Background
Our client, an experienced audit, ESG and risk professional with over 17 years’ experience, sought coaching after taking on his first Executive Committee role.
He was seeking external support that was separate from the day to day, in order to talk through issues in a safe space, bounce ideas, work through thoughts, plan, and gain the ability to take his thinking forward.
Each session lasted an hour and a half. Gerry met with three coaches from 10Eighty and immediately clicked with Iain Blatherwick, an executive coach and mentor who helps people reflect on their performance, priorities and their support and development needs. Iain focuses on enabling leaders to take a step back from the stresses of their role and have the time and space to discover how they can work to their best.
10Eighty’s Approach
Iain helped Gerry process his thoughts, acting as a sounding board so that Gerry left each conversation feeling freer, with a clear plan going forward. Iain helped Gerry identify three anchors – his role as Chief Internal Auditor, his approach to engaging and influencing the Board, and his team and checked in each time to see which area Gerry wanted to focus on most.
Sometimes, Gerry would set the agenda, with Iain subtly bringing structure to each conversation. Other sessions were co-created, with Iain adding his thoughts.
The Outcomes
Gerry has now felt able to step back from coaching because his work relationship is in the best place it’s ever been. Following coaching, Gerry feels he was able to break down barriers in work relationships and change the way that he and his team were perceived. Coaching helped put in place strategies that have enhanced his work motivation long-term and hugely helped his sense of mental well-being. Gerry identified three main benefits from his coaching.
First was having the time to think things through: with a very busy working life, having an hour to take time out and think over work matters can feel like a luxury, but the coaching sessions gave Gerry the time to think and reflect, and Iain supported – rather than guided – Gerry through that process.
Secondly, the sessions provided structure to his busy thoughts, and the time spent solving knotty problems was both helpful and heartening. Thirdly, Gerry really appreciated being able to talk through work matters with someone who wasn’t a work colleague, friend or family, and to do that in a safe space.
Client Feedback
Using coaching has been extremely helpful for Gerry. It enhanced his performance at work and also changed the way he feels about coaching. He had tried coaching before, in a previous role, but didn’t feel as if his coach was truly engaged, which had given him an impaired view of coaching.
This time he had the opposite experience. “Iain remembered everything from our sessions,” Gerry said, “subtly bringing structure to each conversation so my mind was left clearer than it was before.”
Gerry wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Iain. He described him as, “a good listener, with good experience,” who took a boarder, holistic view of Gerry and really understood what makes him tick. He thanks Iain for his extremely helpful support.
Gerry Mansey, February 2026
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