"Maria has an ability to reach out and connect with anyone, anywhere. While others are talking about how they might build a culture of inclusion, Maria is just out there doing it."

- René Carayol MBE

I work with leaders so that they become more effective and better able to contribute meaningfully to their businesses in the short and long term.

I help them develop insight and understanding and move quickly to action, bringing them more fulfilment both in the workplace and in life generally.

I have extensive experience of working across cultures in multiple languages, and am particularly good at quickly grasping challenges faced, cutting through complexity and identifying pragmatic solutions. I act as a catalyst, enabling people to become ‘unstuck’ and move forward. My ability to hold multiple viewpoints enables me to empathise with the challenges faced by my clients, whilst also allowing me to challenge assumptions.

Client Testimonials

What my clients say

I found Maria to be both sympathetic and empathetic and she really challenged me to find the solutions in my own time and space. I still reflect back on my notes and will be forever grateful.

When I started working with Maria, I had felt stuck and frustrated for some time and was ready to quit my job and make drastic changes in my personal life. Maria helped me to understand the root causes of those feelings. The level of awareness that Maria awakened in me is something I not only continue to apply every day in my professional life, but also something I have carried through into all relationships with amazing success on both fronts.

Maria’s coaching made a massive difference to me personally and to my career. Maria gave me the insight I needed to shift the circumstances around me and in myself, with not only the promotion being in the bag within a few months, but generally many aspects in my life improving and falling into place.

Coaching Philosophy

I believe that we each have the answers to our challenges already. My role is not to provide new answers, but rather to help others to step back from their situations, to see patterns and to identify the actions required to enable them to progress. My aim is to make myself redundant as a coach, because I have enabled the leaders I work with to coach themselves going forward.

Business Experience

My career started at Barclays Bank, where I was a successful Relationship Director, responsible for a portfolio of large corporate customers, generating annual profit of £150m. I then moved from frontline sales into risk management, where I oversaw the restructure of the risk function across Barclays Africa, and the integration of Absa Risk into Barclays Group Risk. In these roles, I was also focussed on the identification and development of in-country talent, identifying individuals with potential and facilitating their move into more senior roles. I successfully worked across multiple cultures in Africa, enabling people to cut through red tape and implement pragmatic solutions, building consensus across stakeholders to ensure sustainability.

I led the establishment of an internal coach training programme for Absa, South Africa and for Barclays Africa, where I was responsible for the training, supervision and ongoing professional development of around 150 coaches in 14 countries, working in three languages.

I left Barclays in 2014 to establish my own leadership coaching business, offering a rare combination of practical business expertise and specialist expertise in coaching.

If my way of working resonates with you, let’s chat

Should we work together?

Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation)
Professional Certified Coach Supervisor (International Coach Federation)
MBA, Henley Business School

Qualified Banker (Chartered Institute of Bankers)
Professional Certified Coach Supervisor (International Coach Federation)
MBA, Henley Business School

"Maria has an ability to reach out and connect with anyone, anywhere. While others are talking about how they might build a culture of inclusion, Maria is just out there doing it." - René Carayol MBE