Executive Coaching
Who are you when the hats come off?
The hat that comes with the title.
You worked hard to get here. The title, the seat at the table, the teams who look to you for direction. And you’re good at it – genuinely good.
But somewhere along the way, the role started wearing you more than you were wearing it.
Maybe it shows up as a stress level that never quite switches off. A hero mentality that keeps pulling you into the fire rather than leading from the front. A sense that you’re performing the role rather than inhabiting it – and a quiet worry that one day someone is going to notice.
Or maybe everything looks completely fine from the outside. You’re delivering. You’re respected. And yet something essential – your energy, your clarity, your sense of yourself beyond the job – is quietly depleting.
That’s the hat nobody talks about in the boardroom. But it’s often the heaviest one.
What makes this different
I bring something to executive coaching that most corporate coaches don’t – a genuine understanding of the C-suite from the inside.
I spent years working within global organisations as a Head of Corporate Technology, Project Management and Business Analysis. Coming from a background of hands on as a technology business analyst and transformation lead, partnering with C-suite and global directors was part of my daily work. I understand the pressure of the top table, the complexity of leading through change, and the particular loneliness that can come with seniority.
I also hold the ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching and Mentoring – the highest level of formal coaching qualification – alongside training in NLP to master practitioner level, neuroplasticity, and body-based coaching practices.
But what my executive clients tell me they value most isn’t the credentials.
“Karina is a trusted advisor who is challenging in a positive way.”
“Agnostic and non-judgemental – which is rare at this level.”
“She has a good way of expressing concern where I contradict myself.”
This might be you if…
You're new to a senior role and want to hit the ground strategically - not just running.
You're a strong operator but know you need to play differently at C-suite level.
Your stress strategies are working - for now - but they're not sustainable.
You're excellent at your job and quietly exhausted by the version of yourself you have to be to do it.
You want to lead with more presence, clarity and confidence.
You've forgotten - somewhere in the doing of it all - to have fun.
That last one might surprise you on a coaching page. But in my experience, when a leader reconnects with joy – genuinely, not as a wellness box-tick – everything else shifts. Their thinking gets clearer. Their relationships get easier. Their leadership gets better.
Fun isn’t a distraction from high performance. For most of the leaders I work with, it’s the missing piece of it.
How we work together
Executive coaching with me is structured, confidential and entirely led by your goals – not a generic framework imposed from the outside.
I work with your conscious thinking – the strategic goals, the behavioural shifts, the leadership challenges you bring to each session. I also work with what’s underneath – the patterns, beliefs and stress responses that are often running the show without you realising it. And where appropriate, I bring in body-based and NLP techniques to shift what thinking alone can’t reach.
Sessions are typically 60-90 minutes, held online or by phone, and notes are shared promptly after each session so you can reflect and act between our conversations.
The first session is always a deep dive – giving us both a clear picture of where you are, where you want to get to, and what might be getting in the way.
Karina has added structure to the sessions that ensured I exercised the skills to be more organised myself – a key outcome I needed. I had forgotten how to have fun with my family. By ending each session with ‘What are you doing to have fun?’ This has genuinely changed my thought process to spending time with my family and ensuring we have fun together.
What tends to shift
✦ Clarity on what kind of leader you actually want to be – not just what the role demands.
✦ Stress responses that serve you rather than consume you.
✦ The ability to be strategic rather than reactive – front foot, not fire-fighting.
✦ Stronger presence in the room – and at the table.
✦ Boundaries that protect your performance without damaging your relationships.
✦ A version of yourself you actually recognise – and enjoy – outside of work.
Working with organisations
If you’re an organisation looking to invest in coaching for your leaders – whether that’s a newly appointed executive, a high potential in transition, or a senior leader navigating a period of significant change – I’d love to talk.
I work with organisations to provide:
✦ 1-1 executive coaching for senior leaders and C-suite
✦ Coaching support during organisational change and transformation
✦ Leadership development coaching for high potentials
✦ Coaching programmes tailored to your organisation’s specific needs
All organisational coaching is fully confidential. I operate within the ICF ethical guidelines and hold a formal coaching agreement with every client.
Interested in coaching for your organisation?
Get in touch to discuss your needs and explore what a bespoke program could look like for your organisation.
Ready to lead as yourself?
The first conversation is always a discovery call – a chance to meet, talk about where you are, and explore whether working together is the right fit. No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation.
Because the most powerful thing a leader can do is know who they are when the title comes off.