Rob Pianka
If they wonder What, add a fact. If it is Who, suggest a person. If they want to know Why, offer a reason. If they want to know How, help them plan.
Countries
Languages
Professional Background
- Raised in Lebanon & Israel. Lived/worked in Eastern Europe, Middle East, & Arabian Gulf Region.
- Earned MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, scoring 95% on Global Mindset Inventory.
- Alternated between a for-profit business and humanitarian assistance.
- Built, coached, and kept safe 5 excellent multi-cultural teams in conflict zones. Received personal commendations from Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 1993; Ilia II, Catholicos of All Georgia, 1994; and the Iraqi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Association, Diyala Iraq (2004).
- Began business coaching with ActionCOACH in 2009 and used DiSC extensively.
- Began developing ”Global Agility”, an innovation in intercultural training, while remote managing a humanitarian aid program in Syria from Beirut during the summer of 2017. Added Global DiSC, a complementary training that extends DiSC to include intercultural interactions.
Experience as Coach
- Built humanitarian assistance programs in conflict zones, managing and coaching 5 staffs composed of international staff members from various countries and local staff members from different, often conflicting, communities.
- During 6 years as an ActionCOACH, coached business owners and their staffs in a wide range of business sectors. Specialized in Revenue Generation Strategy, Leadership, Team-Building, and Productive Meetings, often through personal development.
- Included test-client coaching in the development of Global Agility training. Conducted primary research on the various ways people in the USA approach the issue of developing global inter-cultural skills.
- “When Robert left after his one-year commitment [in Iraq], both staff and donors were reluctant to see him go. For the donors, he provided innovative, compliant and effective programs… And for the national staff, he was seen as the manager who first sought to empower them.“ – David Holdridge, Mercy Corps Regional Director – Middle East. 2004.
Additional Work Experience
Business experience ranges from corporate to entrepreneurial; from domestic to international and expatriate; from defense exports to food imports and FX brokering and trading; from research to operations; and from employee, owner, to consultant and coach.
What Clients Say About Me
“Rob Pianka has acquired global skills and competencies due to his natural curiosity and his professional experience in global markets. I highly recommend him as a coach and team facilitator when your professional or personal needs invite you to reflect on your journey to acquiring a global mindset…”
Maureen Rabotin, Global Executive Coach & American Management Assoc. Instructor, France
“I’ve now known Rob professionally for almost 10 years and had the pleasure of working with him in several capacities… He continues to challenge assumptions I’ve held and never realized. He brings his global background and experience into the realm of the applicable right now…and I’ve enjoyed “borrowing” Rob’s experience as I look to broaden my perspective and deepen my relevance.”
Matt Breyer, President, North American Deck & Railing Assoc., USA
“Rob and I worked together in the global currency markets. I was always impressed with his insights on the intricacies of world issues, knowledge of history of global events and how they would impact future outlooks. He has educated countless clients and colleagues on how best to navigate complex interactions with simplistic explanations. Rob is a reliable and relatable source of encyclopedic information; I highly recommend reaching out to him.”
Neil Husain, Regional Manager at AMC-Consult Inc., Canada
