Meet our alumni of qualified coaches on their experiences.

“My world has just got bigger, my place in it more sure”

  • Winnie Annan-Forson at Barclays

    “In my work as a DEI professional, I now have a better understanding and ability to listen out for all of the systems that shape all of our colleagues. It means that I lead less from a place of lived experience but more from a listening lens, which has been more beneficial for my global clients.

  • Vicky Quek at Co-op

    As a result of doing MYP, I have attracted clients from diverse backgrounds and I enjoy exploring how the systemic factors are impacting on the individual and their coaching objectives.”

  • Melanie Williams-Browne at Pearson

    “I thrived from being able to work with a group of like-minded individuals who were prepared to be vulnerable and open, it was a space where real growth took place. I definitely had a number of light-bulb moments!”

  • Hannah Findlay at Co-op

    “There are so many reasons I could recommend MYP course but the most powerful for me was the journey itself. It doesn’t matter what your previous experiences are, where you are in your career or what you background is, there is no prejudgment, everybody enters as equals and leave as friends.”

  • Garcia Cardoso at Pearson

    “Salma is an amazing trainer, who not only possesses in-depth knowledge of the various coaching methodologies, but more importantly, she can relate this information in a manner that is easily ‘assimilated by delegates.“

  • Nazreen Visram at Barclays

    “It's not just about giving back, it's about giving back to those who would not normally have the opportunity to have a coach. It's been an absolutely extraordinary experience so far.”

  • Luke Hargreaves at Financial Conduct Authority

    “There is no doubt that MYP emphasised the need to listen more and speak less. I have applied this in both my professional and personal life. Pausing, using silence effectively and giving people space to talk through things is a skill that I will continue to use and hone.”

Winnie Annan-Forson at Barclays

  • Hi I am Winnie and I am Vice President Diversity & Inclusion at Barclays.

    I am also a qualified Mastering Your Power Coach

  • I am very passionate about helping people from underrepresented groups excel and leverage their strengths in doing so.

  • My clients would describe me as empathetic, supportive and encouraging.

  • (1) Barclays benefited from your coaching mindset and skills

    In my work as a DEI professional, I now have a better understanding and ability to listen out for all of the systems that shape all of our colleagues, and it enables me to be more strategic in my ability to support them better. It means that I lead less from a place of lived experience but more from a listening lens, which has been more beneficial for my global clients. I am also more able to coach the leaders in my business as they grow their understanding of the importance of DEI.

    (2) What has changed in you personally and professionally

    I am more confident in using my voice and I have a stronger understanding of the value I am able to bring.

  • I love working with clients who are willing to be intentional about their development journey. I always believe that everyone comes from a glass half full, and just need support to see that for themselves. It's important to me that my clients really choose to be on this journey for themselves.

  • I am the co-founder of Excellerate Black Futures, and we offer development and career support to people from underrepresented groups. We are currently working on launching our Career Accelerator Programme and I am very excited about the impact this could make. For more information, visit www.excellerateblackfutures.com.

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Vicky Quek at Co-op

  • Hi I am Vicky and I am responsible for Leadership Development & Exec Talent at Co-op as part of their Organisational Effectiveness Team

    I am also a qualified Mastering Your Power Coach

  • I would say…

    *intuitive

    *empowering

    *pragmatic

  • "Over the course of 6 sessions, Vicky really helped me change my mindset and understand why I wasn't connecting with my applications and interviews for new jobs. She ultimately gave me the skills I needed to become more confident and help myself get the role I wanted. I'm now in a new job and much happier"

  • (1) As I work in leadership development, I'm able to apply the systemic approach that becomes engrained in your mind through MYP into much of my day to day work. Not only do I have better quality conversations outside of coaching but I have of course I've been able to support and coach some of our Co-op colleagues as clients too.

    (2) Since completing MYP, I went for promotion and was successful and this has fundamentally changed my role such that I now play a role across Co-op and work at a strategic level with the more senior leaders at Co-op.

  • I really enjoy working with any client who comes to coaching motivated to open up and explore, and critically to do the work and the thinking in between sessions. This is where my clients get the most success and growth. Because of doing MYP, I have attracted clients from diverse backgrounds and I enjoy exploring how the systemic factors are impacting on the individual and their coaching objectives.

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Melanie Williams-Browne at Pearson

  • Hi I am Melanie. I graduated with a BSc [Hons] in Business Studies and has an MA in Education and Training. My career has been in education, as a lecturer in a Further Education college, head of department and sixth form in an inner-city secondary school, and the curriculum development manager for a nationwide group of 31 independent schools.

  • I had been thinking about formalising my interest in coaching and had no concerns about joining the course, in fact I was very excited at being given the opportunity to work and develop in an area that brought me so much personal satisfaction and allowed me to help others pursue their goals.

  • Very early on I was amazed at how much personal work you need to do to get the most out of the course. I was very lucky to be working with a group of like-minded individuals who were prepared to be vulnerable and open, it was a space where real growth took place.

  • I enjoyed the practical sessions as it was a real opportunity to put into practice what we had learnt and really benefit from the input from the theoretic aspects of the course.

    I also enjoyed the feedback as we shared our experiences and insights. I definitely had a number of light-bulb moments!

  • Confidence, a clear purpose and empathic understanding of the culture differences of people from ethic minorities and how this impacts their experiences of life and in turn coaching.

  • Without a doubt, if you want to be an authentic coach able to work with individuals regardless of their backgrounds then this course will give you the tools needed to be great coach.

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Luke Hargreaves at Financial Conduct Authority

  • A key quality that shone through is empathy. Understanding where people are at and what they might need had been invaluable in previous roles and will serve me well as I start to work with clients.

    I would also say that humility has been important: leaving my own baggage at the door and giving coachees space to talk through their issues and enabling them to understand their issues, reach conclusions and identify actions. In addition, reflecting on my previous roles, something that I think will serve me well as a coach.

  • There is no doubt that MYP emphasised the need to listen more and speak less. I have applied this in both my professional and personal life. Pausing, using silence effectively and giving people space to talk through things is a skill that I will continue to use and hone as I embark both on my coaching career and in a new role that I'll be taking up shortly. The other thing that has really been brought to the fore is that I am a "rescuer". I've always set about to do the best by people and help where I can, but the programme helped me understand that rescuing is not always the answer and can often be a hinderance, rather than a help. This is something that now sits front and centre of my mind.

  • I am very new to coaching but I really enjoy working with people that are relatively new in their careers and are encountering new issues. That said, as a qualified Mental Health First Aider and a personal, lived experience with neurodiversity, I anticipate that I'd seek to work with people in this space. Further, as I step into a new career within Diversity and Inclusion, the skills and knowledge gained through MYP will no doubt be of huge benefit as it is certain I will want to support people from minority groups.

  • MYP will be invaluable for my new role in D&I. I have always had a keen focus on this area and organisational culture more generally. Moving into a career whereby one can make a genuine difference is something I relish.

  • Despite being provided remotely, I cannot emphasise enough the extent to which MYP created a true sense of belonging. During the time of the programme, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my personal life. Salma and my course colleagues demonstrated such empathy and gave many helpful reflections. These, frankly, gave me an important focus as I worked through things and came out the other end in a far, far better place.

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Garcia Cardoso at Pearson

  • Hi I am Garcia and I have worked in Pearson for 14 years in Delivery & Change Management.

    I have a strong passion in helping individuals achieve the best version of themselves and have always dedicated time to participate and support direct reports to invest time in developing themselves.

    Prior to joining Pearson, I worked in a Sixth Form College, and this experience gave me the ability to successfully bridge the gap between teachers, parents, and students.

  • Before embarking on the coaching training I was internally debating whether the coaching training would instil in me the practical skills that would enable me to begin on this journey and not just cover the foundation and theory behind coaching. I am glad to say it exceed what I was hoping for.

  • The MYP coaching training was more than I expected, it was easily one of the best personal development training courses I have ever attended. It did more than just start me on the journey to becoming a great coach but helped me take an in depth look at myself and discover my own ‘blind spots’, aspects of my career, beliefs and lifestyle that were holding me back. Upon completing the course, I gained a better understanding of these blind spots and know how to overcome them.

  • There were several factors that made the training successful, but what I truly enjoyed was:

    Salma is an amazing trainer, who not only possesses in-depth knowledge of the various coaching methodologies, but more importantly, she can relate this information in a manner that is easily ‘assimilated by delegates.

    Salma was able to build an excellent rapport with each delegate and create a safe environment, that enabled everyone to fully participate in the exercises/workshop, thus improving the practical experience.

    The design of the modules, pacing of the sessions, and interactions with the delegates was truly the highlight of the course.

  • Obtaining enhanced interpersonal and communication skills which can be easily transferred into management

    Learning how to treat individuals as partners, encouraging their input and empowering them to meet their personal and business goals

    Gaining a greater understanding into the various options available in the coaching sector

  • I would highly recommend MYP training course because not only will you gain an excellent foundation in the principles and methodologies of coaching, but you will also go through a personal journey of self-awareness, that will inspire you to be a better version of yourself.

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Hannah Findlay at Co-op

  • Hi, I am Hannah. I started working in Food Retail when I was 16, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school so when I finished my A-levels I took a full-time position as a Team Leader. Over the following years I started to grow as a leader and carried on my journey through to a Store Manager.

    Last year I hit a bit of a dead end, I’d been in stores for 15 years and I knew I wanted to continue in Food Retail, but I wasn’t fulfilling my Purpose of being able to help people on a broader scale. By putting my personal growth first, I discovered my strengths and what I really wanted from a role, last year I took the leap into HR as a People Advisor, started an Apprenticeship, became a school Governor, studied a Leadership in Running course with my local running club and completed MYP coaching. MYP played a key part in having the confidence and self-belief to be able to do all those things.

  • Before applying for MYP I was worried that other people on the cohort would have had many years of experience in coaching and I would be on the back foot because I’d never formally coached someone before and had no previous coach training.

  • The reality was that everybody was in a different place on their coaching journey, but everyone was learning, we all had different strengths and Salma built psychological safety within the cohort from the offset to be able to share our personal learnings and grow together.

  • I really enjoyed being able to put into practice what we were learning, it was a safe space to practice with each other, gain feedback and build the confidence to go out there and help people.

  • Learning that we don’t have the answers and to trust the process

    Putting into practice tools to help with coaching conversations

    Seeing through the systemic lens by looking inward first

  • There are so many reasons I could recommend MYP course but the most powerful for me was the journey itself, it doesn’t matter what your previous experiences are, where you are in your career or what you background is, there is no prejudgment, everybody enters as equals and leave as friends. This isn’t just a course where you turn up for a day and then you’re ready to be a Coach, it’s a journey.

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