Lucy James

Professional Certified Coach - International Coaching Federation

I work with senior leaders globally and have over a decade of experience coaching 200+ leaders from diverse cultures.

Empowerment is at the heart of my work, and I believe that when individuals feel capable, they can navigate challenges more effectively and approach decision-making with greater clarity.

Clients often describe my approach as a blend of support and healthy challenge. I’m genuinely passionate about creating a safe space where leaders can explore and grow. Through constructive challenge and thoughtful examination of behavioural patterns, we work together to gain real clarity. This process leads to new behaviours, skills, and mindsets, enabling leaders to perform at their best, both professionally and personally.

I enjoy working with clients across various levels—from emerging leaders and middle management to senior executives. Whilst coaching goals are unique to each individual, topics that I regularly support clients with include: communicating with impact, assertiveness skills, managing stress and building resilience, leadership transitions, self-confidence, effective delegation, and parental-transition coaching

Lucy Testimonials

“With my role leading a large and rapidly growing team, Lucy worked with me to understand my specific needs and was able to outline models, approaches, methods, and techniques to navigate high-pressure and challenging situations. Lucy was able to support me to explore and develop the most critical areas of focus as a leader to improve performance, challenging me along the way and with enough flexibility to address specific situations. As a result, I’m a more capable leader with significantly improved clarity. I’m better equipped for my current role, and for what is beyond, with the tools to succeed. I thoroughly recommend Lucy as a coach for anyone in a senior role looking to build the foundations to thrive."

JM, Head of Retail, Retail UK

“Having returned to work following the birth of my first child, Lucy and I had a chemistry session to start my coaching journey. I instantly felt a connection with Lucy and a mutual respect.

Lucy shared with me coaching tools to help me navigate my way back into the world of work while helping me feel empowered and confident being a full time working mum. I have a greater awareness of new skills that I have acquired as a parent and how I can apply those skills into job role to help me continue to feel successful in my role without denying my role as a mum.”

Field Training Manager, Cosmetics Retail

“Lucy has made a significant change to my life and I can say without doubt I am a new person after our coaching sessions. She is warm and a great listener who most importantly has a very efficient style that makes you feel good and challenged at the same time. My main issue was a lack of confidence and Lucy has showed me ways to overcome this. She taught me to believe in myself, to value all my single and ‘small’ achievements and to feel in control all without changing who I am. Our sessions have been key for me to achieve the biggest goals in my professional career so far. Not only that, I now feel I can go even further! Lucy, I can’t thank you enough for everything!”

SC, Associate Director, Market Research, UK

“I feel so lucky I had the chance to cross paths with Lucy. She has made a significant change to my life and I can say without doubt I am a new person after our coaching sessions. She is warm and a great listener who most importantly has a very efficient style that makes you feel good and challenged at the same time. My main issue was a lack of confidence and Lucy has showed me ways to overcome this. She taught me to believe in myself, to value all my single and ‘small’ achievements and to feel in control all without changing who I am. Our sessions have been key for me to achieve the biggest goals in my professional career so far. Not only that, I now feel I can go even further! Lucy, I can’t thank you enough for everything!”

SA, Marketing Executive, Healthcare, UK

“Lucy is a really wonderful coach, she is patient, kind and understanding in her approach and I came out of every session feeling really energised. In my coaching sessions with Lucy, I gained a lot of insight into what my challenges were and how I could overcome them to move forward in a constructive way rather than feeling stuck in a negative cycle. Lucy helped me to build my confidence and resilience back up and inspired me to feel excited about my next steps. I am really grateful to Lucy for the positive impact her coaching has had on my life and career and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a coach.”

JK, Media Planning, Entertainment, UK

Professional Background:

As a coach, I draw on a diverse and rich background across the private, public and voluntary sector, which has given me deep insight into the dynamics of high-performing teams and individuals. Early in my career, I led strategic marketing campaigns in fast-paced, target-driven environments which taught me how to navigate complex challenges and foster a results-oriented mindset.

A pivotal shift in my career took me from Canary Wharf to a socially deprived area of London, where I helped turn around a failing secondary school. This transformative experience ignited my passion for organisational change and reinforced my belief in the power of personal growth and leadership development. It is this passion for transformation that I now channel into my coaching practice, helping clients unlock their full potential, overcome challenges, and drive meaningful change in their professional lives.

In addition to my diverse career, I have undertaken training in person-centred counselling at Metanoia institute and have a degree in social psychology, which has given me a deeper understanding of human behaviour. This training enables me to offer empathic and insightful support to individuals facing both personal and professional challenges, creating a safe space for reflection, growth, and change.

In my coaching, I combine my experience in leadership and high performance, management with a deep understanding of emotional intelligence. I work with individuals and teams to help them build clarity, resilience, and the confidence to achieve their goals.

Recent Assignments:

One-to-One coaching with a female leader looking to build confidence and increase her assertiveness as she prepared to step into more senior role.
One-to-One coaching for over 70 Directors and Associate Directors considered ‘top talent’ on a leadership programme for a leading UK Market Research company.
Facilitated workshops across an international technology company, using Insights to explore personality types and how to adapt communication style.
One-to-one coaching and teamwork with the board of a media company. The CEO fed back that the team became more open with each other, communication improved significantly, and the team worked more cohesively.

Accreditation and Training:

Professional Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation
Accredited Insights® Discovery Practitioner
Accredited workplace mediator
MSc in Management
BSc in Psychology from Loughborough University