Executive Coaching

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Executive coaching from someone who has sat in your chair. Coach 1st is led by an ICF accredited coach who spent more than three decades at Managing Director level in global staffing, including roles at TMP Worldwide, Greatfleet PLC, and HW Group PLC.

Senior leaders rarely lack ideas. What they often lack is the space to think clearly, a sounding board they can trust completely, and someone with enough commercial experience to challenge them properly. Coach 1st provides all three.

A confidential one to one coaching relationship, structured around what you actually need to work on. That might include:

• Stepping into a new leadership role
• Navigating board or shareholder dynamics
• Decisions about restructuring, redundancy, or organisational change
• Managing senior teams and difficult performance conversations
• Strategic clarity and prioritisation
• The confidence work that underpins decisive leadership
• Preparing for the next role, internally or externally

Sessions are bespoke. There is no fixed curriculum, because executives do not have fixed problems.

Many executive coaches have coaching qualifications but limited senior commercial experience. Many former senior leaders coach without formal qualifications. Stuart brings both: ICF accreditation alongside 35 years of MD level experience signing off real decisions with real consequences.

"Stuart's guidance and support have been nothing short of transformative during a challenging period in my career. Stuart's remarkable ability to truly understand my situation, draw from his past experiences, and offer tailored insights gave me the reassurance I needed to move forward. Having someone I could trust to confide in and seek thoughtful, constructive advice from has made all the difference." Todd H, 2025

"I highly recommend Stuart Blake as a career coach whose expertise and guidance were instrumental in navigating a career transition with confidence. What sets him apart is his ability to combine his over 30 years of experience with deep insights about how to approach job searches in the current climate. Beyond the tactical support, Stuart provided much needed encouragement and a good sounding board I needed during challenging moments." Akshay B, June 2025

If you are a senior leader who would benefit from a confidential coaching relationship with someone who has stood where you are standing, get in touch. Initial conversations are free and entirely confidential.