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How ISOC executive coaching works

Great leaders thrive in the spotlight. We coach the traits that inspire trust, fuel careers and deliver results in business: presence, authority, gravitas and authenticity.

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ISOC executive coaching

Leadership is fundamentally about communication: with teams and stakeholders, in public speaking, in the media and in every conversation where decisions get made.

Great leaders thrive in the spotlight. We coach the traits that inspire trust, fuel careers and deliver results in business: presence, authority, gravitas and authenticity. We're the biggest global specialist in communication training and coaching. It's all we've done for 25 years.

Two ways to work with us

For a moment that matters
Spotlight moment coaching
You have a media interview, a keynote, a panel or an important presentation coming up. You work one to one with a senior coach and book as many sessions as you need. You step into the room feeling prepared and empowered.
How it works →
For lasting change
Leadership communication coaching
A leader wants more presence in senior rooms, or more authority with senior management, stakeholders and their own team. A personal development arc over several months, with one coach, working on real situations.
How it works →
56
Fortune Global 500 companies trained
243
National governments and ministries
26
Central banks
35
UN and EU institutions
2
Prime ministers
15
Royals
261
Chief executives
75+
Countries
25
Years
London
Headquarters
Dubai
GCC training centre
Online
Worldwide reach
British Accreditation Council CPD Certified KHDA Approved Pearson Assured

Spotlight moment coaching

You have a media interview, a keynote, a panel or an important presentation coming up. You work one to one with a senior coach, usually in 90-minute sessions live online, and book as many as you need. Face-to-face half days and full days are also available. Video recording and replay can be added.

Your coach rehearses the situation with you, tells you what's working, diagnoses what's not and shows you how to fix it. Rinse and repeat. You step into the room feeling prepared and empowered, knowing what to say and how to transmit the best version of yourself in the moment. It starts with a free 15 to 20 minute call.

Leadership communication coaching

Some briefs cut deeper than preparing for one moment. A leader wants more presence in senior rooms, or more authority with senior management, stakeholders and their own team. Lasting change of that kind works as a personal development arc. Programmes run for six, eight or 10 sessions of 90 minutes over several months, with one coach, working on individual needs and real situations. Clients finish at ease in the rooms that matter to them, and sounding like themselves at their best.

Presence, authority and gravitas are among the most common briefs handed to executive coaches. Few coaches specialise in them. Where a leader already works with a general executive coach, we work alongside as the communication specialist.

What your ISOC coach does

Sees what is in the way
Senior people rarely need more technique piled on. Your best as a communicator is already there, and you have seen it on your good days. Your coach looks for whatever keeps it from showing up every time. It might be the way you prepare, or a belief about how a leader is supposed to sound. Once it is seen and named, it can go.
Prescribes simple targeted interventions
For instance, in public speaking, nobody can hold 10 instructions while delivering to a room. Your coach turns what they see into a short clear cue that you can use instinctively: take up space talk with them not at them say it from the heart Interventions may also include pre-performance self-regulation. Which you get depends on what your coach sees.
Rehearses the real thing
You practise the actual speech, presentation or interview. You stop, adjust and go again, several times in a session, and you can feel each run getting better. The change happens in the room with your coach, and you leave having already done it well.
Prepares you for the hour before
Almost everything that improves a performance happens before you enter the room. Most people prepare only by thinking: rereading notes, rehearsing lines. We add the physical and mental side, which covers regulating your nervous system, breathing, using the space before the audience arrives and what to do in the last minute before you begin, so that you walk in settled and ready. If nerves are part of the picture, there are well-tested tools for that too.
Keeps it simple
Coaching that loads you with rules for your hands, your stance and your face tends to fail on the day, because it uses up the attention you need for your audience. We also steer clear of popular ideas that have not survived testing, power posing among them. Your attention stays where it belongs, on the people in front of you.
What the sessions are like
You should enjoy this. Your coach is on your side, and the sessions have humour in them as well as hard work. Feedback starts with what you did well, then moves to what to change, and it is always honest. Each session ends with the same question: how do you feel now about what is coming? We are listening for the moment when part of you has started to look forward to it.

What clients say about our coaches

“
I have a great amount of inner resources that I now know how to access in order to not just communicate but transmit a message and make a bigger impact on my audience.
Kate VlietstraMintel
“
Sarah was constructive and firm in her feedback, we all improved from her while maintaining confidence.
William LeighVeeam
“
It covered all the skills necessary to tackle my next interview in confidence.
Khalid Al NakhiSharjah Capability Development

The style of coaching

We tell you at the start what kind of coaching you will get. Spotlight moment coaching is expert and directive: we say what will work and we rehearse it. Leadership communication coaching mixes expert direction with reflective work, and the balance moves towards reflection at the most senior levels.

How a leadership communication programme runs

There is no fixed curriculum. Your situations set the agenda, and every programme follows the same steps.

1
Chemistry call
You meet the proposed coach and confirm the fit before anything begins.
2
Diagnostic and design
A structured questionnaire and a first conversation establish where you are now and shape the programme around your priorities.
3
Coaching sessions
90 minutes each, working on real situations from your role.
4
Between sessions
You apply the work in your job, with email and WhatsApp access to your coach. What you do between sessions is agreed with your coach and sized to your diary.
5
Closing review
Progress since the start and priorities for your continued development.

For sponsoring organisations

Where an employer sponsors the programme, it opens with a meeting of about 30 minutes between coach, client and sponsor to agree two or three goals. It closes with a second meeting to review them. Client and sponsor can choose to skip the meetings.

Session content stays confidential between client and coach. The sponsor sees what was agreed at the outset: goals, attendance and themes. A written development report is available as an option.

For organisations with many people to develop, we build retainers that combine on-call preparation for events with scheduled development sessions. Ask us for a proposal.

The coaches

Every ISOC coach has had a senior career of their own, advising governments, counselling boards or leading newsrooms, and has spent years coaching leaders at that level. We choose them for the quality of attention they give a client, for how much they notice and for being warm and direct at once. The bench includes coaches credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and others. We propose the coach best matched to your brief, and you confirm the match on the chemistry call.

Will Hardie
Will Hardie
Lead coach, communication strategist and advisor
Will is a communication strategist, advisor and executive coach with more than 25 years' experience working across 50 countries. He studied experimental psychology at Oxford and later journalism and politics in the United States before joining Reuters as a graduate trainee, where he took foreign postings in Brussels, Stockholm and Belgrade covering international summits, financial markets and political affairs. He went on to build ISOC into a specialist training institution. For six years he served as chief advisor to the head of government communications in the office of a Prime Minister, and has since counselled hundreds of cabinet ministers, CEOs and senior executives across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. His clients include national governments, Fortune 500 companies, central banks and international institutions. At ISOC, Will leads programmes in executive presence, media training, crisis communication and strategic messaging. His background in psychology gives his coaching a distinctive analytical depth, helping senior leaders understand how communication works and how to adapt their approach to different audiences and situations. Will is based in London and Dubai and coaches in English and French.
Eva Di Pierro
Eva Di Pierro
Executive presence coach and leadership development specialist
Eva is an executive presence coach and leadership development specialist with more than 15 years' experience working with CEOs and senior executives across Europe, the United States and Asia. She specialises in helping leaders develop the physical composure, clarity and authority that underpin effective executive communication. Her approach integrates body-based awareness with executive performance coaching. As a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with advanced training in developmental psychology, Eva brings a distinctive methodology that helps leaders recognise how physical patterns of tension, breathing and posture influence their communication, decision-making and presence. Her long-term coaching clients include the president of an $8 billion US corporation and the CEO of a leading finance and capital markets company. At ISOC, Eva coaches senior executives and delivers executive presence programmes that help leaders strengthen their communication presence, composure and impact. She is particularly effective with leaders managing transitions, high-profile stakeholder relationships or communication challenges that require more than technical skill. Eva is based in Italy and coaches in English and Italian.
Aranka Pieters
Aranka Pieters
Senior executive coach and communication trainer
Aranka is a senior executive coach and communication trainer with more than 15 years' experience across corporate leadership, coaching and training. An ICF Professional Certified Coach, she works with senior leaders, teams and professionals, and has designed and delivered corporate programmes in leadership, communication, coaching skills, collaboration and assertiveness. Aranka spent more than 11 years at a well-known international health insurance fund, rising from client adviser to leading its customer services and sales division, with responsibility for around 120 staff across 50 branches, direct management of eight team leaders and a portfolio of change and digitalisation projects. She has run her own coaching and training practice since 2020, has lectured in management and communication at Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences in Antwerp and holds a sociology degree from the University of Antwerp alongside Insights and NLP qualifications. At ISOC, Aranka delivers executive coaching and programmes in executive presence and interpersonal communication. Her route from front-line adviser to running a 120-person sales and service operation means she coaches executives on performance, presence and team dynamics she has managed first hand. Aranka is based in Belgium and coaches in English and Dutch.
James Cordahi
James Cordahi
Senior communications trainer and executive coach
James is a communications trainer and executive coach with more than 30 years' experience spanning international journalism, corporate communications and government affairs. He spent 15 years as a foreign correspondent and editor, founding Bloomberg News' business and finance coverage in the Middle East in 2000 and later co-running the Reuters Gulf financial newsroom. He then moved in-house, leading corporate affairs and communications for Abraaj Capital, government relations for BlackBerry in MENA, and corporate and government affairs for Mondelez International across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At Abbott he spent eight years as Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, advising executive leadership on reputation, regulatory reform and political risk. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, James holds a Master's degree in Journalism and a Diploma in Economics from the University of London, and is an ICF certified executive coach, trained by the Co-Active Training Institute. At ISOC, James delivers executive coaching, corporate communications, media training, crisis communication, executive presence and public affairs. He has worked both sides of the interview, as the correspondent asking the questions and as the executive answering to ministers, regulators and the press. James is based in Dubai and coaches in English, Arabic and French.
Lama Atallah
Lama Atallah
Corporate trainer and executive communication coach
Lama is a corporate trainer and communication coach with more than 15 years' experience supporting senior professionals across government, education and industry. She has designed and delivered executive training for national ministries, major corporations and public authorities in strategic communication, media handling, emotional intelligence and leadership presence. Her clients in the UAE include ADNOC, DEWA, the Department of Energy in Abu Dhabi, the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police Authority, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Khalifa University and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority. Before moving to the UAE, Lama held advisory and training roles in the Canadian federal government, including positions at Health Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, supporting senior officials with stakeholder engagement, communication strategy and internal training. She is an ICF-certified transformative coach and visiting instructor in strategic communication at Abu Dhabi University. At ISOC, Lama delivers executive communication coaching together with corporate communication, media training, interpersonal skills and public speaking programmes. She holds a Master's degree in communication from the University of Ottawa and a double Bachelor's degree in business administration and sociology. Lama is based in Dubai and coaches in Arabic, English and French.
Izabela Hamilton
Izabela Hamilton
Communications specialist and executive coach
Izabela is a communications specialist and ICF certified executive coach with more than 20 years' international experience across Europe, the United States and the Middle East. She runs InitiativeHub, a coaching and communications consultancy, and teaches at Middlesex University. She has managed the communications functions for prominent international brands including Jumeirah Group's flagship Burj Al Arab hotel, market intelligence group Euromonitor International, Incisive Media and Business Monitor International. Her expertise spans external and internal communications campaigns, crisis and reputation management, agency relationships, events management and media relations. Izabela also specialises in career and communication coaching, working with high-performing individuals and future leaders on executive presence, soft skills development and professional communication. Her clients have included professionals at Aramco, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. At ISOC, Izabela delivers executive coaching together with corporate communications, public speaking, executive presence and PR programmes. Her career across financial publishing, market intelligence and luxury hospitality gives her breadth that allows her to adapt to different industries. Izabela is based in Mauritius and coaches in English and Polish.
Sarah Cocker
Sarah Cocker
Broadcast journalist, economist and executive communication coach
Sarah is a broadcast journalist, economist and executive communication coach with more than 25 years' experience across media, finance and corporate communications. She anchored CNBC's flagship European breakfast programme Squawk Box and presented the European Closing Bell, interviewing business leaders, politicians and financial experts on a daily basis. Before moving into broadcast journalism, Sarah worked in investment banking at BNP Paribas, where she led the Latin American equity sales desk in London. Sarah has held senior communication roles including head of communication and investor relations for a major UAE brand and career coach and lecturer at IMD Business School in Switzerland. She regularly moderates high-profile international conferences and events, including the Saudi Green Initiative Forum at COP28 and the Dubai International Project Management Forum. At ISOC, Sarah coaches CEOs, government ministers and senior executives across financial services, energy, automotive and hospitality. Her combination of broadcast authority, financial fluency and coaching skill makes her particularly effective with leaders who need to communicate complex business messages with confidence and clarity. Sarah is based in Dubai and coaches in English.
Nick Walshe
Nick Walshe
Senior media coach and broadcast journalist
Nick is a senior media trainer with more than 30 years' experience as an international broadcast journalist. He trained at the BBC and spent 15 years with ITV News and ITN as a reporter, presenter, producer and senior editor before joining the management team that launched Al Jazeera English in 2006, where he ran the channel's reporting division and oversaw global content and breaking news. Since founding his own media consultancy in Dubai in 2010, Nick has specialised in coaching senior executives, government officials and corporate spokespeople in media skills, presentation and crisis communication. He spent several years embedded as an advisor in a senior government communications office, and his clients include Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, NEOM, the UAE Ministry of Investment, Rolls Royce, IKEA, Standard Chartered, the Saudi Capital Markets Authority and the UAE Central Bank. Long-term projects include a three-year crisis and reputation programme for Expo 2020 Dubai and a three-year media training programme for Qatar Airways. Nick is based in Dubai and coaches in English. His continued work in active journalism means his coaching reflects current media practice.

What the coaching draws on

ISOC's coaching comes from 25 years of preparing leaders to speak, present and face the media. It also borrows from fields that study how people perform when it matters. Performance psychology and sport science explain how attention and focus work. Aviation, theatre and music have long-tested routines for performing reliably on the day. Breathing and nervous system regulation give clients practical ways to settle, or to lift their energy, before they begin.

Professional standards

Every ISOC coach works to the Global Code of Ethics, and our ICF-credentialed coaches also work to the ICF Code of Ethics. Coaches delivering leadership communication programmes work under regular professional supervision.

Where and how. Coaching is live online by default. Face-to-face sessions are available from London and Dubai where coach and client are near each other. Standard sessions run for 90 minutes, longer than the market's usual 60, which leaves room for proper rehearsal.

Questions

Every enquiry starts with a short free call. Tell us what is coming up or where you want to get to, and we will tell you honestly how we can help. For leadership communication coaching that is a 30-minute conversation with our lead coach, followed by a proposal with coach options. For spotlight moment coaching the call runs 15 to 20 minutes.

We propose the coach best matched to your brief, drawing on the situation you are preparing for, the kind of coaching you want and the relevant experience across the bench. You meet that coach on a chemistry call and confirm the fit before anything begins. You can also ask for a particular coach.

Yes. Communications directors, line managers and learning and development leads regularly arrange coaching for senior colleagues. Where an employer sponsors a programme, it opens with a short meeting between coach, client and sponsor to agree two or three goals, and closes with a meeting to review them. Session content stays confidential between client and coach; the sponsor sees goals, attendance and themes.

Coaching is live online by default, which gives you access to our specialist coaches wherever you are. Face-to-face sessions are available from London and Dubai where coach and client are near each other. Spotlight moment coaching can also run as a half day or a full day face to face, with video recording and replay as an option.

Leadership communication programmes run for six, eight or 10 sessions of 90 minutes over several months. Spotlight moment coaching is booked as many sessions as you need for the moment ahead, with no minimum.

Coaching is quoted per engagement. The intake call establishes what you need, and a proposal follows with coach options and fees.

Book your intake call

A short free conversation about what is coming up, or where you want to get to. We will tell you honestly how we can help.

Book your intake call
Book your intake call