Eric Abensur - Executive Coach and Mentor for Founders & CEOs

Leadership in complexity requires more than experience.

I help founders and senior leaders build clarity, alignment, and shared accountability in environments where uncertainty, speed, and interdependence make traditional leadership ineffective.

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ABOUT ERIC ABENSUR

Former CEO and entrepreneur, I now work exclusively as an executive coach and mentor to leaders and founders operating in complex and high-growth environments.

  • Former CEO, Freeserve / Wanadoo

  • Founder and executive leader, Sidekick

  • Speaker and mentor across European and US leadership ecosystems

MORE ABOUT ME

WHY LEADERSHIP BREAKS DOWN IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS

Growth, uncertainty and multiple stakeholders have transformed leadership into a continuous sense-making challenge. Most leadership tools were designed for stable and predictable contexts. In complex systems, control does not create clarity, structure does not create alignment and execution alone does not create performance. Leadership today requires a different operating logic.

CLEAR – LEADERSHIP IN A COMPLEX WORLD

CLEAR is my operating model for how leaders create clarity, alignment and performance in complex systems. It enables leaders to make high-quality decisions without complete information, to align teams without relying on authority, and to create accountability without reverting to control. CLEAR helps leaders stay effective when certainty is unavailable, tensions are high and outcomes emerge through interaction rather than planning.

Core capabilities

  • Clarity instead of control

  • Listening instead of assumptions

  • Experimentation instead of rigid plans

  • Accountability for all instead of hierarchy

  • Resilience instead of burnout

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ELM – ENTREPRENEURS LEADERSHIP MASTERMIND

ELM is a leadership mentorship program for founders and early-stage leaders who want to strengthen execution, accountability and leadership alignment in complex and fast-moving environments.

  • Peer learning grounded in real founder situations

  • Leadership experimentation between sessions

  • Direct impact on decisions, co-founder dynamics and team performance

ELM is where CLEAR is practiced, not taught.

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WRITING

I publish regularly on leadership, decision-making and performance in complex environments, with a focus on founders and executive teams.

READ MY LATEST POSTS

  • “I’ve known Eric for close to a decade. His coaching has not only made me a better leader, it has helped me build high‑performing teams that stay aligned, engaged, and functional in any situation. His simple frameworks are extremely powerful for decentralized, remote teams in fast‑moving environments, and his experience as a tech CEO pre‑ and post‑internet bubble makes him highly relevant in the unpredictable era of Web3.”

    —Marieke Flament

    2x CEO | FTSE250 NED | Advisor & Investor | Co-author Currency of Power | Crypto • AI • Energy

  • “I felt privileged to be able to work with Eric, a former CEO and high caliber influencer himself, on projecting leadership around the board table. In just a few sessions, he helped me enhance my voice and decuple my effectiveness, exposing issues that were holding me back along the way. The exhilaration of a new mindset still hasn't dissipated! I cannot recommend Eric enough to anyone who is serious about performing their fiduciary duty.”

    —Aude Thibaut

    Solvay Non Executive Director, Entrepreneur, and Investor

  • "With his incredible international experience and across different industries, Eric has provided powerful advice and support in some strategic decisions I had to make. Highly skilled listener and using the latest technics of coaching, he makes each session effective, goal oriented. I always look forward to having my meeting with Eric."

    —Christophe Riandee

    Vice-CEO, Gaumont

  • "Over many years, Eric has been a trusted partner in my work as an executive leader. He has helped me think about ownership, accountability, and team dynamics in ways that have helped me build focused, high-performing leadership teams that set the bar high and deliver in demanding environments."

    —Neil Abraham

    President, Realty Income International

  • "Working with Eric has been instrumental in scaling our company. He brings a rare mix of strategic depth and very practical support on how a leadership team decides, disagrees, and delivers. His guidance has helped us stay fast and inventive while building a truly high-performing organization in a complex med-tech environment."

    —Jean-Pierre Hubschman

    Eye Surgeon / Innovator / Entrepreneur / CEO and Co-Founder Horizon Surgical Systems

WHO I WORK WITH

I work with founders, CEOs and leadership teams facing fast growth, strategic uncertainty, investor pressure and increasing organisational complexity.

Typical situations

  • Scaling leadership teams and first layers of management

  • Navigating co-founder and executive alignment under pressure

  • Leading performance and accountability conversations

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