Cynthia Guven

I am a former Senior Foreign Service Officer with the Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA, who retired on September 30, 2025. I worked as a diplomat for nearly 30 years, the last ten of which were in high-level senior leadership roles. As a Senior Foreign Service Officer, I led the Foreign Service for two years, headed up the ag team at the U.S. Embassy in London, England, and served as Deputy at the FAS offices in Brussels, Belgium, at the US Mission to the EU, the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, and the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, with regional responsibilities in all positions. I worked very closely with the U.S. interagency (USTR, Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense) overseas and at headquarters throughout my career to further the mission of expanding market access for U.S. agricultural exports. I cultivated close contacts with the U.S. agricultural industry as I represented their interests abroad. I also developed and nurtured international government and industry contacts throughout my career as I supported and promoted U.S. international trade policy. I have also served as the Chair of multiple Boards, including the USDA-HACU Board, the USDA FSO Promotion Boards, Embassy Interagency Housing Boards, etc. I am a native Spanish speaker and am also fluent in French. I have learned Turkish and Egyptian Arabic throughout my career and I thrive in cross-cultural settings.

I am an ICF-ACC certified executive, leadership, and career coach, emotional intelligence practitioner, motivator, confidence-builder, and solution provider. As a coach at Global Cynergy Coaching (www.globalcynergycoaching.com), I use my lived leadership experience and coaching expertise to help mid-career and executive federal government leaders navigate their leadership progression and/or transition to other roles aligned with their values. Using a combination of goal-oriented, growth mindset, and client-centered approaches, I help my clients find clarity, lead with confidence, and move towards a more meaningful and fulfilling career and purposeful life.. I believe that clients determine the goal and direction of each session. Using a non-judgmental, caring style, I start with an understanding of my client’s values and life priorities, and listen actively to their objectives and challenges. The coaching relationship is a partnership based on honesty and openness and an authentic approach to learning and discovering ways to overcome current challenges and explore new opportunities. I gently encourage clients to step out of their usual way of doing things and to take small risks towards their goals. Everyone’s goals are unique, and can often be broken down into smaller, more attainable, less daunting goals.