Qualifications

• BA Honours – Languages and International Business
• Six Sigma Certified
• GDPR and Data Protection Officer
• Associate Member of IITT and Qualified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
• Business Continuity & Compliance, Certified Program Management Professional (PgMP)

Em is a senior board level operations and client services specialist with over 25+ years of experience providing leading global companies with critical business transformation and support services.  Em began her professional career at Goldman Sachs, becoming one to the youngest women to be award and “Associate” level in the service side of their investment banking business, managing a multi-disciplined team that provided critical deal support, translations and technical support services to over 2000+ bankers and support staff in EMEA

As the MD and co-founder of an award-winning Business Process Outsourcing company, she had financial and performance accountability overall project and account operations and growth across EMEA. Em built an exceptional team that worked closely with her to deliver a number of significant business transformation programs focussing on maximising operational effectiveness, improving personal and team performance, driving service and organisational change and securing cost savings.  Em managed a sales, functional and operational headcount of 300 onsite and 1000+ offshore in multiple centres across Europe and Asia.

As the Chief Operating Officer of Talking Talent, a DEI global coaching business, Em was a member of the Board and Executive team to lead global business operations (IT, Cyber, HR, Talent, Legal, Client Services, Outsourced Solutions and Change Management).  She built and managed a high performing diverse team with responsibility of run rate, retention & growth, operational excellence, resource & vendor management and cross functional collaboration.  Em worked with the founders of the business to commercialise and growth the business that went through PE investment in 2020.

Em’s favourite moment on a client engagement is firstly being in the room at the end of a coaching program and experiencing the energy, excitement and optimism from the coachees to put what they have learnt and discussed into action and secondly sharing the impact and feedback from the program with the client, meeting the key objectives and recognising the impactful ROI.

Qualifications

• PhD Education/Psychology/Culture
• ‘The Leadership Challenge’ Senior Facilitator
• Neuroleadership Coach (ICF Accredited)
• MA Management & Organisational Behaviour
• BA Psychology & Women’s Studies

Dr Samineh Shaheem is a Professor of Psychology and Leadership, a Neuroleadership Coach and a former Dean and Executive Director of a global business school. Her research interests are in the area of identity transformation, sojourn cultural transition, such as expatriates and global leaders, their acculturation process and repatriation concerns. For more than 20 years, Learning and Development has been the main focus of Dr Shaheem’s career, in a deep and deliberate manner, through the application of psychological and educational principles and practices. She believes, ‘Learning more, results in living more.’ Every project holds importance and an opportunity to grow and advance including one that had a significant positive impact on the community; Dr Shaheem’s Bolt Down on Bullying campaign started in 2010 in the UAE where she set out to confront and prevent bullying in schools, homes and workplaces.

Dr Shaheem is an author and keynote speaker with a successful track record in the design, development and delivery of culturally relevant, innovative courses and business/ leadership skill building programs, especially for women. For the last 2 decades, she has worked across numerous industries and countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the UK. On International Women’s Day in 2018, Dr Shaheem was recognized by the Mayor of London for her extraordinary contribution to the UK.

Her out of work interests include learning, travelling, movies and spending quality time with family members.

Her favourite moment on client engagement is when the right question is asked, eliciting a great response and solution from the client. This moment of enablement and inspiration is everything.

Get to know Samineh

Qualifications

• PhD in the field of Social Science (Work-life Performance and Gender Studies)
• ICF ACC coaching accreditation
• MBA
• MA in HRM
• FCIPD
• NLI Brain-based coach certified (NeuroLeadership Institute)
• Hogan Assessments Certified Practitioner

Priscila has held various European and global leadership roles, such Head of HR, Vice President of Learning and Development and Head of Talent, Leadership and Inclusion. Towards the end of her PhD, Priscila worked as a leadership lecturer at Oxford Brookes Business School. She was part of the University’s Centre for Diversity Policy, Research and Practice.

Priscila’s lived experience includes upward social mobility, moving to the UK in her mid-20s from Brazil and without speaking English fluently. She is now keen to support others to meet their full potential. She is primarily interested in accelerating the minority talent pipeline and increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles.

Priscila can offer commercial solutions based on the latest science. Her approach embraces inclusive leadership traits, focusing on unlocking the commercial benefits of diversity for business growth.

Her favourite moment in a client engagement is helping clients make new connections. Recently, after explaining to a CEO that high engagement scores might indicate a solid tribal culture where you attract and retain the same type of people, the CEO replied: “So it is easy to feel engaged and have a high sense of belonging if you are all the same. I never thought that way, but it makes complete sense!”

Priscila loves nature and meditates daily. She loves spending time with her family and friends, particularly with her daughter, who loves horses and maths.

Get to know Priscila

Qualifications

• MSc in Organisational Psychology
• Hogan Suite of Psychometric Assessments (HPI, HDS, MVPI, Hogan Team Report)
• Leadership Versatility Index
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification)
• ICF Approved Coach
• BA English and Sports Science
• Mental Health First Aider

Sarah is an Organisational Psychologist who specialises in leadership development and EDI. She is an experienced consultant and advanced Hogan practitioner, who works with teams and individuals within the public and private sector in an assessment, training, facilitation and executive coaching capacity.

Sarah’s experience ranges from the design and delivery of training programmes (i.e. leadership development, inclusive recruitment) to consulting on cultural change strategies. Sarah takes an evidence-based approach to her works, which gives clients the reassurance their partnership can deliver positive business outcomes.

With over 20 years’ worth of experience within the creative industry, Sarah has worked with global brands managing relationships with people at all levels of seniority. Throughout her career, Sarah has always sought to understand what makes people ‘tick’, with a particular focus on team performance and inclusive leadership.

With a background in client management, Sarah understands that relationships built upon trust and mutual respect lead to the best results, therefore she goes to great lengths to connect with her clients and understand their strategic needs.

Her favourite moments on a client engagement occur when people feel psychologically safe enough to be vulnerable – those moments signify a deeper level of self-awareness which is important for personal growth.

Whether coaching in an organisational or sporting setting, Sarah helps people to find the confidence and intrinsic motivation to; overcome their personal barriers and succeed on their own terms. Within her sessions Sarah creates a judgment-free space where individuals can think, explore their ideas and decide how best to achieve their goals.

Qualifications

• BA Hons (Marketing)
• Post-Grad Diploma Psychology
• Certified Coach
• Psychology PhD candidate

Caroline’s research into courage, feminism and psychology led her to leaving a 20-year career in global data and tech enabled brand communications to create a mindset and programme to develop courageous leaders.

Data, technology and creativity have been the core pillars of her board positions in a commercial growth background working across FTSE 100 Clients in finance, media, telecoms, and healthcare. Caroline’s work has taken her from India, Hong Kong, Malawi and Sydney to London and Manchester where she now resides.

She is a trustee for GM4Women, a charity she founded with Helen Pankhurst MBE focused on applying data to promote equality for all women and girls in Greater Manchester across education, safety, health, participation and work.

How women experience courage was the focus of her Phd candidacy and continues to be her area of research and study through her consultancy, Be Braver.  Her work in this area has been cited in Metro and various podcasts.

Caroline’s favourite moment on a client engagement is getting the client to the point where they can laugh. Where together they have built trust, self-awareness and the ability to not only step back and observe, but also the space to not be limited by circumstance.

Caroline is on a life-long learning journey to find a physical exercise she can stick to and enjoy. She has made a hobby out of trying new hobbies and wishes she had the single-minded determination to stick to one thing like her son has with his football.

Get to know Caroline

Qualifications

• Licensed Firework Career Coach
• ICF Accredited Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching
• Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism
• BA(Hons) French, German, Italian

Rachel is an accomplished facilitator and communications expert who reported and presented for the BBC for over twenty years, before training as a personal development and career coach.

Her journalistic career was predominantly spent presenting on the BBC’s flagship 24-hour News Channel, where she covered both domestic and international news and was highly adept at handling fast-moving stories and vigorous debate.

Now an accredited career coach, Rachel brings her journalist’s passion for challenging questions, powerful listening and fact-led storytelling to her coaching and facilitation work. She works with individuals, as well as designing and leading group coaching engagements and workshops. She is an experienced interviewer, panel chair and event MC. Her book “The Career Change Guide: Five Steps to Finding Your Dream Job” is published by Penguin.

Her coaching clients span multiple sectors from technology and finance to media and law but are united by a desire to become effective and confident drivers of their own career development.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is when a client starts to fully trust their own ability and resourcefulness and reaps the rewards of their commitment to experimentation and action.

Out of work Rachel can be found attempting to develop green fingers on her allotment or to indoctrinate her teenage daughters in the joy of visiting historic buildings.

Get to know Rachel

Qualifications

• PG DIP/MA Professional Acting – Drama Studio, London
• LGSMD/ Licentiate in Speech and Drama – Guildhall School of Speech & Drama
• ABNLP Master Coach

Julia has an eclectic background, from working at British Airways to a successful acting career both in the UK and Australia. She has also worked as a voice coach and voice over artist as well as an established communications coach for several senior leadership teams in multinational companies. Over the last eighteen years, Julia has been facilitating training and delivering coaching within organisations from start-ups through to SMEs and large corporate organisations.

Julia has been lucky enough to work in some diverse locations, including the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Croatia and Morocco. She has worked across a wide variety of sectors including Pharmaceutical, Retail, Finance, Telecom, Manufacturing and within the NHS and Civil Service.

Julia’s favourite moment on a client engagement is when she sees her clients ‘safely shake their worlds’ in a space that is fully supported. Stepping out of the comfort zone, using energy, focus and an ability to ‘play’ and be ‘in the moment’ to make some significant and long-lasting change.

When Julia isn’t working, she loves running and has completed seven half marathons and two marathons. She also loves yoga and in 2017 Julia completed her yoga teacher training ‘just for fun’. Julia also loves to travel and has many dream destinations on her list.

Get to know Julia

Qualifications

• Bar Vocation Course
• LLB (Hons) Law
• ICF Accredited Diploma in Transformational Coaching

Shazma is a senior equity, diversity and inclusion consultant, trained transformation coach and experienced facilitator. She is also a qualified barrister with extensive experience in financial services regulation. Shazma has lived and worked in London and the Caribbean and has spent a large part of her career working with senior leaders to improve conduct standards and bring about culture change in the financial services industry.

Throughout her career, Shazma’s motivation is rooted in equity, social justice and service; her lived experience as a second generation south Asian, Muslim woman combined with her legal and regulatory work, provides a personal insight into the structural prejudices that exist and their especially unfair outcomes for those with intersectional identities. Her drive and ongoing passion to achieve fair outcomes for all derives from these experiences.

Shazma is a strong communicator; skilled at facilitating courageous and constructive conversations and approaches her work with curiosity and dedication.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is ‘unlocking the treasure box’ that reveals the real obstacles to progress and then strategizing on how to overcome them!

Outside of work Shazma seeks out mini-adventures in everyday life and enjoys swimming, dancing, laughing and learning.

Get to know Shazma

Qualifications

• MA Gender, Sexuality and Culture
• BA(Hons) English
• Accredited Diploma in Transformational Coaching

Ailish is a coach, facilitator and DEI consultant with expertise in building cultures of allyship and inclusion.

Ailish’s career has including working as a senior policy advisor to the Minister for Women and Equalities as well as in the Equality and Human Rights Commission. They have also worked in numerous roles in the third sector, including as the Lead for Inclusion at Europe’s largest conservation charity.

As a coach, Ailish empowers people to deepen their self-knowledge and access the best version of themselves. Their coaching style is open and direct which they combine with compassion, empathy and plenty of humour. Their favourite moment working with clients is when they see clients begin to believe that they are powerful and resourceful in their own right.

As well as an ICF accredited coaching diploma, Ailish holds an MA in Gender, Sexuality and Culture. They bring an understanding of how power, privilege and social norms can influence our experiences at work and a passion for creating spaces where everyone can be themselves and thrive.

Ailish is an outdoor-lover who also runs a hiking community called Queer Out Here, which is all about connecting with nature and ourselves. They love being outside, whether running, hiking or camping. And when not doing those things they can be found learning, reading, meditating or coercing people into organised fun.

Get to know Ailish

Qualifications

• Masters, HR Management
• Graduate Diploma in Business and Personal Coaching
• ICF PCC coaching accreditation

Jessica is an accomplished and qualified coach with a track record in partnering effectively with her clients to help them achieve their career goals. She has over 20 years experience in HR, working in large blue chip organisations.

She has worked in the UK and Australia in generalist, talent and diversity and inclusion roles, all with a global remit.

Her approach in her coaching practice is to listen, to challenge clients’ thinking and to encourage action. Her style is gentle but direct and insightful. She is passionate about helping her clients achieve their career goals and has supported clients on a wide variety of business matters, including leadership, team and interpersonal relations, self-confidence, career planning and transition.

Jessica’s favourite moment in a client engagement is when a client discovers something about themselves and finds the clarity and confidence to take the first steps in a new direction.

Out of work Jessica enjoys walking in Kew Gardens, especially when the sun is shining, and spending time in Andalucia in Spain with friends and family.

Get to know Jessica

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts Degree – International Tourism Management
• Prince2 Project Management
• ITIL4 Service Management

Jennifer’s professional career has mainly been within the IT Consultancy space, having spent 9 years working with a Global managed services provider for business and technical projects. This included hands- on project management, contractual and financial solutions negotiations as well as daily coaching and leading project teams to deliver successful outcomes for her clients.

Born in the United Kingdom, Jennifer has lived and worked in Britain, United States and The Netherlands. Having worked extensively across many corporate industries too; Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Legal, Retail, Aerospace, Telecoms and Hospitality.

Cultural literality and Gender Equity are two self-learning topics Jennifer likes to keep up to date with.

Winner of the Manchester Purpose Award 2023, Inclusion and Diversity Winner for EMEA 2022. Regular attendee to Women in Technology Events as well as being an active CSR member of her community.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is when a small suggestion or improvement is made that significantly increases their operational efficiency. Quoting herself ’ I am always on the look out for better ways of working that makes our clients lives easier’.

Jennifer enjoys keeping fit and is an active boxer and yogi. She loves to travel and visit new places as well as attending music festivals and live events. Jennifer is an animal welfare activist and has been a vegan for many years.

Get to know Jennifer

Qualifications

• MA International Development
• ICF ACC coaching accreditation
• Organisational Development practitioner – Roffey Park Institute
• BSc (Hons) Business Studies and Geography

Clare is a highly experienced consultant and coach specialising in equity, diversity and inclusion. Her early career was in HR before moving into leadership development and inclusive leadership. She has been designing and facilitating leadership development programmes for over 20 years. She is also a certified coach with over 10 years’ coaching experience.

Clare has always held international roles. She worked across the Middle East and CIS region extensively and has delivered programmes around the world in locations as diverse as Albania, Argentina, India, Japan, Tajikistan and the US. She has worked across a variety of sectors including pharmaceuticals, publishing, industrials, financial services, manufacturing, telecoms, and not-for-profit.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is after the diagnostic phase when she feeds back her findings to the client. She enjoys the process of co-creation at this point, exploring what interventions will help and encouraging creativity and new approaches.

Outside of work, Clare spends time with her young family and enjoys country walks and nature. She is also a school governor of a local school.

Get to know Clare

Qualifications

• Sociology PhD – Everyday Power and Privilege at the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Class
• MSc Ethnicity and Multiculturalism
• BA (Hons) Business Administration
• Senior Practitioner Leadership Coach (ILM Level 7)

Matt is an organisation and leadership development consultant with 25 years’ experience specialising in equity, diversity, and inclusion. This ranges from working with those experiencing marginalisation to leading multi-million-pound programmes delivering impact at a city level. His aim is to develop leaders who can create authentic, meaningful, and inclusive cultures in organisations. Drawing on the work of philosophers Jean Paul Sartre and Søren Kierkegaard, Matt takes an existential approach to leadership, coaching, and EDI.

Over the last 25 years, as a White, middle-class, heterosexual man he has been on something of an uncomfortable journey learning about how these aspects of his identity intersect to provide advantages and opportunities denied to others. Researching and developing an understanding of systemic disadvantage has taught him to seek to take responsibility for the actions of his forebears that caused the inequity from which he benefits today. Equally, from his own experiences, he understands the questions, dilemmas, anxieties, and concerns of other people with similar identity markers as they engage with EDI in all its forms.

As such, he uses his career experiences, academic expertise, specialist training, and own lived experience to work with leaders and organisations to establish equitable and inclusive cultures and create the conditions to thrive in the new business context. Matt is a Member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and a Member of the Institute of Leadership.

His favourite moment in a client engagement is that ‘widening of the eyes pausing mid-sentence’ moment when a client experiences a breakthrough realisation that moves them to a deeper place of self-awareness and authenticity.

Outside of work, he is also a single father of two beautiful, now fully grown and flown daughters. He loves a fine red wine, good music, and cooking an ‘interesting’ version of something he’s seen on Great British Menu, often all at the same time. He is drawn to visit places he knows little about and immersing himself in their coffee-shop culture. Matt is a committed urbanite and loves cities. If he can get there on his motorbike, all the better.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. Neuroscience
• MSc Chemistry
• ICF PCC coaching accreditation
• Certified Professional Coach
• CIPD Learning and Development Diploma
• Licenced in Hogan, Firo-B, Personality Systems Interaction theory and ELI™ assessments

Vida is an experienced executive coach, consultant and facilitator specialising in creating sustainable behavioural change in global companies. Her belief has always been that inclusion is one of the most important factors for thriving at work. She creates change on an individual, group, and organisational level (coaching women GMs, VPs, and CEOs; creating leadership frameworks and development programs with an inclusive lens).

Vida has experience across multiple industries such as fintech, retail, engineering, and pharmaceutical, including the public sector and private equity. She previously held the role of Co-Head of Coaching EMEA in a leadership consultancy.

A Croatian-native, Vida is fluent in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and English, following her passion for communication and connecting with different cultures. She has lived in five European countries and delivered work across 20 different countries worldwide.

Her doctorate was in neuroplasticity where she imaged changes in the brain due to long-term learning of a complex task. She brings to clients fresh insights from neuroscience to create a deeper understanding of our behaviour and to enable development and cultural shifts.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is going below the surface to discover true needs and partnering to create meaningful, and targeted change and a culture of belonging, and authenticity.

Out of work Vida loves dancing tango, traveling, cooking, and creating and enjoying various forms of art.

Get to know Vida

Qualifications

• Inclusive Leadership through Behavioural Science certificate
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Change Management
• BA (Hons) Management and Organisation with Human Resource Management
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user: Ability and Personality

Sara is an experienced consultant and facilitator with over 18 years’ experience across talent management, organisation design and development as well as change management consulting in a range of global organisations. She is passionate about designing organisations that are structurally inclusive, an approach informed by behavioural science and her experience de-biasing people processes.

Born in Sweden to Finnish parents, a red thread throughout her career has been understanding and changing individual and collective behaviour. She has experience working in India, Ecuador, Colombia, Poland, South Africa, Sweden as well as the UK and the US. Her industry experience spans telecoms, technology, financial services, FMCG and insurance.

She recognises that her lived experience of four intersecting marginalised identities, means she often looks at the world differently, and this can be her super-power. She loves working with leaders who are brave in exploring human centred leadership, unlocking inclusive cultures that allow people to thrive.

Sara’s favourite moment working with clients is enabling an ‘aha’ moment, where the client finds their personal why in relation to the equity, diversity and inclusion work, and seeing them step up and lead the work full of passion and purpose.

Outside of work, Sara likes to practice yoga, walk in woodlands and eat cake.

Get to know Sara

Qualifications

• ICF PCC coaching accreditation
• Diploma in Coaching
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification): 16PF and MBTI Step 1
• Qualified solicitor in the UK and Hong Kong
• Law Society Finals
• BA(Hons) History

Shalini is an experienced facilitator, consultant and coach who focuses on equity, diversity and inclusion – and in particular, the question of how to bring about diverse leadership teams in every sector and at all levels. Shalini has over 25 years of experience as a lawyer and a leader in global professional services firms, global businesses, social enterprise and the public sector. She is also a credentialled coach who has been coaching for 15 years.

The daughter of Indian migrants, Shalini has lived in Asia as well as the UK, and has worked across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East; the sectors she has been involved in include energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, government, technology, professional services and financial services. Her lived experience and her career journey have fostered her interest in bringing about a world of more inclusion.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is hearing about the positive impact of the engagement, after it’s finished…  sometimes long after it’s finished!

Out of work, Shalini has two small children to keep her occupied, and also enjoys yoga, being in nature, travelling, and baking. She is a non-executive director of a London NHS Trust and a trustee of The Philosophy Foundation, a charity bringing philosophical thinking to the heart of education.

Get to know Shalini

John Cremer delivers bespoke improvisation sessions to organisations that wish to unlock the creative potential of their top teams. Through experiential learning of simple yet effective techniques a group discovers new ways to collaborate and support each other through changing scenarios. Individual delegates find an increase in confidence in stepping into the unknown and taking purposeful risks without excessive preparation and jangling nerves.

As a whole the shared language and tools of improvisation bring a fresh and lasting energy of innovative thinking and ways to maintain and challenge high performance teams.

The techniques of improvisation are widely taught in business schools in the US as a standard module of their curriculum. John is a pioneer in bringing this work to the UK, having founded the Maydays – the UK’s top long form improvisation company in 2003.

His client list includes Facebook, Microsoft, Panasonic Avionics, GSK, Reckitt–Benckiser, Vodafone, Vistage International, Bayer, Rio Tinto, AbbVie and HTC. John is the author of “Improv” and “The Art of Reading People” and was voted Speaker of the Decade by the Academy for Chief Executives.

His favourite moment of a client engagement is when the magic of spontaneous authenticity spreads through a room or across a screen full of smiling faces.

When he is not presenting or performing improvised shows you will usually find him fly fishing.

Qualifications

• PhD in the field of Work & Organisational Psychology (Investigating coaching effectiveness)
• Chartered Occupational Psychologist
• MSc Occupational Psychology
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification): various assessments

Rebecca is an Associate Professor in Coaching at Henley Business School, a world-leading coaching researcher and an executive coach. Rebecca focuses on coaching, D&I surveys, analytics and Inclusive Leadership 360 assessments. She is an expert contributor to coaching professional bodies including the EMCC & ICF.

Rebecca is passionate about translating research into practice and takes an evidence-based approach to her consultancy and coaching practice. Her approach is underpinned by using psychological theory and research to achieve sustainable behaviour change for organisations, teams and individuals. Rebecca is interested in working with organisations to create inclusive workplaces enabling the human and business value of diversity.

Rebecca’s favourite moment on a client engagement is working with coaching clients to identify patterns in their behaviour, raising awareness of these repeating patterns and exploring ways in which the cycle can be broken to help clients move closer to achieving their goals. An example of this was working with a client who had experienced a pattern of being excluded from groups at multiple life-stages, and had consequently developed unproductive behaviours to counter-act the threat of exclusion. By understanding these patterns, the client was able to decide how to respond in groups and subsequently break the pattern of behaviour.

Rebecca lives in the Worcestershire countryside and loves the outdoors, especially hiking. She is passionate about exercise and believes that a healthy body is key to a healthy mind. At home, Rebecca Jones has a husband, two sons and two ragdoll cats.

Qualifications:

• PhD, Coaching & Mentoring (PhD award for the research with the most social impact to the field of coaching and mentoring)
• Masters, International Hotel & Tourism Management
• Post Graduate Certificate Coaching and Mentoring Practice
• Post Graduate Certificate in Education

Anna’s PhD focused on coaching and mentoring women leaders. She is passionate about the relationship between socio-cultural influences on women’s careers how this insight can be leveraged to accelerate women leaders in the workplace. Her research explores the socio-cultural factors that support or hinder women leaders in the workplace. She has developed a collective coaching practice framework underpinned by principles of narrative, systemic and integral coaching.

She is a career coach, mentor, and leadership academic. She leads on a master’s leadership module at Oxford Brookes University working with over 30 different nationalities and speaks fluent German. Anna is Zambian and has lived and worked in the UK for the last 20 years. Anna has consulting experience in training needs analysis and capacity development in Mali, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is working collectively with clients to achieve clarity and insight through their own stories resulting in change that is pivotal to their desired outcomes.

Outside of work Anna is a Trustee of a registered charity that supports a progressive social agenda in cultural, educational initiatives. She is involved in volunteer work with an orphanage in Zambia. Her most valued time is with family, cooking and creating new menu dishes with local ingredients.

Get to know Anna

Qualifications

• ICF PCC coaching accreditation
• Accredited user of Strengthscope™
• Mental Health First Aid certified

Clare is a seasoned executive coach and facilitator with over 20 years’ international experience. She has held senior management roles in the Middle East and Sub Saharan Regions for the British Council and understands the increasingly complex challenges faced by today’s leaders. Her corporate roles in Human Resources include heading an Employee Relations team, Learning & Development and Global Coaching.

Clare has a passion for equity and diversity and in particular working with ambitious women leaders, designing and delivering coaching solutions to help organisations retain and progress talent. She has worked with clients from a wide range of sectors: telecoms, technology, insurance, creative, leisure, professional services, government and academia.

Clare’s core interest is the application of neuroscience in coaching, and she is an ICF mentor coach to new coaches. She is a keen advocate for extending the power of coaching to wider audiences and the application of group and team coaching to address many of the challenges facing organisations today.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is when a client recognises what is getting in their way and has the confidence to achieve what they previously thought was impossible.

Clare’s out of work interests include training and walking for miles with her three lively cocker spaniels.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) English Literature
• Professional Certificate in Coaching
• Mental Health First Aid certified
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification): Hogan suite, MBTI and other tools

Emma has more than 25 years’ experience working in HR and commercial roles with four FTSE 100 companies. She led the Talent function globally for Cadbury, Unilever, Sainsbury’s and Burberry. Much of her career has been spent working internationally in France, Russia and the USA. She has led HR initiatives through significant periods of business change, specialising in talent management, leadership and organisation development.

Emma now provides coaching to individuals and groups and has a particular interest in coaching during significant transitions and coaching as part of leadership development. She is also a Trustee for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and also Magic Breakfast, a UK Charity. She was previously Chair of Inspire! a London based charity working with young people.

In her work Emma draws on her experience in commercial environments (including consumer goods, retail, luxury and financial services) in addition to the public and not for profit sectors. Highly adaptable, she has worked successfully in different cultures and environments. Emma brings strategic insight to individuals and organisations and has deep expertise in assessing, developing and coaching global talent at all levels.

Emma’s favourite moment in a client engagement is when a client experiences a moment of profound insight that unlocks their thinking.

Her out of work interests include being a passionate Welsh rugby supporter, enjoying London and travelling.

Qualifications

• Chartered Occupational Psychologist
• MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology
• MBA
• Certificate in Team Coaching
• ICF ACC coaching accreditation
• Appreciative inquiry practitioner
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification): Hogan suite, NEO, Firo-B, 16PF, Wave Professional Styles

Nadia has a deep expertise and specialism in the field of inclusion and diversity. With over 15 years’ experience in the field of organisational development, leadership development and talent management, she has enjoyed working with a diverse range of global clients across a range of industries, including financial services, consumer, pharmaceuticals, energy, health, defence and the civil service. She has experience facilitating organisation-wide culture change, working with CEOs and Boards to embed strategy.

Nadia is regularly invited to speak at conferences and events as a thought leader on gender inclusion. Her 2016 and 2018 groundbreaking research on men working flexibly, the barriers to male caring and the systemic impact on women, organisations and society achieved significant publicity and attention. She has written articles for the RSA, We Are The City and HR Zone and her research has been quoted in the Telegraph.

Nadia openly discusses her lived experience as a female ethnic minority and this offers her a unique ability as a psychologist and facilitator to create powerful learning programmes to support women and to develop inclusive leadership practices.

Her favourite moment on a client engagement is achieving the powerful breakthroughs in learning and insight – that moment of sudden realisation and enhanced self-understanding. This is more than a shift at an individual level as their change in behaviour impacts the whole system, therefore creating a ripple effect towards cultural transformation.

Nadia’s out-of-work interests include baking and cake decorating, sewing, card making and enjoying the (tasty) delights of other cultures.

Qualifications

• LLB, Law
• Accredited test practitioner in: MBTI Step 1; Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI); and McQuaig Level 1

Kadisha is an experienced HR executive and facilitator with over 20 years’ experience in global FTSE 200 businesses. She has worked across the full HR spectrum from ‘hiring to retiring’ and specialises in strategy formation, cultural transformation and implementation.

Kadisha spent a significant part of her career working in Switzerland with large global organisations developing their People & Culture strategy. She likes to get ‘under the skin’ of organisations to understand the real challenges and opportunities they face.

Her ‘super power’ lies in being able to uncover the unsaid, win hearts and minds and operationalise the words of a strategy in order to create legacy culture systems. She has won multiple awards for her work in the commercial arena and on cultural transformation. She has deep knowledge of M&A and in the past has worked on the ABI/SABMiller/Asahi deal, the Amcor/Bemis merger and the Cadbury/Kraft acquisition.

Kadisha’s favourite moment on a client engagement is when even the smallest actions have made a big impact and when each systemic change has helped pave the way for transformation.

Kadisha’s out of work interests include running marathons – she has completed two to date and plans to make it a ‘hat-trick’ with a third in New York (date tbc!).

Qualifications

• MA Oxon; qualified lawyer
• Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy
• ICF PCC coaching accreditation
• Accredited SHL OPQ psychometric test user

Louisa is an executive career and leadership coach working across a range of industries. Her approach is informed by 20 years of experience working in the City of London and holding senior leadership roles. Louisa is passionate about helping her clients reach for greater success and fulfilment.

Born in London, Louisa graduated from Oxford University and was awarded a scholarship to live in Spain for a year where she taught underprivileged children. After graduation, Louisa joined a magic circle law firm as a lawyer and was seconded to support clients in a range of sectors including telecoms, pharmaceuticals, financial services and consumer goods. She has also worked as a Chief of Staff to the CEO of a global professional services firm. Louisa has a pragmatic understanding of the commercial context in which senior leaders operate and the importance of developing resilience.

Louisa has an evidence and research-based approach and is currently researching Imposter Syndrome as part of her thesis for her psychotherapy degree. Louisa has a particular interest in understanding the psychological roots to behaviours and incorporates tools and processes informed by this.

Louisa’s favourite moment on a client engagement is when there is a breakthrough in thinking.

Out of work, Louisa’s interests include triathlons, ballet dancing and her work establishing support for a local charity, BeEnriched. Louisa has enabled unwanted food from major retailers to reach those socially excluded and financially unstable.

Get to know Louisa

Qualifications

• Chartered Coaching Psychologist
• Chartered Occupational Psychologist
• MSc Occupational Psychology
• BSc Philosophy and Psychology
• Diploma in Executive Coaching (AOEC)
• Accredited BPS psychometric test user (previously known as Level A/B certification): various assessments

Rich is a coaching psychologist, business psychologist, and people expert, with a particular focus on leadership and talent, career development and the science of assessment. His 20+ year career has spanned a variety of consulting roles, as well as seven years in the global HR leadership team of an international law firm and Managing Consultant and head of the Digital Leadership team at YSC.

Rich’s roles have given him the chance to operate and build connections across a wide range of geographies and cultures, including the US, Europe and India. His clients have included financial services, automotive, news, construction, and more.

His favourite moment working with clients is the point when the individual he is working with feels seen: that they have been heard and their unique situation has been understood. Once that point has been reached there is a platform for challenge, support and change.

Outside of work Rich is a keen runner, climber and tennis player, an enthusiastic amateur pianist, and most importantly a dad to two boys. He is a strong believer that gender equality begins at home and he and his partner actively and consciously work to make this happen.

Qualifications

• Chartered Social Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
• PhD Social Psychology
• MSc Organisational & Social Psychology
• BA (Hons) Human Relations
• Henley Business School Executive Coaching qualification
• Certified Prosci® Change Management Practitioner
• Registered BPS psychometric test user: Hogan, NEO-PI-3, Firo-B, Saville Wave, and EQ-i 2.0™ assessments

Elicia is on a mission to inspire leaders to become more socially intelligent to better leverage themselves and those they lead.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Elicia is fluent in French and is an experienced social psychologist with a Cambridge PhD in the psychology of change. She works alongside leaders as a strategic thinking partner, so that they don’t have to navigate through important challenges or competing priorities on their own.

Elicia is also a triple-accredited executive coach and designer of insightful leadership development training. She has served senior leaders in the UK Ministry of Defence, HM Treasury, pharmaceuticals, and private equity as well as charity heads, video game developers, and migration directors at Canadian embassies across Europe.

Using a values-driven approach grounded in principles of Gestalt, Elicia knows how to create and hold the space in which to build the awareness of self, others and context that supports the achievement of professional goals, personal objectives and lasting vertical growth.

Elicia believes that all we ever accomplish hinges on our knowledge and know-how of working with others.

She is also a Board Member of the University of Exeter Business School and lectures on The Exeter MBA on corporate governance to develop inclusive leadership skills and influence in the context of change in organisations. She brings the findings of her doctoral research to the fore as blueprints for personal leadership, team relations and strategic transitions where success depends on how people work together.

Out of work, Elicia feeds her passions for rare tropical houseplants, growing mushrooms and fossil hunting on the Jurassic coast with her young family and can often be found in and around Prague.