Maria van Hekken

Location: United States

Maria van Hekken is a seasoned leadership coach with over 20 years of experience advising senior leaders across corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions. Known for her distinctive “yes to yes” approach, Maria helps executives and teams unlock higher performance by inspiring a positive vision, encouraging meaningful action, and fostering lasting results. Her coaching style blends clarity and compassion, empowering clients to navigate leadership challenges with greater confidence and presence. She is especially effective with leaders in technical industries such as energy, science, technology, and pharmaceuticals.

Maria has successfully coached C-suite executives, senior VPs, and emerging leaders in both public and private sectors. Her specialties include communication, emotional intelligence, managing up, leadership presence, and relationship-building. Maria holds a BA in Environmental Biology, a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership Coaching, and certifications including Leadership Circle, MBTI, and MAP. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the ICF. Her clients include GSK, Pfizer, Merck, the U.S. Department of Defense, and universities such as Georgetown and Wharton.

Notable Engagements

• CEO, Biotech – Focused on executive presence, team performance & communication

• Chief Ethics Officer, Pharma – Enhanced influence & handled difficult situations

• VP Academic Affairs, University – Developed mindfulness, managed emotions & built executive presence

• Group VP, Pharma (Quality Assurance) – Strengthened political savvy & tailored communication strategies

• Senior VP & Managing Partner, Energy – Elevated emotional intelligence & improved team performance

Client List

Maria has partnered with a wide range of clients across corporate, government, and academic sectors. Her corporate clients include Allergan, Allstate Insurance, American Water, APPI Energy, Capital One, Covanta Energy, Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, Merck, Pfizer, PGE, SCA, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Siemens, Sodexo, Teva, Toll Brothers, United Drug, Whitford Worldwide, and Xerox. Within the U.S. federal government, she has worked with agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers, CDC, Department of Defense, DOJ, IRS, National Park Service, NIH, NSA, U.S. Air Force, USAID, U.S. Navy, Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has also supported academic institutions including Georgetown University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.