Climbing the Career Mountain: Meet Matterhorn Coaches

Reaching the peak is a challenge, but there is an opportunity to be great, in both career and in climbing the Swiss mountain, the Matterhorn.

Matterhorn Coaches brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to the East End, aiming to help professionals reach their career peaks. Matterhorn Coaches strives to provide the best coaching to help their clients achieve the best outcomes.

“We give people a sense of where the opportunity is,” Bolin says. “This is important because when people think about the next step in their career, they think of one role and one place, and they focus on just that. I found that with many of my assignments, where we started is not where we go.”

The firm offers tailored coaching services across three main areas: early career, advanced career and career transition. Each program is designed to address specific needs. The early career program is for clients looking to find the role and environment that fits them.

The advanced career program is for established professionals ready to take on more responsibility or explore a new direction. The career transition program is for seasoned executives with the energy and desire to do something different.

Matterhorn Coaches employs a six-stage process, typically spanning three months with around six to eight sessions. The process includes understanding the client’s professional persona, including their aspirations, qualifications and personal preferences.

Clients then evaluate key influencers in their career decisions, such as values, expectations and work environment. The process includes research to identify suitable roles and companies, preparation for interviews and networking and building a strong professional presence.

Bolin explains, “Our goal is to build confidence. We are not recruiters; it is not our job to find the job but to find the best role for you in the best company for you and give you the confidence to be able to participate in the interview process, the engagement process, and move forward.”

Matterhorn Coaches was cofounded by Mike Bolin, Ed Pla, and Ray Pullaro, each bringing a unique strength to the coaching experience. They share the commonality of having started their careers at Swiss banks and a deep passion for working with people.

Despite following diverse career paths, they all have extensive experience in mentoring and talent development, which they consider a key factor in their collective success.

“It is our commitment to excellence; we all have gone through the frameworks of coaching, but we all collectively understand people a little differently because we have been in different parts, but we say the sum of the parts is pretty powerful,” Bolin explains.

Ed Pla, who spent over thirty years in the financial markets, specializes in derivative trading and capital markets. He held senior positions at UBS and has a strong background in managing global teams, campus recruiting and talent development. He has also participated in industry forums.

While Pla’s career followed a more linear trajectory, Bolin’s career was notable for its many transitions. Over his 37 years at Swiss Bank, which later became UBS, he held 17 different roles, including global head of human resources, chief administrative officer and chief of staff.

“My career has been constant moving, constant learning. I like to try new things,” Bolin says. “I always had this natural affinity for helping and engaging with people. After doing so many different roles in a company, the opportunities are fewer, especially after 37 years. I was at a point where there was nothing at UBS that I could see myself wanting to do. I felt like it was time for me to move on.”

At UBS, he used to have “Time with Mike” every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, where colleagues could book an appointment to discuss their careers with him, he explains.

After leaving UBS, Bolin transitioned into coaching, founding his first coaching business, which provided him with the expertise now utilized at Matterhorn Coaches.

Pullaro’s career spans from Wall Street to academia. He worked at UBS, then served as a managing director at Blackstone, before making a complete career change into academia, eventually becoming Long Island University dean.

“He has a natural affinity for helping people, especially young people,” Bolin says. “He loves to be in that engaged environment where there are a lot of young people, and he can help them grow.”

As a new business, the firm plans to give back through seminars and free or low-cost assignments for people who cannot afford them but need help. They are constantly looking for new courses and ways to learn and look forward to integrating technology into their coaching.

For more information, visit matterhorncoaches.com

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