Sydney coach Nicole Schmitz wins two Silver Stevie Awards

Sydney leadership coach and entrepreneur Nicole Schmitz has won two Silver Stevie Awards at the International Business Awards for Best Female Entrepreneur and Mentor of the Year.

She received the honours in a competition that drew more than 3,400 entries from 82 nations and territories, giving her back-to-back recognition in the female entrepreneur category after a previous win in 2025.

Her business, Nicole Schmitz Leadership Coaching, works with technical professionals in more than 10 countries. The practice helps clients turn subject expertise into leadership influence across technology, finance, government and start-ups.

Judges pointed to measurable client outcomes in recognising Schmitz's work. Award feedback described her as having "built a business from the ground up, supported by measurable client outcomes", while other judges said her move towards an AI-based leadership development platform showed "forward-thinking ambition" and called her "one to watch".

The mentoring award also reflected her focus on career development. Judges said Schmitz demonstrated "exceptional mentoring through measurable career transformation, executive leadership development, and lasting organizational impact".

Business growth

Founded during the Covid-19 period, the business has grown from a coaching practice into a broader leadership development company. Schmitz says her work draws on psychology, leadership science and practical strategy through a framework she calls Leadership X-Factor.

Clients range from emerging leaders to senior executives. The business also works with women in male-dominated industries, culturally diverse professionals and neurodivergent professionals, addressing issues including self-doubt, impostor syndrome and barriers to career progression.

A central part of its current direction is an AI-based Leadership X-Factor platform. Schmitz is developing the product around personalised, gamified learning journeys tailored to different career stages and leadership challenges rather than a single standard pathway.

That work comes as businesses reassess which skills hold value as AI tools become more common in knowledge work. Schmitz argues that leadership judgement, communication and influence will become more important as routine expertise becomes easier to access.

"Being recognised in both categories is incredibly meaningful because together they reflect the purpose that drives me," said Nicole Schmitz, Founder, Nicole Schmitz Leadership Coaching.

"At my core, I want to help as many people as possible see their value and create their own impact, while continually finding innovative ways to make that possible," Schmitz said.

AI and leadership

Schmitz's approach is tied to a broader debate over how AI is reshaping work. She cited findings from PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, which found that new tasks in AI-exposed roles are 2.5 times more likely to rely on human skills such as judgement and creativity, while the most AI-exposed junior roles are seven times more likely to require traditionally senior skills such as leadership.

Those changes are relevant to her client base, many of whom work in technical or specialist fields where professional standing has often depended heavily on domain expertise. Her business is built on the proposition that expertise alone is no longer enough for people seeking influence, promotion or broader organisational impact.

"For me, being a female entrepreneur is about combining empathy with strategy - finding new ways to grow without losing sight of the human impact," Schmitz said.

She linked that view to the way she sees AI changing labour markets.

"AI is changing what expertise is worth and how people demonstrate value," Schmitz said.

"As knowledge and routine expertise become easier to access, the premium shifts to distinctly human judgement, influence and nuance, particularly when leaders are navigating complex problems and change," she said.

The awards add to a growing list of recognition for Schmitz and her business. Previous honours include a 2024 Silver International Business Award in the Company of the Year business services category, a New South Wales state finalist placing in the Telstra Best of Business Awards for Accelerating Women, and an Australian Small Business Champion Award.

Schmitz framed the company's next stage as a question of how people and technology work together rather than a contest between them.

"I don't believe the future is human versus AI," she said.

"The opportunity is understanding where technology creates leverage and where human judgement, communication and connection create value. Leaders will increasingly differentiate themselves through how they think, speak and connect with others," Schmitz said.