Why me?

Erica_HandlingI am a qualified executive coach with over 30 years of experience of working in the City as a partner in a law firm and as the General Counsel of two major financial institutions facing significant periods of challenge and change.

During my executive career I worked at senior executive level managing large, internationally dispersed teams, building and developing businesses, restructuring groups and supporting the development of many colleagues.

When coaching I draw on my knowledge and experience of coaching and psychology gained during my coaching training and subsequent practice and research but also on my years of experience as a senior leader working in large, demanding, successful organisations.

Clients

My work as a coach focuses on supporting senior leaders in the corporate, public and charitable sectors in recognising and reaching their full potential, driving performance and achieving specific goals, whilst living a fulfilled existence.

Coaching Approach

My approach to coaching is based on a belief that most people have the answers to issues they face somewhere within themselves and that these answers can be brought out if they are given sufficient space, support and constructive challenge to explore their thoughts.

Carving the time and space to think strategically can create invaluable pay-offs in terms of career progression but also in how fulfilled and happy you are in your life more generally. In particular having someone to talk issues through with who is objective and who has no set agenda can be really liberating in terms of having access to a sounding board and a partner who is 100 per cent on your side but who will still hold you to account by reference to your own agenda.

Areas Explored

Areas explored in coaching range from the very specific such as formulating a business plan or enhancing performance in large meetings, to broader issues such as work life balance, long term career goals and consideration of the purpose of life and core values, often a helpful foundation for change.

My CV

Coaching Qualifications

  • Accredited with the Association for Coaching
  • Meyler Campbell Mastered Coaching Programme
  • Academy of Executive Coaching Practitioner Diploma
  • MBTI and Hogan Certified
  • Foundation Year, Psychotherapy, St Regents College
  • Member of the Institute of Coaching

Current Roles

  • Petershill Partners plc – Non-Executive Director and member of all Committees of a publicly listed company which invests in interests in private equity partnerships which are managed by Goldman Sachs
  • Supervisory Board Member of Dutch market maker Optiver Holding B.V.
  • Spark Inside – Chair – a charity that provides coaching to those living and working in prison
  • St Giles Trust – Deputy Chair and Chair of the Risk and Governance Committee – a charity empowering people who are held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues
  • HMPPS Strategic Challenge Panel – constituted to consider emerging strategic issues and major programmes of work in HMPPS

Executive Career Positions

  • BlackRock – General Counsel, Europe Middle East and Africa – global asset manager
  • Barclays Investment Bank and Barclays Corporate Bank – General Counsel, Europe Middle East and Africa – global investment bank
  • Partner – Ashurst LLP, international law firm – founding and managing partner of the Securities and Structured Finance Practice
  • Partner – Weil Gotshal & Manges, US international law firm
  • Allen & Overy, International Law Firm – lawyer in banking and capital markets

Earlier Non-executive Roles

  • Government Legal Department – Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit and Risk Committee. GLD provides legal advice to the majority of UK Government Departments with staff in excess of 3,000.
  • Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale – Trustee (and member of Governance Advisory Committee)
  • Working Chance – Trustee – a charity supporting women with criminal convictions into sustainable employment

Other

  • Buidling Inclusive Teams: founder and facilitator of an interactive training programme that looks at the science behind why men and women may think and behave differently in different situations in the workplace
  • Samaritan: for Central London Samaritans (2009 – 2011)
  • Award: Partner of the Year from The Lawyer Magazine 2003
  • Qualified yoga teacher: Vinyasa, Jivamukti and Iyengar yoga

Get in touch

For more information about my executive coaching services, please contact me…