Her Story
About Desi
Desi Rosenfield serves as President of Lapin Consulting International, a leadership development and strategy consulting firm that provides executive coaching, organizational development, and strategic advisory services to organizations and senior leaders. She joined forces with David Lapin in South Africa during the country’s historic transition from apartheid to democracy, navigating an era of profound social, political, and economic change. In 1996, Lapin and Rosenfield immigrated to the United States and established the company’s operations in Los Angeles, California from where they continued to lead its growth and international consulting work. With a career spanning more than three decades, Rosenfield has advised banks, healthcare systems, hospitality companies, and other major organizations, working with clients across industries on five continents. As President, she leads a team of experienced professionals while remaining actively engaged with clients. Her areas of expertise include executive coaching, leadership development, organizational strategy, change management, team alignment, and building high-performing teams. She is recognized for helping leaders translate their purpose and strategic vision into results. Rosenfield’s international perspective is supported by her academic background in economics, econometrics, and finance from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she completed her postgraduate studies in 1988. She is also an experienced presenter and facilitator who has shared her insights at professional conferences, including the Framework Founders Conference. Through her work at Lapin Consulting International, Rosenfield combines strategic expertise with a deeply human-centered approach, helping leaders develop greater self-awareness, clarity, trust, and presence while creating sustainable impact within their organizations. Desi believes Lapin International's purpose to make businesses more values driven is more relevant today than ever before.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Desi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my enduring belief that if you do something worth doing, commit with everything you have to make things happen. My Purpose is to guide leaders of leaders who do not fully grasp the fullness of their potential to boldly impact their personal and professional lives. I am deeply passionate about seeing what is possible in people, often before they can see it in themselves. Drawing on intellect and intuition, I strive to lead by greatness, showing others how to use character to power their success. With dedicated discipline to drive results in the areas that move the needle. I inspire leaders to never negotiate on the future they believe they can create.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to never negotiate with yourself because you will win, and then you will talk yourself out of the things that could really make the difference to your success. I believe that true success requires a belief in who you are and what you can achieve. I also believe that failure is preparation for tomorrow.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to find your passion and your purpose. It is not possible to do everything - when you truly know your North Star, you will find a way to accomplish success. I would also recommend throwing out the idea of work-life balance. The truth is it doesn't exist, and we spend so much of our lives striving for something unattainable. If you want real accomplishment, find a way to achieve work-life fit where your work's purpose is central to living a more fulfilled life.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The world is becoming more commoditized and with AI, this is happening at lightening speed. It is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate oneself in a world where machines are becoming smarter than humans. As an executive coach, strategist, presenter, and facilitator, I see significant opportunities in helping leaders discover who they are and with this new found self awareness, to live their potential.
Many leaders think there is a blueprint out there for success and if they follow it, they will get results. The Lapin approach is about discovering a leaders authentic self which is a composite of a person's culture, background and experiences. When they learn to tap into their own story and not imitate others, they are able to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and presence.
In today’s evolving professional landscape, leaders are increasingly challenged to drive change while maintaining strong relationships, effective communication, and team alignment. I am passionate about helping organizations and individuals turn these challenges into opportunities for growth, stronger leadership, and lasting impact.
At the heart of our work is a simple belief: Humans make businesses. We make businesses human.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
At Lapin, we have a signature tool called the Leadership Fingerprint. It is a mapping of a leader's core value-drivers that underpin the most important life decisions. The Values are not presented as a disconnected list but a connected philosophy which governs the way I live my life.
My Leadership Fingerprint begins with the value of Truth, which inspires Trust, laying the foundation for creativity, which fuels my Tenacity, facilitating Big Impact and enabling Generosity.
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