Frequently asked
The things people most want to know before they reach out, in one place. If yours isn't here, just ask.
General
Who do you work with?
Accomplished professionals and the teams and organizations they lead. Individuals come to us through ASCEND (career navigation), IMPACT (emerging leaders) and SUMMIT (senior executives); teams through RIDGES; and whole organizations through bespoke engagements built to order (see For Organizations).
Who will actually coach me?
You're guided by a dedicated lead coach for the whole engagement, but you don't get just one coach. Our founding partners join on the components where each goes deepest, so you get the best of the team rather than a single perspective.
Is what I share in coaching confidential?
Yes. What you say in coaching stays between you and your coaching team, consistent with the ICF Code of Ethics: your information is yours, and you decide what is shared and with whom. The rare exceptions are the ones the law requires, such as risk of harm or a court order. If your employer sponsors the engagement, see the next question.
If my employer pays, what do they see?
Themes and progress, never transcripts, session notes, or your individual assessment responses, unless you agree otherwise in writing. We set that boundary with your sponsor explicitly at the start, in a three-way conversation, so everyone knows the rules before the work begins.
How is my personal information protected?
Your information is used only to deliver your engagement, processed in the United States, and never sold or used for anyone else's marketing. Coaching materials and records are delivered securely and held in access-controlled storage, not on shared drives or open links. The full detail is in our Privacy Policy.
What happens to my records if we stop working together?
They stay private, and they stay yours. If you ask to be forgotten, we erase your records. Otherwise we retain them securely so that if you return, a promotion, a new mandate, a next move, you build on your existing record rather than starting over. Either way, your results are never repurposed or shared.
What assessments do you use?
Both our own and the industry's. We've built a suite of proprietary instruments for each program, from career-readiness profiles to leadership and team baselines, and we pair them with industry-standard psychometrics; our founders hold practitioner certifications, including the CCR3 Discovery Process Profile. Your coach selects the right instruments for your engagement, and your results stay between you and your coaching team.
How do I know if I’m ready for coaching?
Readiness matters as much as need: two people with identical development goals can have completely different trajectories. That's why we built The ANCHOR Profile, our coaching-readiness assessment, and walk through it together in your discovery call. It tells us how to coach you, and whether we're the right fit for each other.
How long does an engagement last?
It depends on the program and your goals. ASCEND runs as a structured six-phase engagement; IMPACT, SUMMIT and RIDGES are scoped to the work in front of you. We agree the shape and cadence together in the discovery call, no open-ended commitments.
What does it cost?
Pricing is scoped to the engagement, calibrated to the seniority of your goal, the complexity of the work, the timeline, the deliverables, and the depth of support between sessions. We agree on all of it, transparently, before you commit a dollar. The fastest way to a real number is a short discovery call.
Is coaching virtual or in person?
Primarily virtual, which keeps it flexible around senior schedules, with in-person sessions where they add value, particularly for team (RIDGES) and corporate engagements.
How much work is involved between sessions?
Real work. Matterhorn is a method, not a sounding board, you'll do focused work between conversations, and you'll get out of it what you put in. We're direct about that from the first call.
What makes Matterhorn different?
Every coach is certified and has actually held the seats our clients are aiming for, across global banking, private markets, academia and fintech. You get a structured method backed by proprietary and industry-standard assessments, a senior team on every engagement, and honest, direct guidance without theater.
Can I read your articles and frameworks?
A sample is free in the Library, including one complete Matterhorn Nine Box. The full collection of original and curated content is reserved for clients, and is woven into sessions as part of the Method rather than handed over as a reading list.
How do I get started?
Request a free 15-minute conversation. We'll ask where you are and where you're trying to go, and tell you honestly whether one of our programs fits, and if it doesn't, we'll say so. No pitch.
Programs
How do I know which program is right for me?
ASCEND for a deliberate career move, IMPACT for new and emerging leaders, SUMMIT for senior executives, and RIDGES for teams. Not sure where you fit? We'll help you place yourself in the first conversation.
How are the programs structured?
Each runs on the Matterhorn Method, a structured, multi-session path with assessments, real-work practice, and a plan you keep building on. Paced to your timeline.
How often do we meet, and how long is a session?
Sessions typically run about an hour, and most engagements meet every two weeks or so. We agree the cadence up front, calibrated to your schedule and the pace of the work.
Do the programs start with an assessment?
Yes. Every program opens by taking honest stock, using the proprietary instruments built for that program, so the work is aimed at your actual starting point, not a generic curriculum.
How am I matched with my coach? Can that change?
Your lead coach is matched to you after the discovery conversation, based on where you're going and where each of us goes deepest. And because the whole team is involved in every engagement, you're never locked to one perspective. If the fit isn't right, say so, we'll address it directly.
What happens when the program ends?
You leave with the deliverables and a development plan you keep working. Many clients return for supplementary sessions as new challenges arrive, a promotion, a new mandate, a next move, and returning clients build on their existing record rather than starting over.
Coaching or mentoring, which do I need?
Coaching builds your capability through a structured method; mentoring gives you access to someone who has walked your specific path and shares judgment, not just encouragement. Coaching is the heart of what we do today; we're currently developing an experience-based mentoring offering, and you can register interest on the Mentoring page. Sometimes the right answer is a blend, and the discovery conversation will help you decide.
For Organizations
How long is a typical engagement?
It's scoped to the work. Most span a quarter to a year or more, and always begin with a defined first phase so you can judge the fit before committing to the full arc.
How are cohorts structured?
Tailored to you, from a single team to multiple cohorts grouped by level. We keep groups small enough for real discussion and candor, typically six to twelve.
What diagnostics and assessments do you bring?
A full toolkit: 360 feedback, industry-standard psychometrics (our founders hold practitioner certifications, including CCR3), talent reviews, and Matterhorn's own proprietary instruments, from readiness profiles to leadership and team baselines. We select and sequence them to fit the engagement, and agree up front how results are used.
How do you measure impact?
We agree the measures up front: shifts in 360 feedback, progress against individual goals, sponsor and stakeholder input, and links to the business outcomes that prompted the work.
How is confidentiality handled?
What's said in individual coaching stays with the coachee. The organization receives themes and progress, never transcripts. We set those boundaries clearly at the outset so everyone trusts the process.
Can our information-security team review how you handle client data?
Yes, and we welcome it. Confidentiality is central to what our clients buy, and our delivery is built around it. We're glad to walk your information-security or procurement team through how materials are delivered and stored, our confidentiality boundaries, and our data practices, and we can provide a written summary for vendor reviews.
Can we sponsor an individual through a named program?
Yes, organizations regularly sponsor individuals through ASCEND, IMPACT or SUMMIT rather than commissioning a full engagement. The same confidentiality boundary applies: you receive themes and progress; the sessions belong to the coachee.
Who actually delivers the work?
Senior practitioners, the founders and our lead coaches, not junior facilitators. Delivery blends one-to-one coaching, group work and workshops, in person and virtually.
How involved is our HR / L&D team?
Closely. We co-design with your people, build on your competency model, and keep sponsors looped in through regular check-ins. It's a partnership, not a vendor hand-off.
We don't have an HR or L&D function. Can you still work with us?
Yes, happily. Many of the organizations we serve are startups and small to mid-sized companies with no L&D infrastructure at all. We bring the architecture with us: diagnostics, program design, delivery and measurement. You bring the people and the goals.
Can you support different leadership levels at once?
Yes. Our programs map to levels, emerging leaders, senior leaders, executives and teams, and can run in parallel under one coherent development architecture.
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