Embedded Files
what drives me
"Being present, listening, and opening up to what truly matters -
so that I can connect, inspire, and unlock potential in others and in myself."
I’m Stefan Merz, a certified systemic coach based in Pfaffenhofen.
I combine systemic coaching with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, project work, organisational change, and roles with significant responsibility, together with specialist training in neurodivergence-informed coaching.
Clarity needs a stage.
Clarity needs a stage.
As part of the Gründerpreis Ingolstadt 2025, I had the opportunity to present my coaching business. Even though I did not win an award, taking part was a valuable experience.
It helped me sharpen my coaching offer and receive external feedback on what truly matters. I was especially grateful for the feedback on the clarity, depth, and structure of my approach.
What makes my work different?
Twenty years of experience in positions of responsibility — as an officer, project manager, Agile Coach, and today as a systemic coach. I support people who shape change — calmly, with structure, empathy, and genuine partnership.
My path to becoming a systemic coach
My path to becoming a systemic coach
Throughout more than 20 years of professional experience, I have always been interested in how people and teams can unfold their potential — in ways that are authentic, effective, and sustainable.
The timeline below shows the key stages that have shaped me along the way: from my work as a technical officer, through international project leadership and agile change work, to systemic coaching and my further training as a coach for neurodivergence.
My work today is grounded in real experience in leadership, project management, and agile transformation.
Even though formal titles and certificates are no longer at the centre of my work today, I know that for some people they provide a sense of reassurance — and that is perfectly understandable.
That is why you will find an overview of my formal qualifications here. They show how continuously I invest in my own development, and how important professionalism and quality are to me in my work.
You can find further details on my LinkedIn profile.
Diplom-Informatiker (univ.) - German university degree in Computer Science
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Engineering Management
Captain, German Armed Forces, retired from active duty
Project Management Professional (PMP)
ICAgile Certified Professional - Agile Coaching
Certified Systemic Coach
Coach for Neurodivergence
1982-2002 Childhood and school years in the Black Forest
1982-2002 Childhood and school years in the Black Forest
I spent my childhood and school years in the picturesque Hochschwarzwald region around Hinterzarten, where I grew up until completing my university entrance qualification.
This time shaped me deeply and laid the foundation for many of the interests and abilities that later became important in my life and work.
2002-2014 Technical Officer and Team Lead
2002-2014 Technical Officer and Team Lead
After completing my Abitur, I studied Computer Science at the Bundeswehr University Munich.
Through my work with the German Air Force and Airbus, I gained broad professional experience as a software developer, systems engineer, project lead, and team lead.
One especially formative chapter was my two-and-a-half-year secondment to north-west England. It broadened my perspective — professionally, personally, and culturally.
2014-2018 Systems Engineer and Software Development Project Lead
2014-2018 Systems Engineer and Software Development Project Lead
After 12 years of military service, I transitioned into civilian professional life, bringing with me my experience as a systems engineer and software developer.
In my role as a project lead, I increasingly encountered systemic limitations. I realised that professional growth often begins with personal initiative — yet it can still be held back by structural barriers.
This experience became one of the reasons why I started looking for new paths beyond my comfort zone.
2018-2020 PMO (Project Management Office) for License Compliance
2018-2020 PMO (Project Management Office) for License Compliance
My time as PMO for licence compliance marked the beginning of a deep personal search for meaning.
During this phase, I reached a point of profound exhaustion and began asking myself essential questions about my professional identity and the purpose of my work.
This period of self-reflection led me to consider a professional reorientation — and to explore where I could take responsibility again in a way that felt meaningful.
2020-2022 Back to Systems Engineering — and into the role of Scrum Master
2020-2022 Back to Systems Engineering — and into the role of Scrum Master
Returning as a systems engineer and Scrum Master allowed me to contribute my skills in a new working environment.
It was there that I rediscovered some of my core strengths: working with people, building trust, and bringing empathy, structure, and commitment into collaboration.
As a Scrum Master, I entered the world of agile working — and was fascinated by its flexibility and human-centred approach.
This became an important step towards coaching, which I increasingly began to integrate into my work.
since 2022 Agile Coach
since 2022 Agile Coach
As an Agile Coach, I support teams and individuals in understanding and applying agile principles — with the aim of improving collaboration, learning, and continuous development.
In this role, I accompany both organisational and human change. I help create environments in which people can take ownership, grow, and contribute with more clarity and confidence.
This work allows me to live my values — freedom, joy, creativity, and development — in an authentic way. It also became a natural bridge to my systemic coaching, where I focus more deeply on individual dynamics, reflection, and personal growth.
since 2024 Systemic Coach
since 2024 Systemic Coach
Inspired by the work of Curse — a German rapper who later became a systemic coach — I started my own coaching training at the INeKO Institute of the University of Cologne in 2023 and completed it successfully in 2024.
In systemic coaching, I support you in recognising the inner and outer systems that shape your situation, so that you can gain more clarity about your challenges.
My role is to create a space in which you can develop your own sustainable solutions and take your next steps with more strength and confidence.
2026 Training as Coach for Neurodivergence
2026 Training as Coach for Neurodivergence
Driven by the wish to support neurodivergent people in an even more well-founded way, I completed the 18-module training programme “Coach for Neurodivergence in Counselling and Therapeutic Practice” at the Zentrum für Naturheilkunde in Munich from January to July 2026.
I deepened my knowledge of neurodivergence and neurobiology, autism, ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence, as well as perception, communication, sensory overload, self-regulation, and relationship dynamics.
This knowledge flows into my coaching whenever neurodivergence is relevant to your topic.
My aim is to offer you a supportive framework in which you can understand yourself better and develop ways of living and working that truly fit you.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse