About Vanessa

During a 20+ year career spanning non-profit and corporate environments I worked my way to the top, leading at Director and CEO level for more than a decade to deliver work across four continents.

Over the years, failing, to succeed - i.e. embracing the opportunities that failing provides - became something of a personal motto.

My professional journey began when I dropped out of school at 16 and unexpectedly became a parent the same year.

After a few crazy years working in news media in London I jumped back into education, hoping to unearth the academic potential I’d recklessly abandoned as a headstrong teen.

Under duress from my masochistic all or nothing alter-ego, I secured a place to read social and political science at the University of Cambridge. Juggling parenting duties with undergraduate lectures and rowing, my daughter and I fell into a happy routine amongst the scholars and spires of Cambridge.

After university I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers’ graduate training scheme. When a financial crisis hit the City of London I was - quite mercifully - made redundant. I’d passed the professional qualifications but just wasn’t excited by the work or the sector.

Unemployed and keen to do something more purposeful I took a deep breath and a big leap, relocating to Africa with my daughter. We lived internationally for many years while I established my career in the international development and do-gooding sector.

In Kenya, Tanzania and Switzerland I led climate projects for the Danish government, partnered with Maasai communities to reverse environmental degradation, advised the United Nations on communications in disasters, delivered the BBC’s international development projects to more than 5 million people across East Africa, and led a global programme leveraging private-sector resources to support women-led business in global majority countries. Later, back in the UK, I worked closely with Buckingham Palace to widen educational opportunities for disadvantaged children, and led work to combat infant malnutrition.

Although I loved the pace and purpose of my work, once I made it to the top I realised how lonely the C-suite echo-chamber can be, and how overwhelming the burden of leadership feels when you're living in Burnout City.

As a senior leader, what I needed most was fresh perspective and a professional confidante to keep me moving forwards, in terms of work outcomes and personal growth.

When I connected with my first coach I discovered more about my true professional self in the first session than I had in the previous decade. I dipped in and out of coaching over several years, allowing time for the transformational growth to embed alongside deeper self awareness and a clearer sense of purpose.

I discovered my values had evolved over time, that I was no longer motivated by the career goals I’d set in my early 20s, and that whilst my leadership career had become all about strategy, budgets, and board meetings, I was craving direct connection and felt driven to help people find their own fire and nurture their confidence to thrive. And so, I retrained as an Executive Coach and began to practice what I now preach - that life is far more rewarding when your values, passions, and work-life are aligned.

Whether you need some professional me time to help you get to where you want to be, or an expert co-pilot and facilitator to help you discover the future - I’d love to connect.

Book a free consultation to have a no-strings (and no marketing spam!) chat.

Speak soon,

Vanessa

p.s. when not coaching, you’ll usually find me dopamine-seeking in wild places. Sea swimming, hiking, safaris, sundowners, dancing in the rain - anywhere where the breeze is in my hair and sun (or rain!) is on my face.

My Psychometric Profile

✦ Myers Briggs (MBTI) – INFP

✦ Insights Discovery: Conscious = YR/GB ; Subconscious = YR/GB

✦ Top 5 Values: Love of Learning, Curiosity, Honesty, Kindness, Creativity

✦ Wickman’s Visionary Indicator Score: 96