News Releases

February 2013

This research compares the findings from the coaching conversations with 120 women we coached in a year with those for a parallel sample of 120 men from the 330 men we coached in a similar period.

March 2012

Following the Davies report the encouraging development in the debate about women  is that the focus has switched from the numbers of women on boards to how to improve the pipeline of executive women. This prompted us to analyse the non confidential data from our coaching of women over the last 12 months – a cohort of 120 senior females out of a total of 450 executives’.

November 2011

Peter Shaw's new book, “Thriving in Your Work: how to be motivated and do well in challenging times” sets out practical approaches to enable leaders to: clarify their outcomes; work as a team; choose their impact; develop new skills; recognise their emotions; build their approach; use their time well; be alert to the unexpected; beware of the risks; use their energy well and keep it all in perspective. This book is designed to equip the reader to stand back and reflect, and to enable individuals and teams to be motivated and do well in challenging times.

October 2011

As a result of the growth and success of the FTSE 100 Cross-Company Mentoring scheme since its foundation in 2003, and the impetus from the Davies report, a new structure is being established to reflect the importance of this initiative in achieving goals set out in Lord Davies's report and to allow it to expand significantly further.

From October an independent organisation, called The Mentoring Foundation has been established to allow the programme to expand further. Peninah Thomson, the partner in Praesta who has been running the scheme, will be seconded to the new organisation, and will transition to a full time transfer to focus exclusively on this work.

Praesta will remain the programme's preferred coaching partner and will continue to coach both executive and potential non-executive women.

October 2010

The Financial Times heralded the FTSE 100 Cross Company Mentoring Programme and new efforts to broaden the scope of the initiative to include FTSE 250 companies in an article by Andrew Hill on 21st October 2010.

Peter Shaw and Hilary Douglas recently ran a workshop for Board level executives, discussing how leaders maintain and develop personal resilience and motivate others in times of great uncertainty. Participants talked about the characteristics of leaders they admired, and reflected on the lessons of their own careers. From Praesta, we shared some of the latest thinking on how the human brain typically responds to change, and strategies for managing emotional responses in ourselves and others. Further workshops are planned for the autumn.

On October 7th and 8th 2010 over 60 coaches from Praesta offices around the world gathered in Dublin for the firm’s 3rd International Conference. The main theme of the event was ‘Making the most of our brand’ and internal and distinguished external speakers focussed on the increasingly global nature of the coaching industry.

As coaching becomes more clearly recognised around the world as one of the most effective executive development tools, the demand for high quality business coaching is increasing.. Praesta is uniquely well positioned to serve clients internationally and we are working ever more closely across borders to deliver what our clients need. Multinational companies are introducing coaching to their locally employed and ex pat staff and locally based organisations are looking to establish providers with international experience.

One of the highlights of the Conference included the launch of the Praesta Women in Business Leadership initiative. Our pioneering work in the UK in developing senior women is now being successfully used as a model in eight other countries around the world - Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland. This new initiative brings together the range services we have developed over several years for both companies and individual senior women and is aimed at enabling women to thrive in the senior echelons of business, including in the boardroom.

Ruffer LLP, the independent investment manager, announces the appointment of Robin Hindle Fisher as Non-Executive Director.

Robin Hindle Fisher spent over twenty five years in institutional fund management and was formerly Chief Executive of Phillips & Drew Fund Management. He is now a business coach at Praesta Partners.

Praesta Partners, the leading global provider of business coaching, has strengthened its change management capability and understanding of Government, with the appointment of Hilary Douglas.

Hilary Douglas is an experienced and qualified coach who brings with her a track record of leading and managing change in Government Departments. She has held Chief Operating Officer and equivalent roles on the Management Boards of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Treasury, the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education. She has led on major projects such as the transformation of the Treasury Headquarters building, and the merger of the Department for Business with the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills. She has long experience of working with suppliers to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in Government operations.

Hilary has also held roles on the Management Boards of the Cabinet Office and of OFSTED, and has led the prestigious Top Management Programme, which brings together high potential executives form the private, public and voluntary sectors. Earlier in her career she worked with local authorities and institutions on a wide range of policy issues concerned with education and skills.

Paul Gray, Chairman of the Management group at Praesta, commented: “We are very pleased to be welcoming Hilary to the Praesta team at a time of major challenges for all senior leaders. Her experience of running organisations and of change management will be invaluable across many sectors.”

Hilary Douglas commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Praesta team and to support leaders in realising their full potential, whichever sector they may be working in.”

Praesta Partners, the leading global provider of business coaching, has strengthened its team in financial services with the appointment of Robin Hindle Fisher.

Robin Hindle Fisher has worked in the City for 27 years and remains a part time partner of Governance for Owners, the specialist corporate governance investment company. He has worked in senior positions in a number of large asset management companies including Phillips & Drew Fund Management, where he was ultimately CEO, Henderson Administration, where he was on the public company board, and Deutsche Asset Management, where he was Head of the UK Institutional Business. Robin is a Sloan Fellow of London Business School.

Robin will coach clients in financial services and across other industry sectors. Paul Gray, Chairman of the Management Group at Praesta, commented: “Financial services is a growth area for Praesta as the need and demand for high level business coaching is enormous. At Praesta, all of our coaches have significant business experience and have operated at the highest levels of major organisations. We are very pleased to be welcoming Robin to the Praesta team at an exciting time for us and in the evolution of the coaching profession.”

Robin Hindle Fisher commented: “Praesta is the leading coaching firm in the world and I am very pleased indeed to be joining. I have enjoyed the privilege of having a business coach for several years and have experienced the benefits myself. I am looking forward to sharing this with others, particularly in the financial services sector where effective leadership will be even more critical than ever over the next few years.”

On 14 December, the CBI called for all listed companies to be required to measure their progress on improving diversity in order to boost the number of women on boards, and made the business case for greater female representation.

In its submission to the Davies Review, the CBI said the UK Corporate Governance Code should be revised to require listed companies to report on diversity on a “comply or explain" basis.

Peninah Thomson, a member of the Task and Finish Group that produced the CBI submission has pioneered Praesta's work in this area for the last 13 years. She commented: "The CBI submission to the Davies Review is a pragmatic and closely-argued blueprint for meaningful action. The call to report on progress enables companies to set their own targets in relation to gender diversity, but requires them to report on progress in meeting those targets. Institutional investors and shareholders will be able to request information on progress and to hold companies to account for performance. The pledge to take action made by the companies represented on the CBI Task and Finish Group constitutes visible and committed leadership in this area, and will provide both authoritative advocacy for change and an effective benchmark for other listed companies. All the companies represented on the CBI Task and Finish Group are members of the FTSE 100 Cross-Company Mentoring Programme, proudly sponsored by Praesta, and I am delighted that the submission cites the Programme as an effective means of developing and sustaining the talent pipeline through to the boardroom".

Praesta Partners goes from strength to strength in its work supporting women leaders in business. Building on the knowledge we have gained from the work with the FTSE 100 Cross Company Mentoring scheme, our research and our wider experience in coaching senior leaders, all our coaches are exceptionally well placed to support women at work: both those who wish to progress their careers and those who aspire to the top roles.

Our forthcoming brochure “Women in Business Leadership” will set out the coaching offering, as well as explaining how Praesta can help organisations who want to make their culture more receptive, and hospitable, to retaining and progressing their female talent. The FRC Corporate Governance Code now sets a clear expectation on UK quoted companies to show regard for the benefits of gender diversity on their boards. Praesta can help with that challenge.