Johnson and Johnson as its Global Head of Virology. After 20 years in academia, this was a new experience for me and Cynthia did a great job with my on-boarding process. She was insightful and provided me with a safe space to discuss issues in the company and the enterprise. Much better than any book, Cynthia allowed me to learn about the pharmaceutical industry from the inside but gave gentle didactic sessions. She was an excellent teacher and mentor. I am convinced that my first year in industry was made successful in a large part from my coaching with Cynthia. I am now a big fan of executive coaching from this experience. As such, I can fully and wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Palka as a superb executive coach."
— Roger J. Pomerantz, MD, FACP, President, Tibotec and Global Therapeutic Area Head for Virology, Johnson & Johnson PRD LLC

"I have had the pleasure of working with Cynthia for over a year now. Not only has she helped me to get perspective, she has helped me to become a better leader. She has not only helped me, she has helped my senior staff. Thanks to her tutelage, I have seen palpable improvement in my senior leaders. She is an excellent coach, confidant, and a consummate professional."
— Steven A. Jacobs, RPh, President, Bilcare Inc.

"Sure, you're a smart person...Ph.D., M.B.A., M.D., maybe even a rocket scientist...You're successful, talented and have great interpersonal skills too. So what do you need a coach for? Trust me, you need it more than you think. The more we learn, the more we accomplish, the more successful we are. Which is exactly the time to step back and have someone really challenge you and ask the important questions. Cynthia is not about to give you the answers or tell you what to do. Her job is to frame the possibilities, question the angle you're looking at it from and to ensure you're being honest with yourself, about yourself, and to yourself. You may be smart, fantastic and personable, but you can improve, you can be better...Pick up the phone and answer a couple of Cynthia's questions. You'll come back for more, I'm sure!"
— Peter S. Benton, MBA, President, Sceata Technology Group, LLC, and former Vice President, Central Planning, Johnson & Johnson PRD, L.L.C.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cynthia. I am a tough nut to crack, and she cracked me wide open. She is smart and very thoughtful in her approach, and it is obvious that she really cares about her clients. Before working with her, I used to take action without thinking about how my actions connected on a deeper level with what is important to me. With her keen insight and support, I have learned how to slow down enough to consider the broader impact of my actions on my life as a whole. Also, I am more caring and considerate of the people with whom I work. I now know how to take them to a deeper level and offer better support as they work toward their goals. Cynthia is a very powerful coach and a very special individual."
— Corporate Officer; Global Pharmaceutical company

"Situations present themselves and it is up to each of us to internalize the lessons learned and turn that to our benefit.  An effective coach is a partner who takes the time to learn about you and help you understand that you always have a choice. Cynthia Palka is a coach who helps you establish a plan for realizing how you are perceived, and that gives you the freedom to experiment with your behavior. Once you experiment and realize the success with her approach, you know that you can effect change in the way you act and in the way others perceive you, in a very substantial way."
— Joseph S. Sonk, PhD, Vice President II, US Regulatory Affairs, Mannkind Corporation.

"When I first began working with Cynthia I had been out of my chosen industry for more than two full years. I’d been laid off from a comfortable corporate job that I’d held for almost a decade and then spent the next couple of years traveling and pursuing personal interests as my severance and savings dwindled down. After having had so much time away from the 9-5 workday world, I felt desperately out-of-touch and completely ill-prepared for the job search process. The more I stressed and worried, the more my confidence faded. Working together with Cynthia, we developed a solid and logical job-search plan with built-in accountability that made sense and conformed to the short timeline with which I had to work. Cynthia provided great inspiration and encouragement to me when I needed it most, inculcating in me a new faith and confidence in myself. Her depth and breadth of knowledge in the fields of recruiting and science coupled with her warm personality and natural coaching ability are truly remarkable."
— Rick G., Pharmaceutical Industry executive