About the SMART Leadership Institute

SMART means Strategic, Measurable, Adaptive, Resilient, and Transformational – and that’s how we work.

Our Story & Mission

The SMART Leadership Institute was founded in 2020 by Kerstin Plehwe and Kerstin Pramberger with one clear mission:
To strengthen leadership by making mental fitness a core element of every development journey – whether in training, coaching, or organizational transformation.

We believe that mindset is a game changer — it’s the foundation of performance. That’s why every SMART format is designed to build inner clarity, emotional resilience, and mental strength.

After five years of dynamic growth and international expansion, the SMART Leadership Institute moved its headquarters to the center of Europe in Frankfurt. Today, the SMART Leadership Institute is led by Kerstin Pramberger, while Kerstin Plehwe serves as senior advisor.

While many offer standard leadership development, we go deeper:

We combine cutting-edge coaching, business psychology, and neuroscience-based tools with a structured focus on personal excellence — so that leaders and their teams don't just perform, they deliver excellence under pressure.

Our belief is simple and bold:

Strong minds. Strong leaders. Strong results.

Who we are

Meet the experts shaping the SMART Leadership Institute.

Kerstin Pramberger

CEO & Founder

With 20+ years in executive roles in the financial industry, Kerstin brings real-world leadership experience, performance coaching, and mental fitness expertise to the institute. She leads with clarity, strategic focus, and a commitment to sustainable excellence.

Strategic Advisory Board

Our Strategic Advisory Board brings together experienced leaders, academics, and high-performance experts. They challenge our thinking, contribute cutting-edge insights, and ensure our content remains relevant, rigorous, and future-oriented.