Magda Pavlak-Chiaradia is an executive, writer, and longtime advocate for the messy, nonlinear path of building a career. She began her professional life with a degree in geology before reinventing herself across industries, countries, and roles - working in environmental and sustainability consulting, serving as a global executive, and leading large international sales organizations before becoming the Chief Revenue Officer of a tech start-up.
Her career has taken her from Massachusetts to Arizona in the United States, and across France, Poland, Ireland, Portugal, Australia, and beyond. Living and working on multiple continents has given her a front-row seat to how people grow, adapt, and rebuild their professional identities in a world that rarely unfolds according to plan. Along the way, she launched a résumé-writing service, co-founded a non-profit connecting students with executives, and co-created leadership programs that paired emerging talent in Poland with mentors from U.S.-based companies. She has also served as a mentor to young professionals for more than a decade.
Driven by the belief that no one should have to navigate the first ten years of their career alone, Magda has spent years helping others find clarity, confidence, and their own way forward. Her writing blends practical guidance with honest storytelling, offering readers a refreshing and relatable perspective on reinvention at any age.
This Wasn’t the Plan (And That’s the Point) is her debut book - an unpolished, heartfelt, and deeply human guide for anyone carving out a career, rebuilding one, or learning to trust that the unexpected path may be the one they needed all along.
She currently divides her time between Poland and wherever the next chapter takes her.