“Currently I’m in Dubai, I quit my Ad Tech job at Apple in London October 2023 and have started a Retreat & Coaching business. I’m passionate about crafting transformative experiences that inspire wellness and personal growth. We’ve held incredible retreats in Morocco, Spain, Greece and soon to be Zanzibar in February 2025! I’m traveling a lot and adjusting to being my own boss and enjoying the freedom it gives me. “

Current Role:
Co-Founder of Yara Retreats + Empowerment & Embodiment Coach

What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
Bath University — Economics BSc

What made you apply for the Mountbatten program?
A dear friend had told me about the opportunity when we worked together at Intel for our placement year – she didn’t end up applying, instead continued on with Intel and I applied instead — and moved to NYC after our extensive Africa and South America travels together post graduation.

Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
UBS – My role was HR Assistant to Wealth Management Americas. It was such an eye opener, as I got to sit in MD and Executive level meetings as they would discuss the end of year reviews and performance of their teams. It became clear that if your manager’s manager (and sometimes even his manager) didn’t know what you did, then it didn’t matter how hard you or your team worked you could be on the chopping block — being visible was key to securing your teams’ future and a key part of a managers’ role. Bearing in mind this was not long after the Financial crisis of 2008 and so teams were already slim. Such a huge learning I would later take on with me throughout my career.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
I remember walking someone out of UBS after they had been there for 16+ years as part of a Reduction In Force program, as an intern. Not a highlight, but so memorable. This understanding of how business operates stayed with me, especially after witnessing many redundancies in AOL and Yahoo in London years later. A learning that developed into my Coaching work now, of how too many people live by other people’s expectations, a core part of why they end up feeling disconnected, low, and “stuck”.

What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
My awesome flatmate Lizzie, whom I later lived with in London for another 4 years… and our housemates in the first 6 months. We had one of the most epic house parties in our Mountbatten flat in the first 6 months, so much fun and laughs, where our living room became a sea of people. I will also always remember our great fancy dress for Halloween where we went as Kiss.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship
Trust yourself and befriend the unknown. You have everything you need right now to live the most incredible life. Everything else that you think you need, you’ll figure out along the way, just start — whatever it is. Feel the feels and move forwards anyway.

Upon reflection, what do you consider has been the biggest impact of your Mountbatten year?
The people I met there. Friends that became my housemates in London for many years, and managers that still wish me well 14 years later. It was an expansive year in many ways, like University all over again, but with more money, more fun, and meeting a tonne of new people from different walks of life, and exploring a whole new massive country.

What happened after completing the year – what did you do next?
I couldn’t think of where else in the world I could possibly move to after such a buzzing experience in NYC — so I moved to London! I landed an advertising technology job a fellow Mountbatten had told me about at Criteo, which was a French startup at the time which IPO’d during my time there. I learnt a lot in my 5 years there, even moved to Paris to their HQ to take on a Global Publisher Strategy role, before moving back to London.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
Currently I’m in Dubai, I quit my Ad Tech job at Apple in London October 2023 and have started a Retreat & Coaching business. I’m passionate about crafting transformative experiences that inspire wellness and personal growth. We’ve held incredible retreats in Morocco, Spain, Greece and soon to be Zanzibar in February 2025! I’m traveling a lot and adjusting to being my own boss and enjoying the freedom it gives me.

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)? 
I plan on expanding into Corporate Retreats next year, I’m not sure how or where but that’s all part of the exciting journey ahead. I’m also planning on creating more of a base in Dubai, since I’ve been a Nomad for the past year, with also a base on the Red Sea in Egypt, where my home is currently being built.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Perhaps that I’m also a Yoga teacher — but it was in fact my Rebirthing Breathwork training, on a tiny island in Greece in Sept 2022, that changed the trajectory of my life. From working in an Apple office, totalling 17 years in Corporate, to setting up my own business and bringing in this powerful breathwork modality as part of our Yara Retreats and also my 1:1 Coaching. I’ve loved guiding people through their own transformations, helping them feel more alive, more empowered, and seeing those changes ripple out into the world.

Is there any other information that you would like to be included?
I’m open and I’ve walked myself through many stages you’re probably finding yourself in, so if you’d like to connect to discuss an idea, or just have someone listen, please do get in touch. You can find me easily on Linked in, or instagram @bibazakaria_coach.