Carl Tishler

Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Carl.

I’m the founder of HPNA Academy, where I help ambitious, high-performing professionals lead themselves with the same clarity and discipline they bring to their work. I’ve spent 30+ years in demanding executive roles - across investment banking, private equity, deeptech, and scaleups - serving as CFO, COO, Chief People Officer, and Non-Executive Director.

I’ve always been drawn to people and service. Over time, I reshaped my career to align with that. Along the way, I learned that sustainable high performance isn’t about intensity - it’s about structure, habit, and community. That insight, combined with navigating burnout and embracing neurodiversity, led me to develop the “CEO of Self” framework: a practical, repeatable system for managing energy, decision-making, and direction.

I now work with senior professionals - typically with 10+ years in high-performance roles - who are critical to their businesses but are running unsustainably.

They’re driven, low-ego, high-empathy people. But many are operating like “a car with an accelerator and no brakes.”

Common challenges include:
Passive career management - feeling carried by momentum rather than direction.

Difficulty detaching from work or taking true breaks

Self-worth tied too tightly to professional identity.

Underdeveloped habits for self-care and emotional resilience.

Operating at reduced capacity (“operative burnout”) - very costly, for them and their teams.

Our work builds a structure around how they lead themselves. Clients develop a lifelong weekly practice of personal board meetings. They learn to view challenges systemically, not episodically. They start making professional-grade decisions that include themselves in the equation.

Clients have said:

“Some of the most helpful conversations of my career.”

“Carl has a true and honest passion for helping people identify their talents and think critically about how to apply them across a spectrum of opportunities.”

“Carl listens. I’d come in with my thoughts all over the place - past, present, personal, professional - and he’d find the thread. That thread offered direction, confidence and clarity.”

Expect tangible, grounded results:

Perspective on how to navigate long-term, not just survive week-to-week;

A systemic framework for executive self-management;

Tools to counteract negative self-talk through compassion - not just willpower;

Simple, repeatable actions that shift the dial over time.

I act as a sounding board, challenge partner, and accountability ally - like a non-executive director, but for your whole life.

I’m also an ICF-accredited coach and guest lecturer at Cambridge Judge Business School’s CHRO Executive Education Program.

Originally from Boston, I now live in London and work globally with clients across four continents.

If you’re scaling, shifting, or simply ready to lead with more clarity - I’d love to connect.