Coach, Consultant & Cultural Sector Leader

Portrait photo of Helen - she has dark brown and grey shoulder-length hair, dark eyes and warm neutral expression.jpg

  • For over twenty years I've worked with some of the UK's most exciting arts and cultural organisations - including Discover Children's Story Centre, Art Fund, Unicorn Theatre, Chickenshed Theatre, National Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre and the Belgrade Theatre.

    I've held roles including CEO, Executive Director, and Director of Marketing, navigating the joys and complexities of leading mission-driven organisations through growth, challenge, and change. I've also served as a trustee, deepening my understanding of governance and strategic leadership.

    I’m now a freelance coach and consultant. I undertake 1-2-1 coaching, strategic project work, facilitation and training, and interim CEO and senior leader roles to support organisations during periods of transition. I also regularly lecture at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts on audience development, leadership and management.

  • I first experienced coaching while on a Clore leadership course and again when I started my first Executive Director role. I found coaching transformative, it expanded my thinking and helped me usefully process difficult moments and challenges in ways I couldn’t have done alone.

    Through these experiences I developed a deep interest in a coaching-led approach to leadership and to coaching others. Coaching skills have helped me better support and empower the people around me as a leader, and informed many aspects of my life including how I facilitate, teach, and show up as a friend and colleague.

    I believe that leading from a place of humanity and clarity helps me be braver, creative, more compassionate, and more effective - and this has a positive ripple effect on my work, and my teams and organisations.

  • Having undertaken senior roles including as CEO, I know the reality of the cultural and charity sectors: it can be challenging. The economics are squeezed. The pressures can be immense. But the opportunity to lead brilliant people delivering exceptional and impactful work is also richly rewarding - the highs are high.

    I deeply believe that investing in people and their potential is the solution to these challenging times, alongside clear vision, strategy and processes that enable people to contribute meaningfully and skillfully to impactful organisational goals.

    What I offer is grounded, warm and honest support for navigating this reality. I listen carefully, ask the questions that matter, and work collaboratively with you to identify what will genuinely help - whether that's coaching, organisational development work, project consultancy or strategic planning.

    • Postgraduate Certificate in Coaching for Behavioural Change from Henley Business School

    • Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching from Henley Business School

    • Leader as Coach training with Henley Business School

    • Strategic Planning with Aspire Leadership

    • Mini MBA in Marketing with Mark Ritson

    • Clore Leadership Pulse

    • Ba Hons 1:1 in Fine Art Painting, Brighton University