“There have been many firsts for me over the last couple of years, including my first executive role and my first executive coach. The learning curves were - at times - steep, and they would have been a whole lot bumpier had it not been for Emma’s support. I chose Emma as she was recommended by a female mentor of mine, and I am thrilled that I listened to that recommendation. I have now completed two sets of executive coaching sessions with Emma.
As for some others who have held senior positions, I grappled with imposter syndrome at times, often questioning my place in a room. Emma and I faced this head-on, working on strengthening my leadership skills and on building my resilience. Understanding my triggers is a big part of this for me, and Emma helped me articulate and understand these.
One thing I loved about our coaching sessions was how Emma challenged me on certain things. This is something I asked her to do from the outset, as I wanted to push past some of my ingrained habits. I can often still hear Emma’s voice in my ear! Emma’s advice has always been practical and actionable, and I regularly left our sessions with renewed clarity and lighter shoulders.
I would highly recommend Emma as a coach and I look forward to working with her again.
”
— Alice Kaye, Head of Reinsurance, Inigo Insurance
“I had the pleasure of having Emma as a leadership coach throughout 2023. I would highly recommend Emma to anyone who is looking to bolster their skills in this domain or those who are looking to pause, reflect and make informed decisions on their current and future career path.
In particular, Emma’s approach is one of practical discussion based engagement which allows participants to really reflect on their current style, what their strengths are, how they can improve and delivered with a truly empathetic, “no jargon” approach. I have had numerous similar courses throughout my career and can genuinely say this was by far the most practical and productive.
Much appreciated from me and has made a tangible difference to my work life going forward.
”
— Colin Ault, Head of Corporate Finance & Investor Relations, Resolution Life
“Emma has been supporting me for a few years now.
I thoroughly enjoy brainstorming with Emma on any topics relating to work, but also relating to more personal matters, and see how the two get linked together sometimes!
Patient, she listens carefully to what I say and helps me put the finger on my (sometimes deeply rooted) beliefs. The consciousness arising from these conversations allows me to free myself from patterns, opening paths to new possible conscious choices and behaviors, in turns helping me to navigate work and personal life challenges.
I do recommend reaching out to Emma, and good luck with your own journey!
”
— Nicolas Paranque, Director, Rothschild & Co.
“I had had coaching before but this had not achieved any underlying change in behaviour or really changed the way I evaluated the pros and cons of my behaviours or my assessment of how others perceived me. Emma was very good at gently but persistently probing into areas. For instance, why I didn’t delegate more tasks and why I didn’t feel I was getting positive rewards from delegation and then making me think about how I could change that so delegation was a positive experience.
Despite being an introvert by personality, I found Emma very easy to talk to, she was questioning and challenging rather than judging. So it felt very safe to open up and find myself analysing and talking about my core values and drivers. Our sessions were fluid as, although the overall goal for the coaching was kept in mind, priority was given to tackling issues as they emerged even if this meant the session went in a slightly different direction from that originally planned. This I found highly valuable and was a credit to Emma’s experience and capability in tackling whatever surfaced rather than needing to stick to a pre-planned script and opportunities being lost.
I would describe Emma as calm, thoughtful, logical and very honest. So don’t expect unwarranted flattery, you won’t get it, just constructive warts and all feedback and logical and insightful challenge to all the lame excuses you have traditionally allowed yourself to accept in order to justify your behaviour.
”
— Kirstie, Compliance Director, Kensington
“I found Emma very easy to talk to. She was tough on me but in a nice way, which is how she needed to be to break down my internal barriers to be able to give me the perspective that I needed. I never felt that my concerns about my ability were ridiculous or unfounded, but she gently broke them down until I could see that there was nothing sensible underpinning them and that I just had to make the decision to “go for it” or to decide not to.
After my third session with Emma, I had an epiphany. My mindset had shifted and I was much better able to cope with tricky situations and guide others through required changes. The coaching programme worked exceptionally well for me, better than I had hoped, and I would recommend Emma as a great person to help you reach your goals.
”
— JB, Vice President, Bio-Tech
“The “journey” that I have taken in the past 12 weeks has been one of my most enjoyable personal paths that I have ever taken, especially as I was tackling areas of my life where I felt vulnerable and negative.
Emma has been wonderful to work with as she really has brought the best out of me whilst at the same time challenging me just enough so that I was able to have “eureka” moments. She also taught me new skills that I carry on using on a daily basis to ensure that my journey carries on.
The results that I am now seeing are amazing, I feel like a totally different person and enjoy each day so much more than I did before I started seeing Emma.
Thanks so much Emma ”
— Maryann Wilkie
“Emma provided me with a challenging but safe environment to discuss the way I work and the way I manage. At times, the sessions were difficult and uncomfortable, but ultimately I have been able to reflect upon my own performance and establish ways to improve.
Emma is always extremely positive and focused on me as an individual but also my contribution to the business as a whole- she has supported me in my career development, helped me to establish ways to communicate and build relationships with others and how to strike a work/life balance.
She has also helped me to understand the value of coaching employees, and effectively trained me in some coaching techniques that I can apply to my own team.
”
— Susan Sanashee, Head of HR & Customer Services, Conveyancing Data Services Ltd.
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Emma, who provided Executive Coaching as part of my continued development.
Emma was thoughtful throughout, listened and interpreted extremely well and provided excellent advice, guidance and tools based around my development needs.
The impact of Emma’s coaching has been transformational. The focus on resilience has been extremely valuable and I continue to use the tools and techniques provided on a daily basis, making the impact long term and long lasting.
I am so pleased to have had the chance to meet and work with Emma - a great choice of an Exec Coach!
”
— Steven Waldon, Chief Underwriting Officer, AmTrust International Ltd.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Emma over the past few months and can wholeheartedly recommend her as a career coach. From day one she fully understood the brief, while also challenging my assumptions and guiding me down paths I hadn’t initially thought were necessary.
Through this process, she helped me uncover key personality traits and characteristics that I wasn’t aware of, giving me valuable insight into how I operate and where I can be most effective.
It has been a thoroughly worthwhile experience and has equipped me with a number of practical tools that will benefit my career enormously.
I would strongly recommend Emma to anyone considering coaching.
”
— Paul Torrance, Finance Director, Hamilton
“Emma is a fantastic coach. Driven, curious and not afraid to challenge you. She helped me greatly with changing previously fixed mindsets, self-improvement and confidence. I would, without hesitation, recommend Emma to anyone who is thinking about having coaching. Thank you Emma.
”
— James Harris, Head of Subsea Cables, Clearwater Underwriting
“I value Emma’s positivity, and empowering approach. I was able to make so many positive changes in my professional, family & private life. She made me realise my own worth and others around me. She makes me feel calm & wanting to carry on.
I would highly recomend Emma to anyone. She made me a better and happier person. I look forward to continue my journey.
”
— Ania, Leadership Coaching client
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was offered and accepted the opportunity to have Emma as a coach; a list of things to do and those to avoid? The study of some of the most successful business people and their traits / characteristics and trying to adopt some of those? Perhaps the bringing of ongoing situations or upcoming challenges to Emma for her to provide guidance and instruction in order to reach a satisfactory conclusion/resolution.
The reality was subtly different. The opportunity to study traits and characteristics was there, but those to be studied were mine; the situations and challenges brought to the meeting with Emma were for me to resolve not her!
Emma makes clear that she feels that her role is not to instruct or resolve as that would get in the way of any personal development. She provides a safe environment for people to outline their challenges or problem situations and explain why they are having difficulties in dealing with or resolving them. Once her client has made clear the challenges facing them, they will then explore the desired outcomes and proposed methods of achieving it.
Sounds simple? Not always but Emma is very good at teasing out solutions and challenging her clients.
I found working with Emma a thoroughly enjoyable experience but it was not always easy. Sometimes taking a close look at one’s own behaviours when attempting to manage others does not always make for comfortable reading!
Emma is always prepared and thoroughly professional. She is firm, candid and direct but there is always a good sense of humour too.
A thoroughly worthwhile experience for me and one I would recommend without hesitation to others.
”
— Andrew Whitehouse, Head of Marine, Allianz
“Working with Emma was a transformational experience. She is an exceptional coach with a natural ability to empower individuals to discover/develop their resilience and focus.
Thank you Emma! ”
— Roman Romea, President, Head of Acrisure Re Bermuda
“As I was transitioning to a senior management position, I was introduced to Emma as someone who could help me navigate the change. This has developed into a more regular dialogue in helping me think through the challenges I am facing in my new role.
I am really pleased that I was introduced to Emma, and whilst I had initially thought this would be a short term relationship for a few pointers, and then finish, I can really see the benefit in having her with me on my journey. She acts as a sounding board, someone who challenges my thinking, and ultimately helps me get the best out of myself, and in turn, helps me get the best from my team.
I have also separately witnessed Emma’s presenting style, and I found it engaging, and in a topic which could have been considered dry, she added good humour, which helps you remember the subject. I have recommended her services to a colleague who was in a similar position to me with equally positive results.
”
— Paul Toothill, Regional Risk Manager, Allianz Risk Consultants
“I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Emma Ryan Coaching Solutions to individuals and employers of all backgrounds who are looking to maximise their career potential and investments in staff respectively.
No matter what point on the career path someone is, or how laden one is with qualifications and experience, Emma has the unique ability to engage, assess, mentor and ultimately provide a tailored solution to put you in a better place going forward.
I can testify to this personally and given the competitive business environment the vast majority of individuals and companies operate in I cannot recommend her services highly enough to not only individuals who desire change but also to employers who want to retain and advance their teams.
”
— John Eades, Operations Director at the Commonwealth Games Federation
“I have worked with Emma a number of times over the last few years, and cannot speak highly enough of the experience. Emma’s holistic approach to coaching struck an excellent balance between exploration of issues, and really challenging me to explore my approach to both to leadership, and to work more broadly. Moreover, her personable manner, encouraging nature and willingness to laugh also ensured that even the tough discussions were enjoyable.
Many thanks, Emma!
”
— Matthew Wilson, CFO, Convex Insurance UK Ltd.
“Emma is an extraordinary coach, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. I learned so much from working with her. She taught me practical tools that helped me overcome challenging situations at work. All our initial objectives were achieved by the end of our sessions. Emma, I’m so grateful you took my call. Thank you for all the exercises and book recommendations. ”
— Marcelez Hernández, Associate Professor, University of Birmingham
“Emma has been excellent coach for me. She took the time to understand me and the kind of leader I want to be. She was both supportive and appropriately challenging, encouraging me to reflect on my values in a practical way that I can apply to my team and to my future.
I approached the coaching experience with a degree of apprehension, however, the difference it has made to me, both professionally and personally, has been enormous and I am very grateful for all the help, support and encouragement she has given me.
”
— Sophie Kilvert, Director, Rothschild & Co.
“I can’t recommend Emma highly enough as a senior executive coach. Emma has been my coach for the past 2 years whilst at Fidelity International and helped me become a better senior leader as well as helping me progress my career to Chief Digital Officer on her watch.
My time with Emma is some of the best spent in helping me reflect and discuss challenges I have experienced through the previous period in between our meetings and she helps me understand how I can tackle situations from the boardroom through to working with the various teams I lead across the world.
Emma is absolutely fantastic and I hope to continue to work with her for many years to come!
”
— Ian Hood, Chief Digital Officer, Fidelity International
“Changed my perspective in such a positive way - I feel strongly motivated but also HAPPY :) ”
— Mills & Reeve client
“I highly recommend Emma! I chose her as a coach due to her emphasis on positive change, and the fact that her background and experience seemed to match well with areas I wanted to focus on.
I definitely feel like I made the right choice. She is insightful, practical, and a careful listener. She asked great questions that helped me to clarify problem areas, and then guided the conversation to help me arrive at solutions that always seemed obvious in hindsight. After working with her for several months I have a more positive mindset at work, better relationships with colleagues, and a renewed interest in continuous improvement.
Thanks Emma!
”
— Rob Marcotte, CFO Bermuda, Convex Insurance
“I have just completed a full program of 1-2-1 coaching sessions with Emma and they have nothing short of revolutionised my working life. Emma has managed to completely change my approach to both my role on a day to day basis and also my position from a company perspective.
There is no black magic involved in what Emma does but just loads of common sense and great advice, be prepared to be challenged, be prepared to make changes and to be taken out of your comfort zone, from time to time.
If you can do all of these things, commit to seeing the program through to the finish and to act on Emma’s advice, you will reap great rewards.
I am sad to see the sessions come to an end, but will be forever grateful to Emma for all that she has done for me and my company.
”
— Matthew Joy, Director at Conveyancing Data Services Ltd
“I have known Emma since 2006 and my experience of working with her has always been exceptional. She has a high level of emotional intelligence combined with a detailed understanding of the commercial talent market. Emma is personable, results orientated, empathetic, creative but also realistic in her approach to solving a talent or coaching challenge. She is trustworthy and has a natural ability to make people believe in themselves and changing for the better. I would highly recommend Emma as she has supported me professionally and personally.
”
— Tamsin Terry-Lush, Head of Senior Talent Acquisition, Marks & Spencer
“Emma’s coaching has been invaluable for me in my return to work following maternity leave. We have built on our initial area of focus to also incorporate building leadership skill and impact.
Never afraid to challenge, Emma readily adapts to the needs of the situation and provides support where required. She creatively introduces new techniques which I find stretching and interesting, enabling me to really focus on the areas on which I would like to develop.
I have made definite progress against my goals since working with Emma.
”
— Amanda, Pharmaceuticals Company
“I worked with Emma, as part of a group, over a number of months with CDS. I found Emma to be most likeable and professional in her approach and I can vouch for the whole group in saying that we all benefited immensely from the sessions. Every session had a theme which was applicable to all departments and levels in an everyday workplace.
We all hope to work with Emma again in the near future and I would certainly recommend to any company who requires any form of business or life coaching to work with Emma.
