We are a diverse team of four senior partners which offers on average 15 years coaching experience and were pioneers in the coaching profession. For our programmes, we work together with a global network of associates which we have partnered with over many years.
Our main clients include financial services and professional service firms.
We bring a deep understanding of coaching and highly developed training and facilitation skills which have been honed throughout our careers. We believe that our own continuous learning and professional development is key to keep us fresh, inspired and motivated. Regular supervision of our team and and evaluation of our products is essential to keep our quality standards high and is part of our diversity-in-leadership ethic.
Team Biographies
Dr. Carola Hieker
Carola specialises in senior executive coaching and team coaching of executive teams in international environments. As a business psychologist and founder of HILCoaching she has more than 20 years of coaching experience and has worked with top teams and individuals across a wide range of industries all over the world. Her approach is flexible, and she considers each client’s challenge as a growth opportunity. This makes her highly effective in fast moving environments. She works with a strategic perspective while supporting her clients in implementing their day to day business changes.
More about Carola
Diversity in Leadership
Over the years Carola has worked as a coached/facilitator on numerous international leadership programmes and learned a lot about the successful design to create the best and most effective leadership teams. Carola understands that diversity is an essential part of good business which has inspired her to co-found 
, the culmination of all her many years of experience.
Background
As a trained banker and business psychologist Carola possesses more than 20 years experience as a senior executive coach. Next to her work as a coach, consultant and supervisor she is a Professor for Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at the American University of London. In 2007 she co-founded Hilcoaching, working with senior executives across a variety of sectors with focus on professional service firms and financial institutions.
On a personal note, Carola is married with 3 girls and enjoys yoga and mountain biking
Qualifications
Next to her university degrees as Diplom-Psychologin (corresponding to M.A. in Psychology) and Dr. Phil (corresponding to Ph.D. in Psychology) she also completed a Diploma in Systemic Management at Birbeck University. Carola is certified in NLP, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt and Systemic Consulting and qualified to interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Step I and Step II, Firo B, and the Leadership Effectiveness Analyses as a 360’ FB tool. In addition, she is accredited in the use of Hogans Personality Inventory, Hogan Development Survey (HDS) as well as Hogan Motives, Values and Preferences Inventory (MVPI).
Carola is an Ashridge qualified supervisor (master level).
She publishes in ‘coaching at work’ on a regular basis and speaks at Conference such as the Conference on Coaching Supervision. Her publication in the International Coaching Psychology Review details on reflexive questions in a coaching psychology context.
Maia Rushby
As a business coach, Maia focusses in preparing high potential clients for their big break into the leadership arena. Individually tailored, her work enables her clients to fast track their way to effective leadership, strengthening their behaviours and evolving into real aspirational role models. She works with her clients to find inspiration and see the art of the possible, so as results they approach business challenges with excitement and energy.
More about Maia
Diversity-in-leadership
For 20 years, Maia worked in large multinational organisations seeing the typical pattern of fresh new hires joining companies, eager to climb the corporate ladder. Believing that recruitment programmes are effective at hiring diverse teams of graduates and professional hires, the success of progression to the most senior positions for women is limited. Her observation is that next to experiencing the ‘glass ceiling’, women and other minority groups are more likely to look critically at ‘life at the top’ and consider that there are more rewarding opportunities elsewhere. She passion to make the boardroom a more attractive place that welcomes a diverse team of leaders has driven Maia to co-found .
Background
Maia has 20 years of business experience, working in large multinational organisations across a variety of sectors. She started as a commercial manager at Unilever, and then to satisfy her appetite for business, joined PwC Consulting as a business and change management consultant. Client projects took her all over the world, and after a few years being based in Asia, she returned into a global HR Management role, to lead the transformation of HR to a service-led partnering organisation. For 10 years, Maia held global HR leadership roles in IBM, coaching senior sales and consulting executives, to drive business performance and build resource capability across the organisation. As well as being based in Asia, she spent over three years based in the Middle East, where she was better positioned to focus on the growth markets of Africa and Asia where she coached a diverse mix of leaders.
On a personal note, Maia loves being outdoors, running, cycling and walking. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and four boys, ensuring that they share her passion for intrepid travel
Qualifications
Following on from Maia’s degree in Chemistry, she qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, then as a Chartered Management Consultant. As a global HR-leader she designed and deployed a variety of leadership development programmes working both in-house and with external organisations. Maia is an associate with the Academy of Executive Coaching, is an NLP with Hypnotherapy practitioner. She is a trained ValuesCoach and speaks at the World Values Day conference.
Ulf Larsen
Ulf is an Executive Coach, Team Coach and Organisation Development Consultant with a truly international perspective and approach. His main focus is on enabling individuals, teams and organisations to work effectively and deliver results. This is done through a focus on behavioural change in both the people and the client organisations. Ulf is at his best working in changing environments, often with a cross-cultural flavour. Ulf brings great energy and personal dedication to his clients and his approach.
More about Ulf
Diversity In Leadership
Since his student days, Ulf has had a keen interest in bringing the together diverse groups of people in order to generate higher potential and ultimately stronger performance. He has had first-hand experience with the challenges and opportunities that come from working across culture, including living in Ethiopia and travelling and working extensively in Asia and the Middle East. Ulf has studied the difficulties of creating truly global talent pools while working for UK/US headquartered blue-chip companies. As an HR Director, Ulf has lead initiatives to address equality and diversity in organisation, focused on gender, race, and other relevant factors. As an L&OD professional and external coach, Ulf has developed and delivered leadership programmes where diversity has been a critical measure of success.
Background
Ulf was born and raised in Norway and has lived abroad – in various parts of Europe and East Africa – since 1988.
Following his business degree he started his career with Procter & Gamble as a Purchasing Manager focusing on developing new raw materials, partnering with global chemical firms such as BASF, ICI, Hoechst and Rohm & Haas.
Ulf then went on to work as a management adviser for SOS Children’s Villages in East Africa. Moving to the UK from 1998, Ulf started a career in Human Resources, holding HR roles with Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine; L&OD Director and the HR Director roles at Telewest Broadband before joining Marsh McLennan in 2005. During 3 years at Marsh EMEA, Ulf lead and developed HR in all Emerging Markets before becoming EMEA HR Director.
Ulf was a Board member of Marsh Ltd and 3 associated companies; as well as being a Trustee/Board Director of SOS Children’s Villages in the UK for 7 years.
Ulf now lives in Belgium with his wife and daughter and combines his work with a dedication to charitable causes and the love of sports and the outdoors in particular.
Qualifications
Ulf earned a Master Degree at Oslo Business School followed by an MBA at Heriott Watt, Edinburgh University. Ulf is a qualified Executive Coach, completing the Practitioner course at the Academy of Executive Coaching; and has followed a Team Coaching Diploma course at the same institution.
He also is a certified NLP Practitioner and holds further certifications in the application of Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), EQ-i / ECI (Emotional Intelligence tools), OPQ, Hogan Development Survey (HDS) and Social Styles.
Ulf is an Associate of Richard Lewis Consultancy (a leading cross-cultural specialist) and qualified to work with their Culture-Active tool and general cross-cultural communication approach.
While living in the UK, Ulf was a member of the Institute of Directors for 10 years.
Jeremy Cox
For the last 16 years, Jeremy has worked with business leaders throughout the world to help prepare them to excel in complex and challenging times. He works in four main areas; Conference Speaking, Facilitating Board and Team Offsites, designing and delivering Leadership Workshops, and Coaching Business Leaders in defining and achieving High Performance. Jeremy has worked extensively across a broad range of industries and at all levels in business from CEO/Main Board of FTSE 100/Blue Chip companies through to first line managers and individual contributors on the ‘Shop Floor’. Jeremy always seeks to work in partnership with business leaders, designing bespoke interventions for teams and individuals, which he then delivers, often in tandem with a carefully selected team of close colleagues.
More about Jeremy
Diversity in Leadership
In the early 90s, as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Jeremy taught on the first commissioning course where the female cadets underwent exactly the same training as their male counterparts. Since then, he has always believed in not only the capability of women to compete with men but more importantly the complementarity of the sexes, the output of which produces a richer, deeper and ultimately more successful result. Coaching at very senior levels in business for the past 15 years has not only confirmed this, but has also highlighted the work that needs to be done to develop a similar level of appreciation across the board.
Background
Prior to being a Speaker, Coach and Facilitator, Jeremy’s career was quite rich and varied. He began his career as a professional pianist, studying at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he briefly ran a jazz band.
Seeking a different kind of excitement and challenge, he was then commissioned into the British Army as an Officer in The Life Guards, also serving subsequently with Airborne Forces. During his time in the Army, Jeremy taught leadership at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, winning the Queen’s award for the best trained platoon.
After leaving the forces, Jeremy became a Head Hunter for three years, recruiting Board/Partner level Executives, before choosing to develop leaders instead, spending three years with the Vector Group, a specialist Leadership Development company.
In 2000, Jeremy set up an independent Leadership Development Firm and has since worked with leaders in over 50 different Companies.
Outside of work, as well as spending time with his family, Jeremy reads widely, runs around the countryside, and plays in a Jazz band.
Qualifications
Beyond his performing and teaching diplomas from the Royal College of Music, and various military qualifications including Junior Staff College, military parachutist and instructing in various communications equipment and weaponry, Jeremy latterly studied business at the University of Westminster and is qualified to Full level B with the British Psychological Society.