Meet our Coaches from Europe

Get to know more about our coaches by clicking their photos below.

David Opperman

Sue Watson

JANICE TAYLOR

Ric Robinson-Horley

Monica Mundo

Dionne Lewis-Reid

Catherine Brown

Leila Denison-pender

Ruth Saville

Sabrina Bryan

Lesley Holt

Winnie Sorenson

Bruce Murphy

Sheila Coles

JANE GILL

Robert Webb

Dipal Shah

Virginia Wan (UK Based)

Tracy Shuff

SUSAN BAIRD

Sybille Schiffmann

Tracey Clay

Caitriona Farrell

Rebeca Valenca

Marta Wasowicz

Paula Donnan

ULRIKA MANDELL

Laura Leuillier

David Opperman, Executive Career Coach

As an experienced career consultant, David has coached clients from a variety of sectors and disciplines since the 1990’s, helping them to successfully move into new career areas. As an experienced Executive Coach, David has helped many senior business professionals discover their true potential and achieve greater career success.

Providing guidance to achieve their aspirations within a realistic timescale, David has effectively supported many ambitious business professionals to gain promotion and develop their CPD.

David began his career working as a manager for large hotel groups, an independent brewery, contract catering and country house hotels. He then spent several years in college teaching and university lecturing, delivering on a wide range of business and management qualifications which included postgraduate and masters’ level/MBA courses. As part of his role, he also enjoyed coaching graduates and post-grad MBA students in their job search, helping many to progress into new careers.

Sue Watson, Executive Career Coach

Sue is a qualified Executive Career Coach with extensive international experience across multiple industries, including financial services, telecommunications, professional services, IT, construction, retail, not-for-profit & education. She has worked closely with business leaders from diverse specialisations and cultures in the UK, Europe, Australia, the US & India for over 30 years.

Sue coaches business leaders at all levels including C-suite executives, business owners and individuals in career transition. This may include preparation for promotion; first 90 days in a new role; maximising use of social media; self-employment; interim management; consulting & NED opportunities.

Sue has extensive expertise in leadership development, change and project management. She encourages leaders to establish and develop robust stakeholder relationships and to strengthen their professional capability. Sue uses sound commercial insight to help clients to achieve their desired business outcomes.

Sue establishes a trusting & safe environment where she challenges thinking and assumptions that may limit potential. Her coaching approach balances passion, energy and creativity. By asking perceptive questions, she prompt clients to step outside of their comfort zone and uncover their true potential.

Janice Taylor

Janice is a qualified (PGDip, MSc, BSc (Hons)) career coach who has run her own business for twenty years. During this time Janice has coached and delivered workshops within British Airways, the BBC, the London School of Economics, The Learning and Skills Improvement Service, Brighton and Hove City Council, and Croydon Health Services NHS Trust.

Her last full-time employed position was within a Further Education college where she ran the Open and Distance Learning service and managed the successful opening of the College’s High Street Learning shop.

Janice has never regretted her decision to become a coach and is passionate about promoting resilience in others. She strongly values the ability of each individual to take ownership of their working lives and careers, with an acute awareness of her resilience, Janice has developed some expertise in helping people to maintain energy and focus in challenging times.

When Janice isn’t busy running her business and her home, she spends her time playing the piano and writing.

Ric Robinson-Horley, Executive Career Coach

Ric is an experienced and successful career coach, counsellor and mentor with a valuable and varied corporate background. Ric’s skill lies in helping, advising and mentoring executives who may have reached a crossroads in their career, perhaps due to restructuring or redundancy.

Ric’s sector experience includes Banking, Recruitment, Sales and Marketing and Business Development in Advertising, Real Estate, Aviation and FMCG. A start-up specialist and advisor, he has also raised finance for new businesses. He has also provided coaching support for existing companies in the UK, Hungary and Denmark.

In 2006, Ric made the decision to put his extensive experience to good use and become a career coach. He is now based in London, specialising in Career Transition and Progression and has helped many senior-level executives to find suitable positions in a multitude of sectors.

Monica Mundo, Executive Career Coach

Monica is a qualified career coach and a member of the Association of Coaching.
She is passionate about working with clients and supporting them through their career change, promotion as well as relocation. Monica is also a qualified life coach and has 10 years of cross-cultural experience in the corporate world between Italy and the UK.

Her approach is based on the latest research in career evaluation and transition. As a Licensed Firework Career Coach she breaks up the process into clearly defined milestones, which help clients to understand their strengths and their vision as well as identify their transferable skills and opportunities for their transition into new roles and sectors.

As a certified Strengths Profile practitioner, a tool built on a decade of research in positive psychology, she also supports professionals going through a career promotion. Together with her clients she works in developing self-awareness, professional confidence as well as personal resilience to empower them to realise their strengths and accomplish their goals in the new role.

Her skills as a life coach are incorporated into her career coaching, because often the path to success goes deeper than professional achievements.

Monica is a certified career coach with Firework coaching, as well as Strengths Profile practitioner and a Mental Health First Aider.

Dionne Lewis-Reid, Executive Career Coach

Since being made redundant from her role as Head of Equality and Diversity in 2009, Dionne went on to found her own training and coaching business, whose aim is to help people transform their lives and the lives of others, and empower them to be more efficient and effective both at work and in their personal lives by delivering Training and Coaching solutions on a range of subjects, including; Outplacement/ Employability, Equality and Diversity, Communications and Soft Skills.

She also runs Six Degrees of Inspiration (SDoI) a group set up to create a ‘Butterfly effect’ of inspiration where the ripples create abundance and inspire many others be grateful and acknowledge what they have!

Her clients often include Senior Leaders and Managers and staff from a wide range of sectors, corporations and organisations; Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Ministry of Defence (MOD), Housing Associations (HA’s), Local Authority (LA’s), National Health Service (NHS), Higher and Further Education Colleges (HE & FE) and OFCOM.

Catherine Brown, Executive Career Coach

Catherine Brown has varied experience including as a languages graduate, to practising barrister to EMCC-qualified coach, so has lived experience of career change which she brings to her coaching.

15 years of experience in the courtroom allows Catherine to deploy her forensic skills in her coaching, to delve beneath the surface and identify what is perhaps not being said, or any incongruity between what is being said and what has been done.

Her coaching philosophy is informed by her belief in the power and responsibility of the individual to bring about change in their professional and personal lives.

Against that background, she employs a collaborative and conversational style which allows her clients to stop and think and gives them the time and space in which they can express themselves, explore new ideas and develop their own solutions.

Leila Dension, Executive Career Coach

Leila is a Career Coach with a Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching which is accredited by the ICF (International Coaching Federation).

After originally graduating with an MSc in International Marketing, Leila spent the first part of her career in Marketing Research, providing strategic insights to large corporations. She then transitioned to the world of Recruitment, helping hundreds of candidates find their dream job across an array of sectors, from Financial Services to Tech and Advertising.

Leila has always been passionate about helping people achieve their full potential and has a sweet spot for anyone contemplating a career change.

She likes using creative techniques in her coaching when appropriate as she believes they allow to tap into our subconscious and unleash powerful insights.

She speaks French and Spanish and can also conduct sessions in those languages if need be.

Ruth Saville, Executive Career Coach

Ruth is a qualified career guidance and development coach with 13 years’ experience. A career shifter herself, Ruth previously enjoyed life as a senior international HR and OD manager in industries including manufacturing, finance and management consulting, before retraining following a family-focused career break.

Ruth is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and is trained in psychometric profiling. She works with professionals in career transition at all levels, including senior executives and entrepreneurs from multiple sectors including HE, local government, finance, hospitality, manufacturing, IT and health. She particularly enjoys supporting ‘square pegs’ in finding their ‘square hole’ and will work creatively and tenaciously to achieve positive insights and outcomes.

Empathetic, encouraging and practical, Ruth’s approach facilitates self-awareness and belief by helping clients identify values, achievement stories and transferable skills, then building their ability to research, network and self-market effectively. Key areas include interview prep and technique, first 100 days in role, and reintegration of returners to the workplace. Developing a client’s long-term career management capabilities is integral to Ruth’s practice, as is creating the space for an honest, enjoyable and productive working relationship.

Ruth is an avid arts and sports fan.

Sabrina Bryan, Executive Career Coach

Sabrina is an experienced professional with over 15 years’ experience, specialising in finance across a variety of sectors including housing, construction, and education.

She has completed CMI Level 7 coaching courses and has been successfully carrying out career and life coaching. Leadership and management development are her forte. Known for setting up and running high performance teams of varying sizes, she has never shied away from a challenge. Her coaching experience ranges across all levels of experience and seniority.

Sabrina enjoys having a balanced life and in her spare time enjoys watching sports and enjoying family life. She loves nothing more than help people to realise and achieve their goals.

Lesley Holt, Executive Career Coach

Lesley is an accredited coach and a member of the Association of Coaching with several years’ experience of coaching people through organisational, career and personal changes. She has worked in both retail and the pharmaceutical industry, holding a variety of leadership roles across several companies.  This hands-on experience meant Lesley developed a deep understanding of and curiosity about people, along with the ability to develop clear objectives. She brings these skills to her coaching, creating a supportive environment for her clients, enabling them to increase self-awareness and create clarity.

As a senior leader in a corporate role Lesley has personal experience of career transition. This along with her ability to engage with people from all walks of life allows her to easily establish trust and guide her clients towards a positive future.

Lesley’s clients say she radiates calm, is highly supportive yet challenging and helps them look deeper into themselves thus enabling them to create greater clarity.

Winnie Sorenson,
Executive Career Coach

Winnie is an experienced executive, career and transformation coach, NLP practitioner, DISC practitioner and ‘Time to Think’ coach and facilitator. She spent over 30 years working within the maritime industry around the world before becoming a coach in 2013 supporting individuals and companies through change and transformation.Winnie provides an environment where you can think safely for yourself and assists by igniting your mind to produce new and transformative ideas. She believes in utilising and harvesting existing skills, empowering clients to uncover options and values to enable them to make confident choices. She promotes independent thinking across all her work.

Using her extensive experience in management, HR and cross-cultural settings Winnie works with individuals as well as the commercial and public sectors. She has built an impressive track record demonstrating her capability to help develop change and transformation in organisations and individuals. Winnie is encouraging, enthusiastic, and hopefully inspirational!

Bruce Murphy, Executive Career Coach

With a broad and varied HR career, Bruce has worked in 25 countries including 16 years on a range of expatriate assignments in Dubai, Oman and Nigeria. His career includes periods with GEC, Nestle, Nissan, Inchcape, Emirates National Oil Company and more recently he was Head of a Talent Development for Aggreko Plc. He has operated both as an internal and external coach and is passionate in looking to support people in career transitions and career path development.

He trained as a coach with Ashridge Business School over 10 years ago and supported the Ashridge Leadership Programme in the UAE in a coaching capacity. He is a licensed career coach with Career Counselling Services and is a Member of the Association for Coaching. Bruce holds an MSc in Training and HRD.

Sheila Cole, Executive Career Coach

Sheila has rich experience as a professional career coach and psychologist. She takes a relational, client-centred approach to supporting career transition: facilitating the development of career management skills that are attuned to clients’ wider life contexts and fit for purpose for use in both the here-and-now and the future.
Combining leadership experience with her own career change, Sheila has an MSc in Career Management & Counselling, British Psychological Society membership and psychometric testing qualifications.
She is fascinated by how people navigate the world of work: enjoying working with clients to overcome external and internal challenges to effective presentation of their professionalism. Sheila’s particular career coaching interests include: the effective use of social media, and enhancing personal resilience, self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Jane Gill, Executive Career Coach

Jane is an experienced career coach with over 25 years’ experience both within organisations and in career coaching. As a HR Director on the Board of several large corporate organisations she had responsibility for search and selection strategy and implementation. This has enabled her to have valuable insight as to what it takes to get the role – both in preparation and at interview.

Her HR Director roles have also meant that she has shaped company strategy and delivered significant business change through building leadership capability. Jane has worked in Europe and the US. Jane has also used her experience to be the Chair of a well know charity.

Jane is a qualified coach with the international Coaching Federation She is a qualified as an MBTI practitioner and is a Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development.

Jane is passionate about enabling coaching clients to maximise their strengths and potential to gain career and life fulfilment.

Robert Webb, Executive Career Coach

Robert inspires his clients to achieve their self-potential and help them fulfil their career goals most efficiently and effectively. He is a highly experienced Career Coach, MBTI Assessor, NLP Practitioner and MBA qualified.

Robert strives to support his clients, taking them from a position of ‘forced change’ into one of ‘opportunity’ in their career and helps to release fears, increase self-confidence and open new doors. He considers integrity, trust, professionalism and honesty as key values to the foundation of his results-driven coaching.

He has a highly successful business track record having worked in the corporate international business community for more than 30 years with global high technology brands. He has undertaken key management roles in business development and marketing.

Dipal Shah, Executive Career Coach

I worked in the Investment Banking world for 15 years and then decided after having children to become a coach, helping women return to the workplace with confidence and self-worth. I want women to succeed with their careers, and not feel guilty being away from family. Being a working mum and juggling so many balls is definitely a challenge, and my aim is to help clients be more resilient and see these challenges as opportunities, as well as enjoy what they do.

Life can be hectic, and it’s easy to lose sight of where your career is going and where it could go, and therefore believe that self development is important in these times. I enjoy seeing clients grow in confidence, and their self esteem, and lowering the expectations of themselves. I am also an ICF accredited coach.

Virginia Wan, Executive Career Coach

Virginia’s 25-year career has been devoted to corporate talent management, helping graduates and executives in multi-national companies with their needs of pivoting careers and lives. She has studied in Canada and France, holds a degree from ENSAM and has lived and worked in the US and major cities in Asia.

She is a certified NLP Master Practitioner, Ericksonian Hypnosis, and a Christopher Howard Master Results Coach. She has also practiced many years of mindfulness and is passionate in developing mental health and wellness; boosting creativity, decision-making and emotional well-being that are well reflected in the executive’s performance and results.

Virginia’s expertise is helping executives through their career challenges at different life stages, during corporate changes in management or redundancy, covering sectors of retail and service, sourcing and manufacturing, finance and consulting, technology and technical products.

She conducts coaching and training programmes in English, Cantonese and Mandarin and speaks fluent French.

Tracy Shuff, Executive Career Coach

I was in Interim Management recruitment until 2011 when I realised I was no longer getting the same buzz from it.  I spoke with a career coach and decided to completely change direction and become a coach myself.

I did a couple of Post Graduate Certificates in Executive and Team Coaching and launched myself as a Career and Executive Coach.  I have been coaching for over 11 years now and I absolutely love it.

My executive coaching skills enable me to help clients explore more deeply their career values and aims and my 20 years in interim and executive recruitment means I understand the executive job market, and all other options including self-employment, consultancy etc.

Susan Baird, Executive Career Coach

​Susan is a qualified Executive Coach (ILM Level 7, PG Dip, MA Hons) and member of the Association of Coaching. She has a successful track record in helping leaders, business owners and executives unlock their potential through 1:1 coaching. Susan is also a Chartered member of the CIPD with over 23 years of working in Human Resources and is qualified in Occupational Testing and Personality Profiling.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Susan has worked across a variety of industries in the public and private sectors including the health service, oil and gas, retail, legal, charities and financial services and with individuals based throughout the UK, Europe, the USA, and Asia. She tailors her coaching methodologies to align with the unique needs and goals of each client.

Susan’s approach is client-focused, quickly establishing an open and trusting coaching relationship to foster self-belief and motivation. She asks insightful questions to allow clients to set their goals, break through barriers and achieve success. Supportive yet challenging, Susan ensures her clients achieve their outcomes by providing encouragement and accountability throughout the coaching process.

Sybille Schiffmann, Executive Career Coach

I have over 20 years’ experience working with executives and senior leaders from a range of sectors. Formerly, I have worked as a senior leader myself involved in training and higher education and over the last 13 years I have been actively involved in 121 and team coaching engagements, that largely complement professional leadership development programmes that I have designed. I have therefore supported executives in their career and role transitions, plus providing coaching support for a host of other ‘change’ agendas that they bring.

I am qualified as an NLP coach. My coaching approach is creative and action-oriented, supporting clients to explore and effectively progress their career and life goals. This involves adopting strengths-based approaches to draw out clients’ talents, resources and motivations and enable them to develop their unique ‘brand’. Finally, in line with my leadership doctoral research, I also draw on a range of research informed coaching methods and approaches to support individuals in their coaching ambitions, in line with their values and purpose.

Tracey Clay, Executive Career Coach

Tracey’s own career journey has been shaped by her understanding of the importance of ‘Pivotal Moments’ in life and work.

After two decades of success in recruiting a wide range of hires, including senior levels across various industries and sectors, Tracey founded Pivotal Recruit & Coaching in 2019. With a passion for developing people, she has coached and mentored a wide range of professionals at all levels including senior management and executives. A qualified Coach, Recruitment and Talent professional Tracey’s unique skillset and style helps support individuals and businesses in their ‘Pivotal Moments’ and beyond, providing solutions with one common factor – ‘People’.

Caitriona Farrell, Executive Career Coach

Caitríona qualified as a coach with Coaching Development Ireland, an
ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited programme in 2021. She was winner of ICF Ireland’s Rising Star Coach of the Year in 2023.

Caitríona has previously worked as a Recruitment Consultant with
Ireland’s leading recruitment company, Cpl. She has been a Careers Consultant with University College Dublin. She herself has navigated career change from previously being a Chemical & Bioprocess Engineer.

Along with her passion for people is her love for languages. Caitríona speaks French, Portuguese along with some Spanish and Irish. She is curious about the language we speak to ourselves with, and that which we communicate with others. Caitríona can be found drafting CVs, LinkedIn Profiles, Applications, Cover Letters, GitHub Profiles, Bios, Personal Statements and other Personal and Professional Branding with her clients to working on verbal and body communication in Networking, Interview Preparation and Offer Negotiation. She helps her coachees build confidence and have executive presence. She coaches graduates to mid-management to CEOs moving roles or re-entering the world of work.
She uses the psychological schools of Transactional Analysis, NLP and
Positive Intelligence in her work.

Caitríona has lived in France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil with shorter periods of time spent in the UK, Spain, Germany and onboard an NGO Japanese cruise ship. She has been to 48 countries and coached clients from more nationalities than the countries she has visited. She believes life and our career is a wonderful journey and knowing what we want on a deep level and with the right tools, we have control in how we navigate our career and life.

Rebeca Valenca, Executive Career Coach

Experienced in recruitment, training, leadership development, and outplacement, dedicated to advancing executive’s careers. Founded TalentFactory.coach to scale digital coaching for C-suite professionals in career transitions, helping top management redefine career paths with clarity and purpose.

As a performance coach, trained over 1,200 senior leaders in career
advancement strategies, interview preparation and negotiation equipping them with essential tools for success. Supported board members in application processes and established partnerships with venture builders and private equity recruitment firms.

Seasoned in event planning, collaborating with industry leaders to promote early adoption of emerging technologies like AI, Web3 and Blockchain, aiming at driving corporate buy-in. Delivered workshops on personal branding for founders and CEOs to enhance digital presence (top voice) on Linkedin.

Marta Wasowicz, Executive Career Coach

 

With over 20 years of experience in global Talent Leadership roles in FTSE 100 companies across IT, Consulting, Telco, Media, and Retail, I leverage my experience in helping others reposition and boost their career. I am passionate about helping individuals unlock their potential and achieve personal and professional growth. Holding an MSc in Organisational Psychology and certification in Coaching from the International Coaching Federation, I combine deep, values-based coaching with a practical, behavioural-based and action-oriented approach to produce tangible results.

I have coached senior leaders, including CEOs, Directors, Entrepreneurs, and high-potential professionals, helping them redefine their professional purpose and direction, set company business strategy, manage complex team dynamics and office politics, boost productivity, and increase personal influence through building a robust personal brand.

Known for my emotionally intelligent, goal-oriented, and direct coaching style, I adapt my approach to each individual’s needs—whether as a sounding board, accountability partner, or strategic enabler. My global experience, fluency in two languages, and cultural sensitivity allow me to help clients thrive in international and multicultural environments.

Let’s work together to build your vision, transform your leadership, and take your career to the next level.

Paula Donnan, Executive Career Coach

I am a dedicated career coach and mentor with over 10 years of
experience helping individuals navigate their career paths and achieve their professional goals. My journey into career coaching began through working on employability programs, where I was fortunate to mentor individuals at different stages of their careers and deliver targeted employability training. It was in this role that I discovered my passion for guiding others in finding meaningful work, developing their skills, and building confidence in their professional lives. In 2023, I decided to take a bold step forward by founding my own career coaching business, Donnan Coaching Services, where I now support professional job seekers and career changers across various industries. My approach is rooted in a combination of practical guidance and mindset coaching, helping my clients not only find new career opportunities but also thrive with confidence and purpose in their work. Today, I am pleased to be part of Executive Connexions, joining a community dedicated to developing leadership growth and career success.

Ulrika Mandell, Executive Career Coach

Ulrika is a creative and dedicated Career Coach with over 20 years of
experience helping individuals navigate their career paths and achieve their professional goals.

Ulrika started her company in the fall of 2004 because she saw a great need from people she met to get help with life- and career planning. She met a lot of people who felt that they wanted a change but they did not really know what kind of change. It surprised her that so many people felt unhappy with their ives or in their jobs. That was the spark. The spark that ignited her passion and gave her the courage to start her own business.

Ulrika has an exam in Behavioral Science with expertise in coaching, work environment and leadership. For the past twenty-five years, she has worked in Human Resources with a focus on wellbeing, career guidance and development of both companies and individuals.

In her work as a leader and a recruiter, she has seen many examples where people feel that they are not in the right place, and therefore they do not feel great. She feels that it is truly unnecessary, when there are fairly simple tools to use to end up in the right place.

Today, She is pleased to be part of Executive Connexions, joining a community dedicated to developing leadership growth and career success.

Laura Leuillier, Executive Career Coach

 

Laura is an ICF qualified Career Coach specialising in helping global professionals fast track their career success & personal growth without sacrificing their happiness.

She has worked with people from diverse industries and backgrounds, coaching her clients to land new roles within the same industry, pivot to a new direction completely or even start profitable businesses.

Laura earned a Masters in Human Resources Management from one of the top French business schools and thereafter enjoyed a successful career in HR before transitioning to teaching and coaching. She is fluent in French and can coach in this language.

Laura’s coaching approach is modern, dynamic and gets real results. She delivers a highly personalised approach with each client, ensuring they feel comfortable and resourceful throughout and, most importantly, achieve their objectives. In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, playing music and walking her bilingual Labrador Maurice.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.