Claire Coley

- Are you new to management (0-5 years) and lacking confidence or keen to improve your skills?
- Looking to become a leader for the first time and needing a bit of help?
- A seasoned expert working on a transformation project (M&A, brand launch, repositioning, etc) that's causing you a bit of stress?
I may be able to help.

I’m Claire – a London-based marketing leader with a passion for helping people, teams and brands through change.

I lead a global full-service marketing team for a FTSE AIM-listed technology business, supporting a portfolio of 10+ brands. I've been leading Managers and Directors since my mid-20s and have had quite the ride so far.

Leadership can be challenging and we often feel as if we are the only ones to go through our challenges. This is rarely true – most of us think the same but only a few voice it. As a leader, I’ve been fortunate to support many people in their development from junior roles to Manager/Director and beyond. As a marketer, I've led the marketing and communications for numerous (15+) company mergers & acquisitions. This work has supported a wide range of brand launch, refresh and repositioning projects – with revenues ranging from 7 to 9 figures.

So, why mentoring?

In short, I believe mentoring is one of the most effective ways for us all to develop. Not everyone has the time or money to invest in business school and often, it’s not as up-to-date or applicable as the student hopes. I’ve been and done the MBA thing but my biggest learnings have come from hands-on work and support from others. I am excited to support you with all the challenges I wish that I could have had a mentor for a decade ago!

Who would I be most helpful to?

1) Those seeking support for leadership challenges or stepping up into management

Developing Marketing Managers in their first five years of leadership is where my passion sits. I've experienced the pressure of stepping up into the unknown, the skills shortages and the need for increased confidence. I can help you with all of that because I've lived it.

I started running teams of 15+ in my mid twenties and that, combined with working on org design for acquired businesses, meant that I saw more team challenges before the age of 30 than many will by 60. Throughout my career so far, I’ve collaborated with and managed all types of people from juniors to Directors with 40+ years of experience. I also have experience in recruitment from building my own teams plus a past life in agencies and am happy to help prepare you for interviewing or being interviewed.

2) Supporting those working on marketing merger & acquisition communications, brand positioning, rebrands and launches

If you're an experienced marketer who has some change management coming up, I could be a good sounding board for you. Whether you're working on merger & acquisition announcements, deciding how you go-to-market or planning brand launches & refreshes, I'd be happy to share my experience and be a sounding board for your ideas.

In my spare time I’m interested in fitness, creative design and metal music. Feel free to ask me anything you fancy to see if we might be a good mentoring match!