Who we are

Founder and MD of Spark Leadership, Elizabeth Coffey is an internationally recognised consultant, speaker and author focused on developing CEOs, CEO Successors and Board Executives of FTSE 100 and the Global 500 companies to achieve stretching organisation strategies.

Abigail Cooper-Hansen has 15 years experience as a Leadership Coach, working with a variety of industries from the Board down. This work has been both on an individual basis and as part of larger, team-base change projects, to ensure personal and business fulfilment of goals.

Andrea Facchini is a business psychologist with international consulting experience, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. He has an excellent track record of working with diverse client groups using a strong client-focused approach.

Dr Rob Irving is a highly experienced practitioner in executive assessment, talent strategy, and development. He supports quoted companies in the UK and internationally in the selection of board talent, succession planning, and high-potential development plans.

Andy Iwaniec has over 18 years experience in delivering organisation development solutions, including behavioural and culture change, team effectiveness and change management.

Elizabeth Klyne provides transformational executive leadership coaching and career development programmes. She is the originator of the ‘Unique Contribution’ approach to career development and succession planning through her work with senior executives, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Kirsty Leishman is a highly experienced executive coach, consultant and facilitator. Many of her clients are operational and executive leaders, largely in oil and gas majors. She advised and co-led an international development programme for high-potential leaders run throughout down-stream and up-stream businesses.

Having led businesses across Europe for 3M Company, Ray Longbottom now coaches and mentors senior executives, combining the skills of a professionally trained coach with the knowledge and judgment of a regional CEO.

Tony Montes is a Senior Leadership Development expert with expertise in succession management, leadership development and coaching, organisational behaviour, managing organisational politics, managing and leveraging diversity in multicultural teams, high potential assessment and performance management. He is qualified to deliver a range of psychometric instruments and 360 assessments.

Pippa Prideaux has been coaching Board level leaders purely on communications issues for over 15 years, offering bespoke advice to a wide range of senior clients from such organisations as Shell, Hess, BBC, UBS, Nomura Bank, Barclays, The Post Office and numerous others.

Hilary Samson Barry is a qualified, experienced and successful coach. She works with individuals, teams and organisations to improve effectiveness through one to one coaching, group and team facilitation, and skills development in political savvy, strategy development, organisational effectiveness and partnership working.

Rebecca Stephens MBE began her career in journalism but is best known for her accomplishments in a completely different field, that of mountaineering. On 17th May 1993, she became the first British woman to climb Everest and the following year went on to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, the so-called Seven Summits – again the first British woman to accomplish this feat.

Michael Topolnytsky is a learning and development expert who advises private and public sector organizations globally on creating custom learning programs for executives. Michael understands learning as a tool for effecting organizational change and improving the effectiveness of organizations.