Lead With Courage. Grow With Clarity.
Hello! I'm Isilay, an executive leadership and personal growth coach. I work with leaders and executives ready to close the gap between where they are and where they actually want to be.
I believe that meaningful change happens when courage meets determination. My passion is helping people see that their dreams become real the moment they actively pursue them.
Before coaching, I spent years in the finance sector — and before that, as a Registered Nurse in Istanbul, Turkey. That multidisciplinary path gives me a genuine edge: the ability to see your situation from angles most coaches simply haven't lived.
Based in New York, I work with clients who are ready to stop waiting and start moving.
My story
I started my career as a nurse practitioner in the Intensive Coronary Unit at The American Hospital in Turkey. My tryst with the US began when an American patient needed help flying home, and I was one of the few nurses on staff who spoke even a little English.
After two weeks in the US, my heart already knew: this was where I wanted to study finance. It was a place full of opportunity for a girl like me — full of dreams, with nowhere yet to put them.
The real challenge was convincing my parents. Shifting my major from nursing to finance was a huge step, and my nurse and doctor friends warned I was setting myself up to fail. I told them that even if I did, I'd at least come home speaking better English.
I also wanted to move somewhere I knew no one, barely spoke the language, and had little money — with my parents' blessing, not without it. It took two years to persuade them of the opportunity New York would open up for me.
Once I arrived, there was no turning back. I fell in love with the city, its people, its spirit — and went on to hold high-level managerial roles at Standard & Poor's Index and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, working with international companies across more than 100 stock markets. That Wall Street experience gives me a unique position to understand the challenges — and spot the opportunities — facing today's business leaders.
Find your Service
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For leaders ready to move up without burning out. 1:1 coaching to sharpen decision-making, presence.
45 min
Price Upon Request - Read More
For founders ready to build boldly, backed by a Wall Street-trained eye on strategy and mindset.
45 min
Price Upon Request - Read More
For students figuring out what's next — and how to get there with confidence.
45 min
Price Upon Request
Hear From the People I've Coached
ANDREW M.
Internal Investigations Manager, PayPal (2025)
"When I went into the initial coaching sessions, I was sceptical, not sure if coaching would help me. After the sessions with Isilay, however, I can say that I am now converted to the entire process; it wasn't so much Isilay giving me advice or telling me what to do to overcome my challenges ... but rather it was Isilay helping me unlock the answers I had inside myself all along. I strongly recommend Isilay as a professional coach; her energy, enthusiasm, and good nature made the sessions engaging and left me feeling more confident as a new leader."
ROMAN YAKYMECHKO, PMP
Software Engineering Manager, ServiceNow (2025)
"Isilay brings a rare combination of deep compassion, professionalism, and insight. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice, Isilay guided me to see challenges from new angles and helped me arrive at the right conclusions on my own. Her approach empowered me to develop solutions that were authentic and sustainable."
MAGGIE WARDELL
SVP, Global Talent, Bank of America (2024)
"Isilay asks thoughtful, yet challenging, questions that require internal exploration while creating a supportive, safe environment. I cannot recommend working with Isilay more highly - whether you are exploring a career/life transition, looking to grow as an individual or leader, or simply seeking guidance and advice."
Kerry Nelson, M.A. MPP NCC
Inaugural ASAP Director at Nassau Community College (2018)
"Isilay Cabuk has been a long-time mentor within Baruch College’s Executives on Campus Mentoring Program. During the Spring of 2018, she enthusiastically served as one of our esteemed featured speakers within our Job$mart speaker series... Our graduate and undergraduate students alike were very inspired by Isilay’s bold approach via sharing her moving story on how she created a value-driven career and courageously launched her dream job. In fact, students then inquired as to whether they could be matched with Isilay individually for mentoring"
PAUL LYONS
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy (2018)
"If you are looking for an executive coach and mentor who is in it for you, Isilay is it! Divine providence and the American Corporate Partners program brought Isilay and I together during my transition from a 30 year career in the military to the private sector... Bottom line, she is multidimensional in experience, approach, vision, and perspective. Across the board, her constructive support, positive demeanor and outlook, and steadfast professionalism are impeccable - and PERFECT for the role of executive coach and corporate mentor."
Certifications
Named Coach of the Year 2025 by GloCoach
PCC: Professional Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation
Certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBENC)
