Carole Miltgen, founder and CEO of financial communications firm Prisma, reflects on 20 years of entrepreneurship shaped by instinct, resilience, and a deeply personal vision of leadership.
The story of Carole Miltgen is the kind of story we’re drawn to—one that resonates not just with women, but with anyone who values ambition grounded in authenticity. It’s a story shaped by intuition, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose that reminds us why we read profiles like these: to find inspiration, to recognise parts of ourselves, and to witness the journey of someone who defied the expected path.
As a child growing up in Neudorf, a neighbourhood in Luxembourg City, Miltgen quietly planted the seed for a journey that would blend personal ambition with professional drive. Her early aspirations weren’t shaped by balance sheets or business models, but by a moment of fascination: a handbag seen on TV, worn by Grace Kelly.
“I didn’t know the name of the bag, nor what it was worth, but I said to my family, one day I want a bag like that!” she recalls. “When I was finally able to buy one with my own money, after my business was doing well, I cried. It meant to me that I had reached an important point in my professional life, and that I could achieve anything.”
Today, her company Prisma, a Luxembourg-based firm specialising in investor communication and financial document production, celebrates its 20th anniversary. It’s a milestone Miltgen sees not just as longevity, but as confirmation that her instincts and independence have served her well.
As a leader, she prioritises appreciation and respectful collaboration. Colleagues’ birthdays are celebrated, everyone is encouraged to leave by 6pm, and the week ends with “Friday bubbles”. “Be tough with the facts and kind to the person—that’s my credo. We work hard, but we treat each other well,” says Miltgen. The fact that many team members have been with Prisma for ten years is a testament to her approach.
“Be tough with the facts and kind to the person—that’s my credo. We work hard, but we treat each other well”
Her path leading up to her early thirties, when she founded Prisma, was anything but linear. At 18, she moved out of her parents’ home without a clear career direction. Over the years she’d flirted with the idea of becoming a manager like her cousin in the red convertible—or studying psychology, a field friends encouraged because of her empathetic nature. But fate took her elsewhere.
After a period of travel and jobs abroad, she returned to Luxembourg and began working at a print company in Beggen that served the financial sector. She stayed there for six years and found not only a profession but also a boss who became a mentor.
“The director became a kind of father figure to me. He supported me from the start and introduced me to the market,” she says. “I believe everything happens for a reason. Working there gave me the foundation to build my company—without me having planned this.”
“When you hit the ground, there’s not much else that can go wrong, so I thought, ‘Hell, why not!’”
When she was in her early thirties and working at an American company in the financial sector—her father passed away the same week she finalised her divorce. That’s when Miltgen chose to start over. “When you hit the ground, there’s not much else that can go wrong, so I thought, ‘Hell, why not!’”
“The idea of starting off financially alone scared me. I didn’t have a business plan—probably a bit naive—but I was open and trusted myself, as I always trust my gut feeling,” she admits.
Never Too Proud To Pitch In
Many clients followed her into the new venture—an endorsement of her professionalism and personal integrity. “As entrepreneurs, we’re always asking ourselves, will we make it?” Prisma got off to a successful start. Initial skepticism, including from men in her network offering “well-meaning” advice or proposing to buy into her firm, quickly faded. With top investment managers among her clients, there was never a need.
One might now wonder where that swagger came from. From the start, one thing was clear for Miltgen: she didn’t want to be dependent on anyone else. “If there’s one thing I can accept being dependent on,” she says with a smile, “it’s the bus schedule.”
Privately, the 54-year-old is in a relationship and has joined her partner’s food truck company, “FoodRiders”, where you might even find her selling burgers. Her partner appreciates that she’s never too proud to roll up her sleeves. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset,” she says. “As a teenager, I earned money through jobs like delivering newspapers, babysitting, dog walking, even unloading pallets… and the money I earned, I invested.” She adds that she always wanted to create something of her own.
Sought-After Mentor
Over the last decade, Miltgen has also become a sought-after mentor, particularly to female entrepreneurs. Financial insecurity remains a theme, but rather than offer solutions, she asks the right questions—helping others unlock their own paths.
A topic that often comes up is whether women must work harder to stay at the top. Miltgen, too, sees this among her mentees. Personally, however, she says she experienced little of that herself. “When I joined my first company, I was immediately seen as a superstar and treated respectfully. But what I do myself and tell my mentees is to always set boundaries! Show up the way you want to be treated!”
In her own company, she sees herself more as the captain of a ship and has always aimed to build a good company rather than a big one. Her interests and commitments outside the company—whether as a speaker on International Women’s Day or through her sponsorship involvement in rugby—reflect her multifaceted nature.
“My partner would say I’m versatile and flexible—able to connect with just about anyone, whether discussing football or literature over dinner, chatting with both the waiter and the bank director at a conference, or serving customers at the food truck, who always end up leaving me tips.”
At Prisma, she leads a core team of 10 that works with around 60–70 freelancers. “The last thing I believe in is micromanagement. I want everyone to be their own entrepreneur,” she affirms.
Prisma is a testament to thoughtful leadership. Miltgen’s story—like the handbag she once dreamed of—carries meaning far beyond its surface, emblematic of a life shaped by more than just economics or numbers.
This article was published in the 6th edition of Forbes Luxembourg magazine.
Read more articles:
Genna Elvin On Leading With Empathy And Impact
Responsibility Is The Quiet Force Behind Great Leadership
How Avanti Sharma Is Shaping The Future
