Amy Mbagwu-Bagolini | Executive Coach & Strategic Advisor

Media & Tech Executive · Columbia University CCPEC · NBI® Administrator

Not a motivator.
A thinking partner
who's been there.

At Gist Advisory, I provide executive coaching and strategic advisory for executives, leaders and founders navigating growth, transition, and what comes next.

Work With Me

For leaders who are done asking for permission and ready to move with precision.

I spent over two decades building at the intersection of media, technology, and commercial strategy — including scaling one of Amazon's advertising sales division's highest-growth businesses. That experience is what I bring into the coaching room.

My clients are SVPs, EVPs, and C-suite leaders who are exceptional at what they do and ready to go further. My approach is grounded in neuroscience and evidence-based methodologies from Columbia University's Coaching Center of Excellence and NBI® diagnostics — so we work from data, not just intuition.

ABOUT ME

Coach. Partner. Champion.

Hi, I'm Amy Mbagwu-Bagolini.

As a Columbia Credentialed Professional Executive Coach (CCPEC), the highest level of achievement offered by Columbia University's Coaching Center of Excellence, a graduate-level joint program of Teachers College, Columbia University, and Columbia Business School. I apply an evidence-based, neuroscience-informed approach to support authentic, high-impact leadership.

I help executives, leaders, and founders operate with more clarity, more confidence, and a strategy that holds. I help you see the potential within you, and guide you in accessing and applying it.

I work with driven individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds who are ready to create real, lasting change in how they lead and how they work.

I bring more than 20 years of experience leading growth and transformation in tech and media, including as a senior business leader at Amazon. That operating experience is what I bring into the coaching room. I've sat in the seats my clients are in or trying to get into. I know what it takes to build from zero, lead through ambiguity, and make high-stakes decisions under pressure.

The result is coaching that is rigorous, practical, and grounded in how leaders actually think and work.

Learn More

Why Work With Me

CREDENTIALS

I am a Columbia Credentialed Professional Executive Coach (CCPEC) — the highest level of achievement offered by Columbia's Coaching Center of Excellence, a joint program of Teachers College and Columbia Business School. My approach is evidence-based, neuroscience-informed, and built for leaders who want results, not just reflection.

EXPERIENCE

Twenty years leading growth and transformation in tech and media gives me a perspective most coaches don't have. I've scaled businesses, managed investors and boards, navigated organizational complexity, and made the calls that keep you up at night. I bring all of that into the coaching room.

PARTNERSHIP

I work with you as a thought partner, sounding board, and champion — helping you get clear on what you want, challenge the assumptions holding you back, and move with the kind of confidence that holds under pressure.

You already have what it takes. What moves you forward is clarity, strategy, and the right thought partner in your corner.

Who I Work With

Leadership is not one-size-fits-all. If you see yourself here, you're in the right place.

Future CEO

Aspiring C-suite and board-level leaders building the presence.

Visionary Founder

Entrepreneurs scaling their businesses and teams.

Authentic Voice

Leaders seeking recognition, advancement, and influence without compromise.

Rising Executive

Leaders preparing for promotions or new leadership mandates.

Dual-Culture Leaders

First- and second-generation immigrants or expats shaping their leadership while navigating complex cultural dynamics.

Executive in Transition

Senior leaders navigating a career pivot, a new role, or a significant inflection point.