About Coach 1st

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Coach 1st was founded on a simple belief. Quality coaching should not be tiered by seniority, salary, or background. Every participant deserves the same standard of support, personalised to their situation. The principle is straightforward: nobody left behind.

Stuart spent more than three decades in senior recruitment and staffing leadership before founding Coach 1st. His career included Managing Director positions at TMP Worldwide, Greatfleet PLC, and HW Group PLC, where he led teams, signed off redundancies, commissioned outplacement, and watched the market absorb thousands of leavers over economic cycles. He has seen the hiring process from every side: as the buyer, the seller, the manager, and the coach.

Stuart is an ICF accredited coach across career, executive, life, confidence, and ADHD disciplines. Coach 1st was founded as a deliberate response to what he had seen in the industry: tiered outplacement that left the lowest paid leavers with least support, career coaching priced out of reach for the people who needed it most, and employability provision that hit targets on paper but not in lived experience.

To date, Coach 1st has coached more than 7,000 participants across employability, career, executive, and outplacement programmes.

Equitable delivery. Every participant receives the same standard of coaching, regardless of seniority or salary.

Fully personalised. No fixed curriculum. Every programme is shaped around the individual.

Outcome focused. Programmes measured by what happens to participants, not what is delivered to them.

Direct. No subcontractor chain. The coaching is delivered by an ICF accredited practitioner.

Honest. Direct, plain, no embellishment. Stuart's clients consistently describe his style as warm but unflinching.

"Stuart's coaching has helped me in a way that no testimonial could ever do justice to. While I was seeking theoretical support on applications, Stuart had the insight to address barriers of vision and allow me to openly admit my passion for supporting people. Within a few short weeks I had not only gained employment but an appreciation for both me and the immense offering I had for the world. Sometimes the only change you need is someone to believe in you and encourage you to do the same for yourself. Stuart's work and efforts are invaluable. He delivers with kindness, deep understanding of the workforce, and a genuine passion for humanity." Hiba K,

"Stuart took the time to highlight my achievements and helped me feel proud of what I had accomplished. Something I had not done in a while. Stuart's pacing was perfect: no pressure, but enough accountability to keep me moving forward. I would absolutely recommend Stuart to anyone feeling stuck or unsure about their career path." Luke LR, February

"Stuart uses his many years of work and thousands of client experiences to create a person centred dynamic, aimed at helping people move towards the future they want. I would recommend his help to anyone." Elishua K, March

• 87% of job seeking participants receive offers within 16 weeks
• 90% of outplacement participants in new roles within 26 weeks
• 52 to 58% job outcomes for long-term unemployed participants
• 94% client satisfaction
• 7,000+ participants coached