Executive Coaching
Clarity, confidence and performance at the level where it gets lonely.
Executive coaching for senior leaders, founders and high-performing operators — from an ILM Level 7 qualified Executive Coach.
The more senior the role, the fewer people you can think out loud with. Executive coaching gives you a confidential space to work through the decisions, dynamics and doubts that come with leading — with a coach qualified to the highest level the ILM awards.
ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors | Chartered FCIPD | Remote UK-wide, in person St Albans & London
Who This Is For
Executive coaching at Popoki is built for people carrying real weight:
- Senior leaders stepping up — a first executive role, a board seat, a bigger remit
- Founders scaling past the stage where instinct alone was enough
- Commercial leaders operating in demanding, high-pressure environments
- Technically brilliant leaders whose next level is about people, not craft
- HR directors and founders sponsoring coaching for their senior people
Roughly half of engagements are self-funded; half are employer-sponsored. Both work — the contracting just differs.
The Moments That Bring People to Coaching
Nobody books a coach because everything is fine. The patterns we see most:
- you were promoted past your playbook, and the old strengths are not moving the new problems
- board meetings or investor updates trigger a quiet imposter voice that costs you presence
- your calendar is full but your leverage is falling — everything still routes through you
- a capable team is underperforming, and you suspect the constraint might be your leadership
- a big decision is approaching — role, direction, exit — and you have no neutral space to think it through
These are not weaknesses. They are the standard price of seniority. Coaching is where they get worked on deliberately instead of carried silently.
How Coaching with Popoki Works
- 1. Chemistry call: fifteen minutes, no charge, no obligation. Coaching only works with the right fit — this call is where we both find out.
- 2. Contracting and goals: we agree what the coaching is for and how we will know it is working. Where an employer sponsors the coaching, this is a three-way conversation with confidentiality boundaries made explicit up front.
- 3. The programme: typically six sessions over four to six months — long enough for real change, short enough to stay sharp. Remote over Zoom as standard, or in person in St Albans or London.
- 4. Review and close: we end deliberately — what changed, what is embedded, what you will keep working on. Dependency is not the product.
Coaching at this level carries professional obligations — contracting, ethics and supervision are built into how the ILM Level 7 qualification is earned and maintained.
Why Marie
Most coaches have a certificate. Very few hold the ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors — the Institute of Leadership & Management’s highest coaching qualification, set at postgraduate level and earned through 60+ documented hours of coaching executives and senior leaders (verify the credential).
Coaching senior leaders has always been part of how Marie has worked — the Level 7 does not mark the start of that practice. It formalises years of it, assessed and supervised at postgraduate level.
Fewer still combine that qualification with a senior operating career:
- Chartered FCIPD, with senior HR leadership in complex, high-growth businesses including Charlotte Tilbury
- At Wasserman (now ‘The Team’), coached agents and commercial-partnerships leaders across the sport and music sides of the business — some of the most senior operators in those industries, outside the talent themselves
- Deep organisational insight: a coach who has sat in exec rooms, run people decisions and seen how leadership actually fails and recovers
A coach without organisational experience can help you reflect. A coach who has operated at that altitude can also help you calibrate.
A recent example: a commercial leader stepping into an executive role came to coaching with a strong track record, a bigger remit, and a growing gap between how confident they looked and how confident they felt. Over a six-session programme we worked on executive presence, the shift from doing to leading, and the board dynamics costing them influence. By the end they were contributing earlier and more decisively, had restructured their team around delegation rather than oversight, and had stopped rehearsing conversations at 2am.
| Coaching Type | Benefits | Why Use |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Transition CoachingExecutive Transitional Coaching is ideal for leaders stepping into new roles, navigating change, or adjusting to a new organisation. |
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| Career CoachingWorking with Popoki Career Coaches, individuals and employees are empowered to assess their path, explore options, and take ownership of their growth. |
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| Team CoachingOur business coach services extend to teams aiming to enhance collaboration, performance, and cohesion. |
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| Conflict Management CoachingA specialist coaching service, equipping leaders and employees with tools to handle tension and turn conflict into constructive dialogue. |
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| Work-Life Balance CoachingIdeal for businesses focusing on improving employees’ wellbeing – support for professionals looking to find focus, improve time management, and reduce burnout. |
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Executive Transition Coaching
Supports leaders during transitions like promotions, organisational changes, or new roles. Offers tailored strategies to lead effectively.
Benefits
- Smooth transition into new role.
- Increased confidence and clarity during change.
- Stronger leadership in times of change.
Why Use
- To ensure success in a new role or organisation.
- To minimise stress and uncertainty during transitions.
- To accelerate leadership effectiveness.
Career Coaching
Helps individuals manage their professional journey, assess skills, explore opportunities, and set growth goals.
Benefits
- Clear career direction and goals.
- Enhanced job satisfaction and motivation.
- Better preparation for career changes or promotion.
Why Use
- To clarify your career path.
- To gain confidence and make informed decisions.
- To align growth with professional goals.
Team Coaching
Enhances team collaboration, communication, and performance. Addresses dynamics and builds trust and shared accountability.
Benefits
- Improved team cohesion and collaboration.
- Reduced interpersonal conflicts and misunderstandings.
- Increased team productivity and performance.
Why Use
- To foster a stronger team dynamic.
- To improve communication and problem-solving.
- To enhance overall team performance.
Conflict Management Coaching
Provides strategies for handling and resolving conflicts. Aims to improve communication and foster a positive work culture.
Benefits
- Reduced workplace tension and stress.
- Improved communication and negotiation skills.
- Stronger working relationships
Why Use
- To resolve conflicts constructively.
- To improve team collaboration and morale.
- To create a more harmonious environment.
Work-Life Balance Coaching
Helps manage personal and professional demands, improve time management, and reduce stress.
Benefits
- Reduced stress and burnout.
- Improved productivity and focus.
- Better well-being and job satisfaction.
Why Use
- To reduce stress and burnout.
- To improve time management and focus.
- To achieve a healthier work-life balance.
Small business coaching services
Popoki HR also offers small business coaching services, ideal for founders and entrepreneurs seeking structured support in growing their leadership, complemented by our people strategy consulting services for those ready to align talent with long-term business goals.
Let’s unlock your next level of leadership.
Contact us to find the right coaching programme for you or your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What actually is ILM Level 7 — and why does it matter?
It is the highest level of coaching qualification the ILM awards, set at postgraduate level, specifically for coaching executives and senior leaders. Earning it requires assessed coaching practice, supervision and ethics — not just coursework.
Coaching, mentoring or therapy — which is this?
Coaching: structured, goal-oriented work on how you lead and decide. Mentoring features where useful — the Level 7 covers both. It is not therapy; where personal history needs clinical support, a good coach says so and refers.
If my employer pays, what do they get told?
The boundaries are agreed by all three parties before coaching starts. Typically the sponsor sees goals and progress against them; the content of sessions stays confidential. This is contracted in writing, not implied.
How do you measure whether it worked?
Against the goals contracted at the start — behavioural, observable ones where possible: meeting contribution, delegation, retention of a struggling team, a decision made and executed.
Remote or in person?
Remote over Zoom as standard, which suits most senior calendars. In person available in St Albans and London where preferred.
How soon do results show?
Honest answer: some clients feel movement after one session; embedded change takes the length of a programme. Anyone promising transformation by Friday is selling something else.