When I had my children nearly twenty years ago, I was working for a national newspaper group. It was fast-paced, exciting and dynamic but it was a male dominated environment and there were very few senior women, certainly none I could relate to as a new mother.
I left to set up my own successful PR consultancy which enabled me to work flexibly on my terms around my family, a decision that really paid off when my daughter was diagnosed with autism and learning difficulties when she was five, that meant she needed more of my time and support.
The narrative around the workplace has changed enormously in that time. There are plenty of powerful voices promoting women, yet we still face the same challenges, and the situation has grown worse since Covid.
In its most recent annual Women in the Workplace survey last year, McKinsey found that although women enter the workplace in the same numbers as men, they are not promoted to manager level as fast and then they never catch up. Women are still dramatically under-represented in leadership.
In 2019, having been coached myself and experienced the benefits, I certified as a professional Co-Active coach with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI).
Now I work with professional women to ensure that they fulfil their ambitions. I partner with them to develop them professionally, improve performance and increase effectiveness and to ensure they are personally and professionally fulfilled.
My coaching addresses strategy, transition and growth. It builds confidence and self-esteem, improves personal and professional relationships, leadership and communications style, impact and assertiveness, work life balance and wellness. My coaching style is empathetic but direct and pragmatic and I build strong, warm relationships as I support clients to achieve their goals.
My children are teenagers now and I live and work – remotely on Zoom and face-to-face – in London with them, my husband and two dogs.
I am a fully insured, certified, professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC, PPC), a member of the International Coaches Federation (ICF), and committed to continuous professional development