Client Success Stories

A Head of Portfolio Management who had been with the same employer for almost 20 years was considering their next move after some organisational changes. Their reputation and legacy was important to them and they wanted to be in charge of their own destiny. There was the desire to stay within the asset management sector and to use their experience and expertise gained over the years. They lacked a clear path for a suitable next role for them and needed support to feel confident in knowing what to do and when.

The client had been in their existing role for a long period of time and they weren’t clear on exactly what they wanted their next role to look like. Whilst they had a great network of contacts they didn’t know what to say to people about what they were looking for or what would match their potential and ambition.

They brought 3 clear objectives to coaching:

• Clarity on next move and how to navigate this
• To understand more about themselves and what makes them tick
• To gain some tools to help achieve career ambitions

Helen provided a six-month executive coaching support package which included six in person one-to-one coaching sessions and support in between, via email and WhatsApp. Clear success measures were agreed at the outset to ensure the coaching objectives would be met.

• Pre-coaching questionnaire
  Which explored what was important, what the motivating factors were, what the ideal role would look like and what the ultimate career ambition was.
• DISC profile
  From a short online assessment, a comprehensive client specific report detailed preferences for communication and relationship building. This insight was used to think about when the client is at their best and how other peoples different styles maybe challenging for them.
• Bespoke 1:1 coaching
  Where assumptions were challenged and a greater understanding was gained on the clients thinking and a decision-making process. Aligned actions were agreed and prioritised.
• Ad-hoc support
  There was accountability in-between sessions to stay on track and make progress to achieve the coaching goals.

The approach enabled the client to have confidence on what the next phase of their career would look like. And to have an action plan that would lead to successfully gaining an ideal role for them which wasn't the easiest and most obvious choice.

• Increased self-awareness and confidence on what they wanted next, how to perform their best and be happy!
  
• A motivated job search process with accountability to stay on track and make progress.
  
• Non-biased, non-judgemental support throughout in a partnership which created the space for honest reflection about their career plans for the future.

• A happy client who really enjoyed working together and "highly recommend" Helen to others.

The Quality & Compliance Director at a fast-growing healthtech firm was highly skilled in their role and instrumental in the company’s product launch success. However, they were struggling to transition from a technical, detail-focused leader into a strategic executive. Overwhelmed by operational demands and reluctant to let go of the detail, they were not fully recognised by peers for their strategic value.

The CEO saw their potential and believed that with the right support, they could step up and become a key contributor at the Executive Leadership Team level.

Despite their technical excellence, the Director’s work was often seen as a “tick-box exercise” by the wider business. To gain credibility and influence at the senior table, they needed to transition from departmental head to strategic leader.

Their main coaching objectives were:

• Communicate the broader business impact of their work, rather than just the technical detail. 
• Shift from micromanagement to a coaching approach with their team.
• Build confidence to handle difficult conversations and influence across the business.

A tailored 1:1 coaching programme was designed, comprising 10 sessions over 6–8 months. 

The focus was on:

• Clarifying long-term career goals and short-term priorities to reduce overwhelm and sharpen focus.
• Leveraging insights from a StrengthsScope assessment to build self-awareness and identify how to use strengths more effectively. 
• Embedding a coaching leadership style to empower their team and free up headspace for strategic priorities.
• Developing skills for influencing, communicating impact, and navigating challenging conversations.

Within six months, the client experienced a significant shift in both mindset and leadership style:

• Stepped into leadership: Adopted a coaching approach with their team, reducing micromanagement and stress while boosting team ownership and performance. Came across as more confident and was comfortable with having difficult  conversations with peers across the organisation, which they previously avoided. 
• Built executive presence: Improved communication with senior stakeholders, focusing on the “so what” of their work and demonstrating strategic value. 
• Gained clarity & confidence: Together, we created a clear roadmap for joining the Executive Leadership Team, and explored career growth both within and beyond the company.

The transformation was recognised by both the CEO and their peers. The client described the coaching with Pankti as a turning point in their career, highlighting the non-judgmental, supportive yet challenging space as critical to their growth.

A happy client who has recommended Pankti to colleagues and friends for personalised coaching.

A Senior Trader at a large International Investment Bank, a strong producer in an area in high demand externally, managing a small team of people. I was contacted as the job was proving to be a source of unhappiness, which was having an increasingly large effect on mindset, health, and how they were showing at home. There were many things about the current role they enjoyed, they were well remunerated, and at face value felt maybe they should just ‘get on with it’, but at the same time there were many frustrations and a high level of stress, which was proving to be the overriding factor.

The client was a senior trader who had been a consistently strong producer, had management aspirations beyond their small team, but felt the path to promotion was being blocked. They felt there was a lot of internal politics and conflict, which was exhausting and stressful, and

clouding all the positive attributes of the role. A general culture of conflict was identified leading to self-preservation across teams and a constant need to justify performance, not helped by a management team that was not easy to approach. The stress and frustration from work was spilling over into their personal life.

The coaching objectives were:

• To explore what could be done to improve the situation in the current role, reduce some of the conflict and explore avenues for promotion.
• To improve Work/Home balance and reduce the stress levels outside work.
• To explore other options internally, externally in the same industry, and externally in a completely different area of the industry.

We worked together over 6 weekly 1-hour sessions, with a follow up mail outlining key discussion points and action items, including models and exercises discussed in the session, to add clarity. Support was offered between sessions via Whatsapp. We broke down sessions into

exploring the current situation, what could be done differently in the current role, how the stress was showing up both at work and at home, how we could reframe certain situations, relationships and communications. We explored what other options were available internally, externally in a similar or more senior role, and externally in different areas of the industry.

• Pre-coaching questionnaire
  Explored the main reasons for coming to coaching, main challenges currently faced, where they would like to be at the end of our sessions, and a wider look at how they rated various aspects of their life.
• Bespoke 1:1 coaching
  A deeper exploration of the client’s situation, where we broke down the current role, identified their needs and values, and how these were being met in the current environment. We looked at how the stress was showing up and where this was coming from, exploring short, and longer-term solutions, and potentially how to reframe many of the drivers. We explored the ideal role, what adjustments could be made to the current role, the pros and cons of greater seniority, what an external move could look like and the barriers and realities to moving.
• Accountability
  While the follow up mail was not homework, it did include some exercises and models that had been introduced in the sessions with a view to evoking greater awareness of the situation, and thus there was an encouragement to look at these ahead of the next session.
• Ongoing support
  While our agreement was for 6 sessions, the ultimate outcome of our sessions did lead to a couple of ad hoc sessions as they decided to take a new path forward a few months down the line.

The sessions gave the client a renewed focus and energy to explore the available options in the current role, but also a structure around what they wanted to do. They developed some clear mechanisms to deal with short term stress and their reactions, and a greater awareness of their longer-term wellbeing and management. They were far clearer about what they wanted from an external move, with some deep exploration into what this would entail across different aspects of life.

A new approach to the current role helped them delegate more to the team, offer more client availability to sales which improved communication across teams and reduced some of the conflict. Unfortunately, the blocks to promotion that existed were unlikely to clear in the near term.

Increased exercise, clear parameters around phone usage, breathing techniques, and gratitude journalling before leaving the office each night, were all attributed to a more positive home life.

A deep exploration of their needs and values really resonated and allowed for a different perspective on the situation, management, and ultimately the Institution.

After incorporating many of the outcomes from the sessions they decided a move was the best option to advance seniority aspirations.

Strong feedback, with the client requesting additional sessions while finalising the external move, and a desire to work with Andy going forward.

After some changes both in work and her homelife, a senior tax manager working at an infrastructure investment fund found a dip in confidence was impacting her ability to perform in her role. 

A programme of coaching (initially 6 sessions, extending to 9) was put in place by her employer to work on ways to build her confidence and get her back to performing at her best.

A technical expert who had consistently performed at a high level, she found that she increasingly had to rely on leadership skills such as judgement, commerciality and team management rather than in-depth analysis. This shift felt uncomfortable as there were fewer right answers and less obvious deliverables. 

This shift left her feeling lost and less confident. Coupled with some team changes and some more assertive personalities, work felt intimidating and less enjoyable.

Through coaching, the focus was on what she needed to succeed in her role as it was now, rather than what it used to be, articulating those skills in a way that she believed and could make sense of. With that clarity, it was possible to analyse where she had existing skills, looking at past experiences and successes, and where she needed to build skills. Action plans were created for her personal development in these areas.

What she enjoyed in her role and what drained her of energy were explored to create a better balance and a clearer focus for delegation, so that she felt less ‘stuck’.

The impact of different personalities on how she showed up in interactions was considered, alongside ways to actively manage this.

• She found clarity in her role and felt less over-whelmed by broader team dynamics.

• Through transactional analysis, she was able to take control of her relationships and challenge her ‘be perfect’ driver. 

• She built on her confidence by taking brave steps such as successfully leading an international trip and hosting a firm-wide webinar. 

Ultimately, this resulted in more positive feedback from the HR team as well as more satisfaction and enjoyment of the role with a clearer direction for the future. 

Working with Laura gave her a new perspective on the challenges that she was facing, resources to return to and an enhanced self-awareness to apply to all aspects of her life. 

A senior manager who had been with the same organisation for close to 10 years had become disillusioned with her role and the Financial services sector. The situation was impacting her personally and professionally as she felt trapped and unable to find a connection with a large part of her identity. As a result, she was not enjoying work and home life was burdensome. She had a desire to get clarity on how to move forward to a happier place where she could be the partner, parent, and enthusiastic employee she once had been. She was battling with imposter syndrome and shying away from challenge and conflict at work. 

The client had settled into a pattern of existence best described as being on a never-ending hamster wheel. She was not sure what needed to change in her life but had come to realise that life was too short to be living for the weekend and then starting another week exhausted from family commitments. 

Her goals for our coaching partnership included:

• Identification of her preferred transferable skills.
• Identification of organisations to apply to.
• Building her confidence to start attending networking events and reaching out to individuals to understand potential opportunities in differing environments. 
• Support improving her marketability as an employee. 

Kofi provided a 6-month career transition coaching support package conducted virtually with support between sessions via email. There was also a mid-point reflection to review and refine objectives to ensure the desired progress was being made.

• Discovery call
  To identify how the coachee wanted our partnership to work, her goals, a holistic well-being assessment and her preferred learning methods. This step enabled Kofi to tailor his approach to the needs of the coachee. 
• Bespoke 1:1 coaching
  In the sessions the client was encouraged to determine her priorities for the session and what success would look like on her terms. Kofi ensured he met her where she was in each session providing varying degrees of supportive challenge accordingly. Clear actionable steps were agreed during each session with check ins post session to understand her feedback from each session and raise her self-awareness and responsibility for creating the path she desired.
• Ad-hoc support
  Alongside the check ins there were additional shorter calls or requests for support with challenges in between the sessions.  

Kofi’s approach yielded incredible results that were felt not only by the coachee but also by her family. By taking a holistic approach to supporting her goals the coachees well-being was noticeably transformed. After the 1st session she returned with a smile, appearing lighter and wearing brighter clothes. Her self-awareness and decision to take control of what she could control rather than drift on the tide of life were key cornerstones of her progression. She had:

• Carved out time consistently to exercise.
• Reconnected with dormant hobbies.
• Become involved in her organisation’s Employer Resource Groups.
• Was feeling optimistic about her future. 

After the 3rd session her husband and children had shared that they were enjoying her increased presence and happiness. 

The progress continued exponentially over the following sessions through the following:

1. Commitment to prioritising her well-being. 
2. Focusing on what she could control. 
3. Greater self-awareness to self-regulate unhelpful emotional reactions and chose more productive responses. 
4. Renewed confidence in her ability to find solutions to personal and professional challenges. 
5. Clarification of the transferable skills she wished to use moving forward.
6. Clarification of the sectors she wished to work in. Progress was made connecting with individuals introduced by the coach and through her own network to explore various organisations. This included attending networking events for the first time in years. 
7. A revised CV and LinkedIn profile which brought to life her rich experience in a more engaging authentic way. 
8. Having Kofi as her accountability partner to challenge where unhelpful limiting beliefs were holding her back from achieving the actions she had set out. 

A senior investment professional wanted to step into a bigger role and feel energised about work again after an intense period of change. She was looking for clarity on what career decisions to make, how to practically approach a move, and how to shift her mindset. She wanted to build confidence in promoting herself internally and externally, identify the right next role, whilst ideally securing a more senior position.

The client had been with her employer for seven years in a period marked by high workload, stress, and organisational change. She had subject matter expertise, a team to lead, and great pride in her work, but confidence was low, and she felt stuck in the story she was telling herself. She wanted to regain ownership, rediscover her motivation, and carve out a clear path forward.

Her objectives were:

• Get comfortable promoting herself at work and in interviews
• Identify and secure the right next role with more seniority
• Reduce stress and shift her mindset so she felt more engaged and positive

Jon provided a six-month coaching programme, combining one-to-one sessions with WhatsApp and email support between meetings. The approach created space for both thinking and doing, combining storytelling and mindset work with structured challenge and practical support to build new habits and a different way of working.

• Pre-coaching questionnaire
  Helped the client clarify goals across both inner mindset (confidence, motivation) and outer actions (career moves, productivity, and balance). 
• Bespoke 1:1 coaching
  Jon provided space to pause, reflect, and reframe her story. He challenged her assumptions, encouraged new perspectives, and created accountability so she could make continuous progress between sessions, despite perceived time constraints. 
• Tailored exercises
  Included co-creating a Success Blueprint to visualise a future target state and working on limiting beliefs through a “sages and saboteurs” viewpoint; helping her rewrite the narrative she held about herself and her career. 
• Additional resources
  Practical frameworks, exercises and challenges (either in session or between session) supported her in embedding new habits and aligning daily actions with her bigger vision. 

This mix of bespoke coaching, covering creativity, structured storytelling, and practical support, helped her connect her professional ambitions to a bigger vision of the life she wanted to lead, while also equipping her with the confidence to make actual change happen.

Through coaching, the client reassessed where she spent her time and energy and prioritised what mattered most. She built new daily habits, applied wellbeing boundaries, and focused on her next move with renewed clarity. The result was both immediate and long-term: she moved into a ‘Head of…’ role with a promotion and pay rise, while also creating new working habits and a roadmap for her future aspirational life.

She left with:

• Awareness of the inner story holding her back, and confidence to showcase her abilities
• A new way of defining the future story she wanted to tell, with clear steps to make it real
• Tangible working habits aligned to her bigger vision of success and balance

In her own words:

"Jon’s coaching challenged my worldview and transformed my approach to work.”