My coaching journey
I spent more than 20 years working in senior HR leadership, as a Head of HR and part of the senior management team. Supporting people to develop, grow and navigate change had always been an important part of my work, and coaching became a natural extension of that experience.
Alongside my senior HR career, I completed my ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring between 2017 and 2020. Several years later, after leaving my Head of HR role and establishing my own coaching practice, I wanted to take my development further, particularly when working with Boards, senior teams, and experienced leaders.
I started studying towards my ICF credential in early 2025 and became a member once I had completed the study and coaching hours. I wanted my practice to be grounded in internationally recognised professional standards and to keep challenging myself as a coach.
How have ICF and UK Chapter membership helped me?
ICF membership has given me far more than a credential. The learning opportunities, webinars and CPD resources have helped me revisit the knowledge and experience I developed throughout my career and view them through the lens of the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics.
That has encouraged me to reflect more deeply on how I coach, why I coach in a particular way and how I can continue to improve. The credentialing journey itself has strengthened my confidence and professional identity, adding an important dimension to my senior leadership experience, Chartered Fellow CIPD status and ILM Level 7 Diploma.
This matters when working at senior level. Boards, senior teams, and experienced leaders need to know that the person supporting them has the experience, skill and professional standards required to work effectively in complex leadership contexts.
The ICF community has been valuable. I have met numerous coaches through my journey, and those relationships have helped me develop both personally and professionally. There is a real sense of being able to reach out for support, share learning and support others too.
The biggest difference my membership has made
The biggest difference is the depth of my professional identity as a coach. I bring together more than 20 years of senior HR leadership experience with my coaching qualifications and ICF ACC credential. My work is focused on supporting experienced leaders to think clearly, navigate complexity and make meaningful change.
ICF has reinforced something I strongly believe: if we expect our clients to keep learning and growing, we need to do the same ourselves. My own journey has not stopped with ACC; I am continuing to build my experience, develop my practice and work towards PCC.
For me, that ongoing commitment is the greatest value of being part of ICF: a professional community and framework that encourages me to keep raising my own standard.
My advice to other members
If you are considering taking out ICF membership and UK Chapter membership, my advice is simple: don’t wait. ICF provides a world-renowned professional framework, access to learning and resources, and a community of coaches committed to developing their practice.
Whether you are new to coaching or coming in with significant professional experience, there is always more to learn. Keep learning, developing, and challenging yourself and don’t wait to take the next step.
