For organisations
Midlife leadership and transition coaching for experienced women
Coaching and workshops that help organisations retain experienced women, and support their confidence, authority and career sustainability through periods of change.
The quiet exit
The women who step back rarely say so in advance
By their late forties and fifties, many of the most experienced women in an organisation are at a decision point. A role that has stopped fitting. A promotion that no longer appeals. Menopause arriving in the middle of a demanding job. Ageing parents, teenagers, a restructure, a long-held plan that needs rethinking.
Most of that thinking happens privately. The organisation usually hears about it late, in a resignation, a withdrawal from progression, or a quiet decision to stop putting herself forward.
This work gives those women somewhere rigorous and confidential to think while the decision is still open, and gives you a reason for them to stay.
Why it matters now
Menopause reaches the work itself
CIPD's 2023 study of more than 2,000 UK working women aged 40 to 60 found that 67% of those experiencing menopause symptoms said the symptoms had a mostly negative effect at work, and 27% reported a negative impact on career progression.
Most employers have the intent, few have the provision
In the DWP's 2024 employer survey, 64% of employers agreed that workplaces should provide support relating to menopause, while 18% had a menopause policy and 5% reported menopause training.
Caring lands on the same decade
The ONS estimates 1.4 million sandwich carers in the UK, 61% of them women, and 51% aged 45 to 64. Many are carrying senior responsibility at the same time.
Careers now run far longer
Women aged 50 to 64 had a 68.2% employment rate in 2025, the highest in the recent series, and women leave the labour market at an average age of 64.7.
From April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have been encouraged to publish voluntary action plans alongside gender pay gap reporting, with menopause-related support among the areas covered by government guidance.
What this work supports
- Retention of experienced women at the point where they are quietly deciding whether to stay.
- Confidence and authority through menopause, caring years and other demanding transitions.
- Your leadership pipeline, including women who are ready for more and unsure whether they still want it.
- Career sustainability across a working life that now runs well into the sixties.
- Returning to work after maternity leave or another extended absence.
- Manager capability, through workshops that give teams language for conversations most people avoid.
Ways to work together
1:1 coaching for senior women
Confidential sessions for an experienced woman at a career or life decision point. The same private coaching I offer through my own practice, funded by her employer.
Energy Leadership Index assessment and debrief
An attitudinal assessment of how a leader shows up day to day and under pressure, followed by a personal debrief and an action plan.
Workshops for teams and women's networks
Practical, reflective sessions on mindful leadership, energy and stress, and sustaining authority through change. Useful for networks, leadership groups and whole teams.
Coaching for maternity returners
Structured support across the return itself. I recommend at least nine sessions, four before returning to work and four or five afterwards.
Tailored programmes
A bespoke coaching or workshop series built around your own goals, whether that is retaining experienced women, supporting working parents, or developing emotional agility in your leaders.
Energy Leadership Index
How your leaders show up when the pressure is on
The Energy Leadership Index is a research-backed attitudinal assessment, recommended by Forbes and available only through iPEC-certified coaches. It looks at attitudes and perceptions, and shows how they shift between an ordinary day and a stressful one.
Every day, mindset shapes how people lead, collaborate and decide. The ELI makes those patterns visible, so a leader can see what she does under pressure and choose differently.
Why energy matters
- Beyond personality tests. Unlike static personality assessments, the ELI looks at attitudes and perceptions and shows how they change in different situations.
- Seven levels of leadership. You see where a leader spends most of her energy, from stressful, draining states to those that inspire creativity and performance.
- Real business impact. Leaders who draw on constructive ("anabolic") energy see better team engagement, greater innovation and stronger results.
- Quick online assessment. About 20 minutes answering questions on how she thinks and reacts in everyday situations.
- Personal debrief. A 60 to 90 minute session with me, a certified Energy Leadership practitioner, to explore the results and identify where the growth sits.
- Action plan. Together we map the shifts that would make the most difference to how she leads.
Three ways organisations use it
- Individual insight. For executives and managers who want to raise self-awareness and sharpen their impact.
- Team experience. Gives a whole team shared language for communication, accountability and trust.
- 360 degree perspective. Adds feedback from colleagues and stakeholders for a fuller picture of a leader's energy.
Maternity returners
The return to work is a transition like any other
Coming back after maternity leave is a pivotal moment for the woman and for the organisation. Without support, capable women can lose confidence, question their place, and start planning an exit long before they announce one.
I work with returners before and after the return: what she wants this phase of her career to look like, how she holds her professional identity alongside a new one, and how she handles the first demanding months with some steadiness.
Nine sessions is my usual recommendation, four before she returns and four or five afterwards.
Working together
- Who I work with
Organisations that value people, purpose and progress, and want to keep the experience they have already paid to build. I come from the corporate world myself, so I understand the pressures your people are under and what that costs in energy, confidence and clarity.
- How I work
Confidential 1:1 coaching for staff and leaders, reflective workshops for teams and networks, ELI assessments and debriefs, and bespoke programmes built around your own objectives. Sessions run in person or online.
- My approach
My coaching blends mindful awareness with an energy-based framework that shows people how they are showing up and how that shapes their wellbeing, their relationships and their leadership.
I specialise in transitions: career change, leadership growth, returning to work, identity shifts, and the point where work simply stops fitting. Rather than surface-level fixes, we look at what is draining energy or holding a decision in place, and at the habits and beliefs that shape how someone thinks and leads under pressure.
Credentials
Start a conversation
Tell me who you are trying to keep
Send me a line about the group you have in mind, what is happening to them at the moment, and what you would want to be different in a year. I will come back with an outline of what would suit, and we can scope it properly from there.
Pilots are a sensible way in. A small group, a clear question, and a look at what changes before anyone commits to a programme.