Krumma Jonsdottir
Management Mentor and Executive Coach,
Lecturer and Speaker in higher education,
Passionate about people and their ability to rebuild themselves
With over 25 years’ experience in the international hospitality industry, as well as in training and mentoring, Krumma excels as a leader and coach. Her work focuses on enhancing team dynamics, organisational performance, multidimensional well-being, and individual and collective growth.
Originally from Iceland and now based in Paris, she has worked extensively across Europe and the United States.
Krumma’s approach seamlessly integrates positive psychology into both her personal and professional spheres. Her innate optimism, exceptional problem-solving skills, and her core strengths—Appetite for Learning, Fairness and Energy—contribute to her effectiveness.
As a coach, Krumma tailors his approach to meet the specific needs of each client. His extensive academic knowledge, solid experience and refined tools are designed to:
- To foster self-awareness, helping people discover their purpose, goals, values and strengths, whilst empowering them to achieve fulfilment in their personal and professional lives.
- Work on one or more specific personal or professional goals that have an immediate and lasting impact.
Krumma’s client base spans a wide range of ages and professions, from postgraduate students to CEOs. She is currently involved in a major project that links higher education with organisations. The mental resilience programme ‘Thrive to Perform & Perform to Thrive’ focuses on developing emotional intelligence, resilience and psychological capital, leading to immediate improvements in well-being and performance.
From an academic perspective, Krumma has just embarked on her PhD in Leadership and Strategic Management. She also holds a Master’s degree in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, in addition to her Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management. Furthermore, she has obtained various professional certifications, including Extended DiSC, Mindfulness Instructor, PQ Positive Intelligence, Life Coaching and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Practitioner.
Krumma is recognised as a Senior Practitioner certified by the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) and has been volunteering as a global research volunteer with the EMCC since 2022.
‘Genesis: A New Adventure’
It seems to me that I am standing on the threshold of my fourth life, and that the first three were nothing more than a preparation.
1. A 360° exploration of well-being through gymnastics
It is often said that a child’s energy is boundless, and it seems I was a living example of that saying. My father took the initiative to enrol me in gymnastics classes in my hometown, Gardabaer, and he even begged the coaches to keep me there until my energy was completely spent. And so began my journey into the world of gymnastics, a journey that lasted until I was 22.
I may not have been brimming with natural talent, but it soon became clear that I was persistent and tenacious. I threw myself into every task with unyielding determination, refusing to give up until I had mastered every detail.
This journey through gymnastics gave me a unique perspective on all-round, 360-degree well-being. To excel in this field, I had to strike a balance between:
- Optimal physical condition, which requires strict discipline when it comes to diet and sleep.
- The acquisition of high-level technical skills.
- Building unshakeable mental resilience.
- Extreme concentration and careful listening to take in every instruction and avoid injury, both to myself and to others.
- Meaningful social relationships that served as a source of relaxation, mutual support and encouragement.
- Meticulous support, organised by a diverse team ranging from coaches and physiotherapists to managers, first-team players and substitutes.
Although I never won any major titles, apart from an Icelandic team championship, I often came third or fourth. That said, any moments of disappointment were outweighed by a genuine respect for those who shone brighter on that particular day, or in a specific discipline. A special sense of pride came from feeling part of a group and a team, united in the effort to achieve tangible results, whilst looking out for one another.
Even now, I can’t help but say that those years spent in the world of gymnastics were among the most rewarding of my life. The lessons I learnt there have shaped my character and my outlook on life.
As for why I decided to call it a day, that’s a story for another time ;)
2. The international hospitality industry, passion, enthusiasts and the never-ending quest...
In 1995, I arrived in France with a rucksack and rather poor phonetic French (and let’s not even mention my southern French accent...). I quickly landed my first job at Disney, then spent over 20 years working in the international hospitality industry.
This new world proved to be fascinating, full of passionate people. I was both impressed and in awe of the courage shown by most of my colleagues, managers and directors. There were plenty of anecdotes, and most of them bore witness to acts of humility, service, sacrifice, and always the value of hard work.
However, I didn’t immediately realise the scale of the situation and found myself plunged headfirst into that world. Back then, what defined that environment was the fact that nobody—and I mean nobody—took care of themselves...
Diet, sleep, stress, feeling unwell, tiredness, motivation – none of these things were ever really discussed. The well-known mantras ‘Smile, you’re on stage’ and ‘Happy Customer’ were the only things that mattered.
They say that nature always comes back with a vengeance.
When I first started out as a manager, with no guidance whatsoever, my innate determination and perseverance kicked in, enabling me to compete with those I regarded as experts in the field. The complete lack of training in the hospitality sector spurred me on to a frantic race to acquire every possible skill in hotel management.
From 1995 to 2016, I held 21 positions in various departments: reception, reservations, yield management, marketing, public relations, sales, groups and banquets, quality, training, and I’m probably forgetting some. My responsibilities ranged from individual contributions right up to the executive committee.
Throughout my career, there was only one occasion when I applied for a job, and that was for my last role as regional training manager in 2013. I was driven by a deep desire to contribute to more than just a hotel, and I was beginning to realise that perhaps I had a talent.
In 2011, I decided to formalise my skills by obtaining a university degree. It was a demanding but rewarding journey, and that’s when I really came into my own. Behind this journey and these qualifications of which I was so proud, there was a common thread: building, creating, training and coaching, uniting, influencing, optimising, supporting, then starting again (all whilst maintaining my energy).
In reality, I was intuitively and informally applying the values and discipline that had been dear to me since my days as a gymnast. Informally, because remember, in the hospitality industry, no one is supposed to be tired, either physically or mentally...
On 1 February 2013, the day of my bachelor’s thesis defence, I began my career as regional training manager for 654 hotels across Europe ;-) At last, I could come out of the closet and proclaim loud and clear: “Let’s stop fixing things and start preparing.”
3. Higher Education: A Journey into the Unknown
My time as Regional Training Manager was a chapter I cherished, during which I feel I made a modest contribution to significant change. However, I felt a calling to go further. At the same time, the idea of leaving operations was unthinkable to me; I needed to get involved, to be part of a team, and to nurture the six elements I had discovered, such as physical and mental fitness and social relationships, amongst others.
When the opportunity arose to join a higher education institution, a small part of an extraordinary project, I didn’t hesitate for long. Exhausted by the luggage and the aisles of Terminal 2A at CDG (right opposite the M&Ms shop), I gave up a dream job to find myself at an unknown school, with just 32 students.
To tell the truth, I was only just beginning to realise that I was, in fact, in the midst of a journey—an adventure whose destination remained unclear. I therefore decided to savour every stage of the journey, appreciating the ambiguous aspects just as much as the exhilarating moments.
This marked the start of seven years of extraordinary learning, surrounded by people who became friends, and even family. Together, under the leadership of our president, we built a school that stands out for its ability to prepare young people not only for a career, but also for life. It is here that I dare to break my rule of not naming companies or colleagues, as this is my own story: I am, of course, talking about Ferrières.
In 2018, we acquired another school (89, the École Supérieure du Numérique), followed by another in 2022 (ebs Paris). At every stage, my loved ones have placed their trust in me and supported me in establishing a positive educational philosophy, aimed at training future leaders by equipping them with the keys to multidimensional well-being.
Alongside this exploration of the academic world, I was able to satisfy my thirst for knowledge regarding my past experiences by undertaking a dual Master’s degree in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, a qualification I obtained in 2019. This step combined intuition and practice with solid scientific foundations.
Every part of my journey has fallen into place, and every experience has shaped the person I have become, preparing me for the next stage of my development
4. My Mission: From Positive Higher Education to Positive Organisations
The clarity of my mission finally took hold, and it now spans a spectrum from positive higher education to thriving organisations.
In strategic management training, the importance of "STAYING WITH THE PROBLEM" is emphasised. Albert Einstein said: "If I have 60 minutes to solve a problem, I devote 55 minutes to analysis and preparation, then 5 minutes to action." It is fair to say that I have not neglected the importance of staying with the problem... Like the stages before it, this one also took shape naturally.
In 2020, I founded Positive Performances with the vision of driving change in the field of leadership development. Drawing on my 25 years of varied experience across multiple roles, more than 4,000 hours of coaching to my name, 7 years in higher education, and the last 5 years of research into performance and multidimensional wellbeing, I assembled the key pieces of a puzzle. This enabled me to create a unique mental fitness programme that has an immediate impact on participants' performance and wellbeing, and consequently on the performance of organisations.
My mission is thus defined, and Positive Performances is the platform and the virtuous circle through which I will act.
I continue to support leaders as a mentor and coach, both myself and in collaboration with my coaching partners. This immersion allows me to stay connected to the reality on the ground and to develop concrete programmes.
I also continue to train leaders, both on my own and with my coaching partners.
My commitment to higher education endures, supporting young people in developing their leadership, their critical thinking (through academic research) and their project management. I will draw on my practical experience with leaders to enrich this learning process and to understand the aspirations of the generation to come.
In autumn 2023, I will publish a white paper on the Ferrières Wellbeing Project, which has been in place since 2019.
I also began a PhD in strategic management and leadership in autumn 2023. My research encompasses:
- The state of individual flourishing within the creation of the "Thriving by Positive Performances" observatory.
- The notion of a thriving workplace, through the concept of the "Thriving Workplace".
- The impact of an educational and training project focused on wellbeing, both in higher education and within organisations, through the experimental programme "Thrive to Perform & Perform to Thrive".
My commitment to writing for Forbes, Brainz and other media endures.
I continue to deliver talks and to moderate debates to raise awareness of the importance of seeing life as a garden that requires constant attention and intentional, strategic 360° care. My commitment to this mission only grows, carried by an unwavering determination and the desire to create a lasting impact.
"I never lose, either I Win or I Learn"
- Nelson Mandela -
