Meet Suzanne
Suzanne Lilley is a seasoned global operations leader and ICF Associate Certified Coach based in Singapore. With more than twenty five years in banking and finance, she has led large international teams across Europe, America, and Asia. Today, she is navigating a period of professional transition while deepening her work as a coach, mentor, and emerging consultant, with a growing focus on purpose led leadership and human centered growth.
A Quiet Confidence, Built Over Time
Suzanne Lilley does not speak about ambition in loud terms. It shows up instead in how she listens, how she reflects, and how carefully she chooses her words when she talks about leadership. There is a steadiness to her presence that feels earned rather than performed. It comes from years of movement, across countries, cultures, and responsibilities, and from moments when certainty gave way to recalibration. What drives her now is not the next title or role, but a deeper question about contribution. How do you help others grow, even when your own path is shifting beneath your feet.
Starting Small, Thinking Wide
Her professional story began far from the global stage she would later occupy. Suzanne started her career in a very small office in her hometown. The work itself mattered, but what stayed with her most was the discovery that she loved working with people. Even early on, she was drawn to the dynamics of teams, to understanding how individuals fit into something larger, and how leadership could either limit or unlock potential.
As opportunities emerged, she did not rush them. Each step forward came with a growing sense that the world was bigger than she had first imagined. Securing a role in London became a defining moment. It was there that business travel entered her life, and with it, a widening sense of what her career could become. Being exposed to different markets and ways of working sharpened her ambition, not in a competitive sense, but in a curious one. She wanted to learn. She wanted to stretch.
That curiosity eventually carried her across Europe, then to America, and later to Asia. With each move, she absorbed new perspectives. She learned how culture shapes communication, how leadership expectations vary across regions, and how adaptability becomes essential when nothing can be taken for granted. These experiences quietly formed the backbone of her leadership style long before she had language for it.
When Leadership Becomes Responsibility at Scale
One of the most significant shifts in Suzanne’s career came when she began leading exceptionally large teams. Managing at scale forced her to rethink how vision and strategy are communicated. It was no longer enough to understand the direction herself. She had to ensure it could be understood and felt at every level of the organization.
She deepened her involvement with organisations such as She Brilliance, representing them as an Ambassador, and providing coaching to some members of the community, and also partnering with the National University of Singapore, through their ‘Women in Business’ mentoring programme for the past two years, continuing to contribute to communities that value growth, learning and inclusion.
As she puts it, “Success for me is in seeing others succeed. I was once told the most successful leader is the one that succeeds themselves out of their role and I carry this with me in any roles and teams I lead.”
Her work in operations and team leadership began to dovetail naturally with coaching. The two informed each other. Operational rigor brought structure to her coaching. Coaching brought humanity to her leadership. Over time, this integration became one of her defining strengths.
Retrenchment and the Unplanned Pause
After decades of forward momentum, Suzanne encountered one of the most challenging experiences of her career. Retrenchment. It arrived during a difficult hiring market and disrupted not only her professional rhythm, but her sense of identity. Being career oriented, the loss of a role was not just practical. It was deeply personal.
Rather than rushing to fill the gap, she chose to sit with the discomfort. She acknowledged the emotional impact and paid close attention to her wellbeing. Resilience, for her, is not about pushing through at all costs. It is about self awareness. Knowing when to step back, when to walk the dogs, when to read, and when to give herself permission to pause.
This period of transition became a time of recalibration. Suzanne leaned more fully into her coaching practice, expanding her circle and offering consultancy support to a number of firms. She deepened her involvement with organizations such as She Brilliance and the National University of Singapore, contributing to communities that value growth, learning, and inclusion.
In 2025, she was awarded the STAR Excellence Award for customer service and qualified as an Associate Certified Coach with the ICF. These milestones mattered, but they were not framed as redemption or proof. They were affirmations of a direction she was already moving toward.
Values as a Compass, Not a Slogan
If there is a single thread running through Suzanne’s story, it is her commitment to values. Integrity, authenticity, and compassion are not abstract ideals for her. They are practical guides that have shaped real decisions. Recently, she chose not to pursue an opportunity because it conflicted with those values. It was not an easy choice, especially in a challenging market, but it was a clear one.
Leading with values has also meant accepting that resilience includes vulnerability. She speaks openly about the importance of protecting mental and emotional wellbeing, particularly in times of uncertainty. Taking time out is not a weakness. It is a strategy for sustaining motivation and balance.
This grounded approach extends to how she supports others. As a coach and mentor, she does not offer formulas or quick fixes. She listens. She asks questions. She helps people reconnect with what matters to them. Her influence is felt quietly, through confidence rebuilt and clarity regained.
Coaching, Community, and a New Chapter Taking Shape
Today, Suzanne is actively exploring the possibility of opening her own firm. It would be a significant departure from her twenty five year career in banking and finance, and she does not minimize the scale of the challenge. Starting something new at this stage of life is both daunting and energizing.
What draws her forward is the chance to fully embrace her passion for coaching. To build something aligned with who she is now, not who she was expected to be years ago. It is a project that will test her in new ways, requiring creativity, courage, and patience. It is also an opportunity to integrate everything she has learned across continents, industries, and roles.
She is inspired by leaders who have navigated traditionally male dominated spaces with grace and conviction. Figures like Oprah Winfrey resonate not because of fame, but because of resilience and self definition. Suzanne sees her own path reflected in that ability to build something authentic, even when the landscape is challenging.
Her advice to aspiring professionals is rooted in lived experience rather than theory.
“Choose your career choices by knowing and authenticating your values. If opportunities are not aligned to your values then will you never truly enjoy that role. Always be true to your authentic self as you never know what the universe has in store for you next.”
Becoming the Leader Who Steps Aside
Suzanne Lilley’s story is not about constant ascent. It is about evolution. About learning when to lead from the front and when to step back. About understanding that the most meaningful impact often happens quietly, through the people you help grow.
As she stands at the edge of a new chapter, there is no sense of urgency to define it too quickly. What matters is alignment. With her values. With her wellbeing. With her desire to serve. In a world that often equates success with visibility, her journey offers a different measure. One where leadership is defined not by how long you stay in a role, but by how well you prepare others to move beyond you.
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