Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisabeth Constantin.
Hi Elisabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m Elisabeth Constantin, owner of ABREO Executive Services — a boutique firm that supports large private and Fortune-ranked companies when C-suite and senior leaders are asked to transition out. Boards and C-suites engage us to manage executive off-boarding and help departing leaders prepare for the executive search process within the hidden job market — and for the next chapter in their careers.
Supporting executive transitions for some of the world’s most high-profile companies wasn’t something I ever planned. I’m originally from Germany, with a background in marketing, and came to the U.S. 13 years ago with a suitcase, my diplomas, and little more than a few dollars to my name. By chance, my career pivoted into global Human Resources, where I saw firsthand how little support many senior leaders receive when their corporate chapters close. Watching accomplished executives exit without guidance or structure felt both unfortunate and undignified, given how much they had contributed to their organizations.
I figured that if I could build a career — and a life — from scratch in a new country, I could also build a firm that redefines what concierge executive off-boarding should look like. That’s how ABREO was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After four years in business, I’m fortunate to say the road has been fairly smooth — though it hasn’t always been easy. Successful businesses don’t build themselves. Behind every strong brand is an entrepreneur with both vision and relentlessness.
ABREO’s progression from a private client practice to a concierge-level corporate off-boarding firm was a natural evolution, but the work never simply falls into your lap. Trust is everything in this space. Executive exits are incredibly sensitive, and building credibility with boards, CEOs, and CHROs takes time.
My biggest early hurdle was age. I left corporate HR in my late thirties — not young by founder standards, but junior compared to the senior executives we serve. Still, I never doubted the quality of what I was building. As we say in Germany, Am Ende gewinnt die Qualität — “In the end, quality always wins.” Thankfully, I’ve found that to be true.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about ABREO Executive Services?
Today, most of our work comes through corporate contracts initiated by C-suite and board mandate from Fortune-ranked companies — but that’s not how ABREO began. What many don’t know is that ABREO has deep roots in the pro-bono space, which I’m incredibly proud of. When I first came to the U.S. with very little, leaders in corporate America gave me opportunities. As my career grew, I paid that forward by writing résumés for others — a practice that became my informal training ground long before ABREO officially launched as a résumé-writing service during the pandemic.
We soon found our niche supporting senior executives who had invested in programs at Harvard, Wharton, or Stanford, often preparing for the C-suite. As those private clients landed new roles, they began bringing us into their organizations to manage top-level exits. That’s how ABREO evolved from a one-to-one practice into a concierge-level corporate off-boarding partner.
Today, we work with CHROs and General Counsel who value providing departing leaders with a high-touch exit experience — one that shortens the search process and genuinely says, “Thank you for your service — we mean it.”
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me are our clients — the leaders we support through challenging transitions and the corporations we’re proud to serve. Executive exits are never easy, and it’s important that we provide support that’s bespoke, dignified, and truly above market standard. I want people to succeed, especially after a setback. If a client can later say, “I’m still not happy my role ended — but I’m grateful for the quality support I received to find my next opportunity,” then we’ve done our job.
When that happens, everyone quietly wins — the departing leader, and the organization that protected its employer brand. We’re not a loud business; we operate discretely behind the scenes, and those quiet wins are what I find most rewarding — both professionally and personally.
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