What Sara’s clients say
Sara helped me to step up from Finance Director to Chief Executive and has been my sounding board throughout. She is inspiring as well as challenging, and it works so well for me because she invested the time to get to know me, how I think and where my strengths lie.
Selina White, Chief Executive, Magna Housing
I have worked with Sara at two organisations, where we have benefited from her notable expertise in both Executive Coaching and Leadership Development. Her encouraging yet challenging approach to Executive Coaching enables coachees to consider both their people and commercial impact. I definitely recommend Sara as both an effective developer of leaders and an experienced, highly qualified, versatile coach.
Sally McGuire, Global Talent Manager, NSG Group
Sara’s leadership coaching – both personal and team based – made a real difference at a time of considerable change and has completely altered my way of thinking about my leadership style. She is challenging, interested, practical and pragmatic and always gets to the nub of the issue.
David Greenhalgh, Non Executive Director and Board Member, GreenSquareAccord
Working with Sara has been a revelation. I spent years not considering my career, but just doing the job at hand. Sara gave me a fresh perspective that allowed me to focus on my journey to becoming MD. My horizons have expanded and I’m really enjoying the new opportunities that this brings.
Catherine Brooking, Managing Director
The coaching is having a major impact on our business and influencing business decisions and our culture. It has exceeded our expectations.
Marion Whitty, Head of Learning & Development, Countryside Properties
Sara is fantastic to work with. She has a natural style that challenges you to become a better leader.
Mark Williamson, CEO Electricity North West Construction and Maintenance Limited
At a time of significant change in our business, Sara coached one of our female executives and we saw a measurable difference in her performance as a result. Sara tells it as it is, quickly inspires trust and creates the desire for leaders to want to change their behaviours. She’s the type of warm yet results-driven coach we needed and will have no hesitation in working with again.
Nicola Hurst, CEO, MyCSP
A big thank you for the wise counsel you have provided. I’ve learned a lot from the coaching and really enjoyed it. Doing something that is thought provoking and still good fun is a precious combination.
Peter Thompson, Founder and Chair, Utilities against Slavery
Sara has a keen passion for developing people with absolute integrity and commitment. She finds a way to challenge you, ask the hard questions, but get the best out of you, making you believe that success is a likely outcome and making you proud of the work you do.
Kate Kennard, Director, Working Transitions
Sara coaches with energy and pragmatism making a real difference to the people she coaches. Supportive and challenging, she accelerates performance improvement in individuals that directly impacts organisational performance. And she does it with real warmth and commitment making her a pleasure to work with.
Penny de Valk, PennydeValk.com
Sara combines her strong interpersonal skills with a natural ability to coach and mentor individuals, motivating them to achieve their very best. These rare abilities combined allow her to support and develop business winning teams. She always demonstrates, and strikes a balance between, an in-depth understanding of what is critical for success for both the business and the individuals.
Angela Brewer-Miller, Bid Management, Deloitte
Working with Sara as my Supervisor benefitted me immensely by helping me define boundaries between being a coach and leading the coaching practice. She helped me reveal my blind spots, gave me objectivity and deepened my capability as a coach.
Sara Harrison, Executive Coach
I worked with Sara as my coach mentor while completing my ICF PCC. It was a really enjoyable experience. Sara has a wealth of knowledge, which was great to tap into. She helped me work through the process and break it down into manageable steps to pass at this level.
Chris Cooper, ICF Professional Certified Coach, Trainer & International Speaker
Sara was the facilitator and teacher for my ICF ACC qualification. She has been so supportive during my coaching journey. I would certainly recommend her for coaches working towards ICF ACC and beyond.
Kay Fawcett, RN, OBE, Experienced Nurse Leader, Clinical Coach & Advisor
Sara has been my Mentor Coach throughout my credentialing process with the International Coaching Federation. I’m delighted to confirm that I am now credentialed thanks to her support! Sara is a great Supervisor and Mentor. She listens attentively and shares models where appropriate that develop my practice and insight. Sara has definitely got me committed to achieving my next level of credentialing in the next 12 months. ICF PCC here I come!
Gary Buxton MBE, Governor of the University of Manchester, NED, Coach, Facilitator
Working with Sara over the last few months has been one of those experiences that continues to deepen over time. Sara has an approach which is remarkably inclusive and warm, yet challenging too. I know for certain that my own coaching work has evolved as a result. And perhaps best of all, I find myself saying yes where I would previously have shied away from new opportunities. I feel thoroughly enriched by our time together!
Sarah Lynas, Self Belief Coach
Sara has supported me through group supervision delivered through the Thinking Environment lens which has been hugely enlightening.
Executive Coach
Sara was my mentor coach for the ICF ACC credentialing process. Sara quickly understood my needs: Her ability to connect easily, to support when necessary, and guide to success in a professional but also relaxed and friendly manner were all very welcome and strongly contributed to my successful obtention of the ACC within my set timescale. I would not hesitate to recommend her services.
Lee Goodall, Executive Coach, Skills Assessment and Leadership Training Worldwide
CHANGE was privileged to benefit from the expert support of Sara Barrie at its Board Away Day. Sara combined an engagingly personable and friendly style with impressive focus and sense of purpose. The outcomes of the day surpassed all our expectations – a renewed and shared sense of direction, greater clarity about the Board’s strategic and leadership roles, and a shared understanding of next steps.
Professor Anna Lawson, Chair
Sara’s work with us at Knightstone was a game changer. Bringing the learnings from our individual work with Sara into our Executive Team meetings ensured that despite challenges, we remained a cohesive and upbeat leadership team and this was very important in providing our staff team (400+) with a sense of positivity in the face of uncertainty.
Nick Horne, CEO, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group
Sara took the time to understand our needs and help to execute a strategy that would drive impact and value. She acted as a thought leader and trusted advisor - my only regret is that I have not been able to find a way to work with her again!
Wendell Sherrell, Chief Human Resources Officer, STARLIMS
Sara’s skills cannot be under estimated; she is constructively challenging, thought-provoking and results-focused. She quickly gained the trust of my Executive team and made a very positive impact in a short space of time, delivering innovative, insightful recommendations that moved our strategic thinking to a new level.
Nicola Hurst. CEO, MyCSP, Pensions Mutual Company
Sara is a rare combination of having extremely commercially focused Leadership skills with a passion for developing others. She contributes to increasing exec performance with her extensive knowledge and her personal approach. If you need help to see performance improvements in your people and organisation, I can't recommend Sara more highly as a consultant, coach, thought leader and team developer. You will see results.
Helen Sweeney, Business Services Director, Electricity North West
Sara brought gravitas, deep industry experience, commitment to clients and people as well as a warm and engaging style to significantly enhance the performance of the business.
Penny de Valk, Former CEO, Fairplace Cedar
Sara is fun, kind and very-well informed on the latest in the world of personal development and leadership. I genuinely look forward to our time together.
Helen Thompson, Deputy Chief Executive, The Calico Group
Sara was engaged to coach and develop our new Exec Team of six business leaders. I have been a FD for over twenty years and thought that this would not be great value to me. Fortunately, I was wrong. I would recommend Sara to any Executive Team looking to maximise their effectiveness and collaboration. I am sure you will see great results.
Stuart Parsons, Group FD, now N.E.D. Dorset County Hospital Foundation
Sara draws on a vast knowledge of theories, models and indeed practical Senior Leadership experiences, which brings learning to life and her work has been referred to as a ‘real eye opener'. Sara chooses to work with talented, ambitious leaders who want to increase their impact and make a serious difference in their personal and organisational effectiveness. Sara is both an effective developer of leaders and an experienced, highly qualified, versatile Coach.
Sally McGuire, Global Talent Manager, NSG Group
It was an absolute pleasure working with Sara and thanks to her wonderful ability to unknit fog, I felt it was an incredibly positive and enabling process working together to take CHANGE forward.
Tim McSharry, CHANGE, Board Member
She has presence, proven leadership expertise, commercial experience as well as an energy and drive that is infectious and makes you want to succeed.
Sarah Barrett, Transformation Director, Customer Experience Business
Thank you so much for our team development days. I learnt loads and found it both challenging and fulfilling. I really appreciate your willingness to let the days develop and to give us space for our voices and ideas to be heard.
Michelle Lewis, Communications Expert
Sara and Helen your knowledge, help, support and constructive feedback along the way has made a real difference for me and my leadership. I’m constantly getting timely flashbacks to your words of wisdom!
Paul Read, Executive Director of Sustainability and Investment, Magna Housing