Dr. Thomas Knoop – Business Coach and Executive Coach Berlin

Since 1997 I have been co-founder of Lichtvision, an owner-led lighting design office with six international locations. The leadership experience that grew out of this entrepreneurial work is the foundation of my coaching practice. I trained at Coaching Akademie Berlin and am certified by the European Coaching Association (ECA) and as a CoachHub Expert Coach. My focus is psychological depth and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

About me

Dr. Thomas Knoop, entrepreneur, coach and lecturer, co-founder of Lichtvision (since 1997), Business and Executive Coach based in Berlin. Over 25 years of leadership experience in an internationally active planning office with six locations. Coaching training at Coaching Akademie Berlin, certified by the European Coaching Association (ECA) and CoachHub. Focus areas: systemic coaching, IFS (Internal Family Systems) and depth-psychology informed leadership work. Author of the book „Peter mag keinen Frosch zum Frühstück“. Lecturer at ISM (Project Management and New Work) and Hochschule Bremen, with dedicated pages on coaching expertise and on trainer and lecturer work.

Coaching focus

C-level coaching: sparring at eye level for board members, managing directors and division heads. Topics include strategic decisions, role clarity, the use of power and responsibility, and inner posture in phases of high pressure.

HR coaching: support for HR leaders and people developers who shape leadership in their organisations. Themes include talent and succession planning, conflict resolution, culture development and the double role of consulting while remaining loyal to the company.

Founder coaching: for founders and entrepreneurs building or scaling their company. Focus on prioritisation, co-founder dynamics, scaling questions and personal responsibility beyond operational work.

Emerging leaders: support for people stepping into a leadership role for the first time. Themes include role identity, working with former peers, building authority without harshness and the move from doer to enabler.

Recent insights

Pattern series

A series of compact observations from coaching practice. Each piece condenses a recurring pattern into five to seven points, grounded in psychology, leadership theory and systemic work.

Frequent questions

What leadership experience does Thomas Knoop have?

Since 1997 co-founder and managing director of Lichtvision, an owner-led lighting design office with six international locations and corporate clients worldwide. This entrepreneurial responsibility is the basis of my coaching work.

Who is the coaching for?

For board members, managing directors, division heads and HR leaders in mid-size and large companies, and for founders in scaling phases.

Which methods does Thomas Knoop use?

Systemic coaching from Coaching Akademie Berlin, Internal Family Systems (IFS), depth-psychology informed leadership work. The emphasis is on psychological depth rather than purely solution-focused techniques.

Where does the coaching take place?

In Berlin in person or online via video. International clients are accompanied in German and English.

Contact

Email: coaching@thomasknoop.com
Location: Berlin, Germany

Coaching expertise

Sound coaching practice, grown from experience.

More than 1,000 coaching sessions with 100+ clients, around 800 of them as a CoachHub Expert Coach rated 4.79/5: that density yields something no certificate can, namely pattern recognition for when a model helps and when a plain question is enough. ECA-certified, in Berlin and online, in German and English.

Pattern recognition over a catalogue of methods

From this density of sessions emerges something no certificate can deliver: pattern recognition. I see which topics keep coming back at C-level, where founders differ from corporate executives, and when a model helps and when a plain question is enough.

Around 800 of these sessions were delivered as a CoachHub Expert Coach, rated 4.79 out of 5.0. CoachHub is the global market leader in digital enterprise coaching (clients include DAX and Fortune 500); only the top 5% of applicants pass its multi-stage vetting and reach this pool. The remaining hours come from direct coaching engagements, workshops and work with leadership teams.

Coaching training, ECA membership and IFS programme

I completed my coaching training at Coaching Akademie Berlin: first as a Systemic Business & Personal Coach, then as Expert Level Coach. Both stages include live coaching with supervision. In my insight Why I did my coaching training twice I describe why I deliberately took this path twice.

I am a member of the European Coaching Association (ECA), one of the most established coaching associations in the German-speaking region. ECA requires verifiable training, regular supervision and a clear ethical code. My profile is listed in the official ECA directory.

In addition: Train-the-Trainer training and an IFS (Internal Family Systems) programme with Regina Wagener at the IFS Institute Munich, from June 2026.

Executive Coach for Germany – online & on-site

I coach either online via video call or in person at my coaching rooms in Berlin. Both formats are equally valid. Online I work with clients across Europe and beyond. On-site we use a quiet, clearly designed room that allows focus and confidentiality.

Dr. Thomas Knoop's coaching room in central Berlin

Dr. Thomas Knoop's coaching room in Berlin – detail view

Looking for a coach with verifiable depth – not just an impressive CV?

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