Coaching Qualifications: Professionally trained (ICF Accredited Course)
Coaching Specialisms: Leadership and Career/Promotion coaching
Leadership experience: 20 years leading and managing teams
Board Director for: 6 years
Board Director Roles: Group Finance Director, CEO, Non-Executive Director
2 “Best Team” awards won: national magazine and internal company awards
I have been managing and leading teams for over 20 years: in high pressure turnaround situations, high growth start-ups through to developing teams in steady state corporate environments.
Like everyone, you start with no experience and you improve. I made (and still make) mistakes. I was willing to work on myself, to look as objectively as possible at my shortcomings, my assumptions and my needs. I sought feedback and development. I was lucky to have some excellent managers to guide me at various stages. Over time I got better. I understood more about my strengths, my management styles, beliefs and values and what I could give to my team.
I, and the teams in which I have worked, have won both company and national magazine awards for best team.
I trained professionally as a coach, partly to further develop my leadership skills, but also to be useful to others in developing their leadership skills. I coach CEOs through to middle level managers in leadership skills.
I have seen many times how a strong team can deliver exceptional results.
Please book in a 30-minute no-obligation coaching session with me to experience how I can help develop your leadership skills.
I have interviews over a 1,000 people as a hiring manager. I have hired over 100 roles. I have been promoted most years. I have also changed from a corporate career to an entrepreneur twice over.
Getting promoted is not just about how good you are at your job. Research suggests that promotions are based on: your performance (10%), your image or how people view you (30%) and what your exposure is within your company (60%). Your people skills and how you come across are critical. This applies for internal roles or roles at another company.
You are employed to solve problems. Understanding what the problem is, and advertising your strengths (providing they match the problem) at all stages of getting a role, make a huge difference to your success.
Please book in a 30-minute no-obligation coaching session with me to experience how I can support you in your next career move.
I have spent over 20 years delivering performance improvements across a number of companies, national and international and in different states. Typically, these have been in fast growth or turnaround situations. I always enjoyed the challenge.
I have sat on the board of several companies with turnover ranging from £5m to £150m. For most of my career I have worked alongside colleagues from all functions within businesses – Sales & Marketing, Operations, Finance and HR. I have very broad business experience gained from working in corporates through to start-ups.
I am a keen investor and entrepreneur.
Innocent Drinks, Fosters, Treasury Wine Estates, E&Y, PA Consulting, Petroplan, Williams Lea, A&O, Prostrate Cancer UK, and a number of SMEs
Away from the office, my family is a big focus and very important to me. I teach Karate (and have for over 15 years), play tennis, read business books & fiction and enjoy being active and outdoors.
Rohit, Divisional Director
“I had delivered great results as a Divisional Director in a large corporate and been repeatedly told my performance was very good. Despite this, there was resistance to my promotion which was frustrating and demotivating. I started working with a coach – Jess Coles – to overcome this resistance. Coaching enabled me to take different approaches, resulting in better recognition of my value to the team and business. I got the promotion that I had been looking for. I would recommend Jess to anyone looking to gain promotion within their business”
Juan, Head of Marketing
“The sessions with Jess increased my awareness about myself and how my work is perceived in the company, and enabled me to make better decisions and work in more efficient ways. The improvement was acknowledged by my superiors and I was given a promotion so it’s safe to say that the coaching was a resounding success.”
Jonathan, Managing Director
Having a coach and mentor in the first six months of my first MD role added real value for me and the business. He was an invaluable sounding board to sense-check my thinking before acting and reacting to company situations. I’d readily recommend to other MDs
Shaun, Finance Director
I’m now six months into the role which has, as expected, presented me with significant challenges and my coach has been there to support me every step of the way with encouragement when I needed it, offering challenge when appropriate and simply providing affirmation whenever I’ve been hesitant or unconfident. I would recommend my coach to anyone taking on their first FD role
Iain, Finance Director
My coach has been pivotal to helping me unearth strengths, and decide what I do next. They have acted as a professional, impartial sounding board, drawing out the key issues, and helping me formulate action plans to overcome these. I would recommend to anyone how is at a crucial point in their career, or needs help to navigate uncertainty.
