All of my work comes through referrals from existing clients (please see what they say – below). I have grown long-term relationships (some lasting over nearly two decades) with clients, and have ‘pivoted’ several consulting relationships into coaching relationships. Increasingly my work focuses on professional services firms and the Third Sector (NHS, charities and family philanthropy organisations).
What clients say – a few comments from clients:
Coaching a COO into a CEO role in a (different) professional services firm. “I was very clear from our work together that I wanted to do this new role differently. It can be pretty lonely being in the C-suite. Leaving behind the friends I had made in 15 years in my previous role means I talk to you about things I don’t talk to other people about. You ask great – often difficult – questions. And you draw on your own experience of working with me, for example, highlighting the way my pattern of ‘entertaining people’ turns you into an audience. That really struck home, helped me to realise that I may be disempowering people in some way because of my drive to make them laugh. Our work together is invaluable.”
CEO of a family foundation who came into coaching for what she saw as ‘imposter syndrome’.
“When we first spoke I was at such a low point. When you said ‘I like you and I think I can help you’ it felt like the end of a rope and a way to help me climb out of my Covid-and-self-made hole. It was a boost that you wanted to work with me. I assumed, because I’m good at doing that, that we’d focus on my ‘gaps’ and I would be a good girl, take my medicine and apply myself to filling them so that people would want to employ me. Our work was revelatory. I’d simply never started with the feeling of being whole and my best self in the present moment and worked back from there to understand how it came about and what strengths I already had.”
Director of a charity, feedback on a Next Act Coaching Day. “A clear programme, thoughtful pre-work, an in-depth immersion day with great follow up and real results in a short space of time. The programme really stretched my thinking. Being guided by Jane is special. I would highly recommend it.”
Jane is a great business partner and team member. Easy to work with, her creativity and insight helped us make our communications more engaging and helpful to managers, reflected in the highest positive feedback that we have ever received from the reward process.
(Sheila Edmund, VP Compensation, GSK)
There are lots of great things about working with Jane but what I really appreciate is Jane’s ability to adapt to the demands of the brief and always, always ensure the communications is true to the organization.
(Jo Alexander Global Head of Employee Communications; Global Head Communications, Group COO, HSBC)
Jane is creative, diligent and a delight to work with. The whole team enjoyed working with Jane and valued her innovative and collaborative way of working. Jane also has a wonderful and intuitive way of knowing when you need support and offers insightful advice and coaching. We have stayed in touch and I regularly reach out to Jane if I want to test a new idea or way of dealing with a challenge. I worked with Jane on a benefits change project, which required communications to employees and training to managers. Jane did an amazing job of simplifying a complicated message in a way that really talked to our employees. She introduced new methods of communications, such as podcasts, which were extremely well received across the globe. She is a great sounding board and I really value her continued support.
(Julia Memery, AstraZeneca)
We could not have achieved the level of professionalism, quality and delivery without you. Your creative ideas helped enormously and we do owe you a big debt of gratitude. You were also pretty good fun to work with which I realise I forgot to add as a condition to the tender document but will in future!
(Rick Brown, Head of HR Functional Excellence, Shell).
The coaching has been tremendously valuable. I feel that I benefited significantly from the work I did with Jane. Through coaching I have become a more effective manager and stronger leader. In particular, my influencing and leadership skills have been strengthened. Jane is extremely professional and provides a good balance of hard and soft tools and encouragement. She is very supportive whilst leaving space for me to find the answers.
(Coachee, Unilever).
Jane combines a strategic breadth of view with great pragmatism that helps ensure communication solutions hit the mark. She is diligent to work with, integrating quickly and effectively with existing in-house teams and has a fantastic sense of humour.
(Paul Rudd, Director, Barclays University, Barclays Bank, plc).
Maitland Consulting offer the best of communications consulting; the expertise and delivery gained from one of the world’s best management consultancies, but without the hassle. They are great fun to work with, an excellent source of ideas, hard working and well informed.
(Communications client, Unilever).
Whenever I need someone to sprinkle creative fairy dust over a project, I call Jane.
(Barclays communications client)
A lot of people are creative, others are effective. What’s unusual about Jane is that she is both highly creative and highly effective. I’ve worked with her now for many years, and I have never known her to work on a project that wasn’t successful.
(Independent communications consultant).
Jane led a series of workshops for us aimed at helping our communications team to build their skills. When a colleague told us we needed to develop the “wow factor” in our work, we talked to Jane. She developed and ran a series of monthly ‘communications gyms’. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. My team not only enjoyed them, but the work demonstrably helped our consultants to raise their game.
(Communications team leader, consulting firm.)
Jane was an invaluable and effective member of our team. She worked hard to deliver creative communications solutions; facilitated our global project team very effectively. She also provided supportive and constructive coaching to the team leader in a way that contributed significantly to the success of our project.
(Claire Seabrook, Shell).