Dr Sam Humphrey

Sam coaches high performing leaders and teams to navigate their most thorny leadership challenges. With over 20 years’ coaching experience, a masters in executive coaching and a doctorate in coaching supervision, Sam brings a potent combination of coaching practice and theory.

She has a highly commercial background and before becoming a coach, started her corporate career in Jaguar Cars, moved to Scottish Power then spent a decade at FMCG giant, Unilever, where her final corporate role was Global Head of Coaching.

Clients frequently say that Sam helps them feel ‘comfortably uncomfortable’ as she explores what clients need to learn and unlearn to enable them to lead and deliver improved business and personal performance.

Sam works in a transparent way with clients to ensure they leave with clarity on what and how coaching has helped them with their leadership challenge. This has the additional benefit of ensuring that clients do not become dependent on their coach or coaching and that they complete their coaching work with a clear sense of ownership for their solution.

Examples of Sam’s work include: a CEO – working to identify and manage the issues accompanying an outgoing Chair and establishing an effective relationship with the incoming one. Newly appointed Partners – supporting them with the transition where they are new to leadership positions and aiming to establishing themselves, quickly in their new role. Leaders leading teams – establishing teams and work groups, managing the needs of the team and individuals, leading teams and delivering high performance through others. Individual leaders – dealing with conflict, difficult conversations, influencing others and making an impact with clients, peers and team members

Sam has coached business leaders and teams since 1996 and has worked with people in a range of businesses, professional services and public sector organisations including: BUPA, Betfair, Linklaters, KPMG, Baker McKenzie, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Open University, Argent, Yahoo! and Tesco.

She was a member of Faculty at Meyler Campbell on their Business Coach programme and she is an original member of the Editorial Board for Coaching at Work Magazine where she wrote a regular coaching column for eight years and contributed to several features and articles. She has co-authored the book, Coaching Stories, Flowing and Falling of Being a Coach, which was published in early 2019.

Sam completed her Doctorate in Coaching Supervision in 2021 at the University of Wales Trinity St David. Sam also has a Professional Masters in Coaching from i-coach academy and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She holds Chartered Coach status with the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and is a Master Practitioner Coach with the European Coaching and Mentoring Council. Sam is accredited in the use of several psychometric tools including Hogan, Firo B, MBTI Step 1, 2 and Advanced MBTI with Teams.