Hello, I’m Richard Hughes-Jones.
I’m an Executive Coach to CEOs and senior technology leaders.
My clients are transitional founders, CEOs and executives in high-growth technology businesses, the investment industry and progressive corporates.
Having often already mastered the technical aspects of their craft, I help my clients navigate the complex adaptive challenges associated with executive-level leadership and growth.
Get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation call.
As your executive coach I won’t bring all the answers, but by combining powerful questions with active listening and two decades of executive coaching and blue chip business advisory experience, I’ll help shine a new light on the path in front of you.
Leadership Development
- Style, executive presence
- Delegation, letting go, one-on-ones, feedback & difficult conversations
- Managing key stakeholders, including Board members & investors
- High performing teams, Psychological Safety
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Experience & interests: Founder to CEO, transitional leadership, women’s leadership, 90 day plans, 360 degree feedback, Vertical Development: sensemaking, perspective shifting, self-relating and opposable thinking
Business Growth
- Frame challenges by seeing the system and asking what’s going on here?
- Identify and narrow down options
- Clarity on actions and next steps, confidence to communicate and execute
- Apply frameworks and mental models
- Rapid scaleup growth and/or systemic organisational change
- Experience and interests: vision, strategy, business models, operations, organisational design, culture, business development, sales and marketing, fundraising, investor management, governance and board effectiveness, risk management
Personal Growth
- Finding meaning and purpose
- Balancing work and personal life
- Emotional Intelligence
- Growth Mindset, Grit & Resilience, Imposter Syndrome
- Habits, accountability and time/diary management
- Health & Wellbeing
- Experience & interests: emotions, somatics, intuitive expertise, creativity, cognitive biases, decision making under uncertainty
Executive Coaching Clients & Testimonials
I approached Richard after having raised a Series B for my company Dune, looking for guidance and an unbiased voice.
Working with Richard through the ups and downs of being a founder and executive has been a great experience. I have found his personality and approach to coaching a lot more inviting and pragmatic than the stereotypical “Navy Seal coach” that you typically come across. His help has made significant impact on my growth as a founder & executive, as well as helping me balance that with a young family.
Mats Olsen, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, Dune ($80 million, Series B)
Richard has been an exceptional executive coach for many of our senior leaders. His professionalism, deep expertise, and genuine commitment to personal and professional growth make him an invaluable partner.
I highly recommend Richard to any organization seeking to elevate their leadership capabilities
Daniela Vargas, Senior Learning Partner, Flutter International (FTSE 100)
I worked with Richard through a difficult transition to a new role. He was resourceful in providing models and frameworks, but also bringing them to life and providing perspective on where the theory is best applied with relevant, practical scenarios. We talked a lot about the grey area between seemingly opposing forces in the workplace and how much room there is for “both/and” thinking, as opposed to “either/or”.
I highly recommend Richard, he has a way of listening that brings out the best answers.
Kalin Zahariev, Director of Technology, Flutter International (FTSE 100)
I reached out to Richard to help me develop as a leader. He brought a lot of domain knowledge, as well as an independent perspective, which I also gained through 360 feedback he facilitated on my behalf. Richard built rapport and trust quickly, making me feel I could talk about anything and speak my mind. We explored a broad range of leadership issues and I left each session feeling mentally tired!
I recommend Richard as a coach to other leaders seeking executive level support on this tough but rewarding journey.
Chief Technology Officer, Fintech (£20 million, Series B)
Working with Richard as my executive coach pushed me to think differently about the private equity industry and consider what leadership role I could play in shaping it for the future. For an industry focused almost exclusively on transactions and financial returns, I realised that significant additional value comes from asking: “what can we do to serve our CEOs and the teams that we are invested in more effectively and how can we create the ‘space’ for them to grow?“
Richard is a knowledgeable, progressive and effective coach who will help you to hold up and look at your business and leadership challenges from a different and fresh perspective.
Partner, US Mid-market Private Equity firm
My coaching sessions challenge me to build my own capabilities for solving both strategic and day-to-day problems. Richard has an innate ability to ask the right questions at the right times… While his style predominantly revolves around the “coach approach”, he is well-read, experienced and opinionated, and isn’t afraid to share his own thoughts when asked of him.
Richard’s empathy and humour create an environment where you feel comfortable being vulnerable and self-aware. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to other business leaders looking to grow and develop in their careers.
Ed Gomez, Co-founder Emitwise ($17m, Series A)
Richard’s sessions give me a dedicated space to come and talk about things that are worrying me, what I’m struggling with or issues that I can’t really voice with anyone else in my life. His coaching style is conversational and non-directive.
He is very adaptable to coaching on a range of topics in the leadership arena, as well as other aspects of professional and personal development which is why I’ve found it useful to work with him across a range of different roles and career moves.
Amanda Green, Head of Operations Unitary.ai
I’ve worked with Richard over 2 years and found the sessions to be totally invaluable. They provide a much-needed space to step away from the day-to-day, get perspective on what really matters, and shift priorities or focus as needed.
He provides just the right balance of gently challenging questions along with the time to think things through and structure/process your thoughts out loud.
Jo Saxby, former Chief Operations Officer Beauhurst
Working with an executive coach has helped my reflect on my role as a leader, identifying areas I need to improve on a case by case basis. This helps build a larger picture of who I am as a leader and where I need to go and creates ways for me to form new and more impactful habits.
I find Richard’s coach-approach very calming and empowering, I am able to be very open with him and as a result come up with all the solutions myself. He has seen me through quite a few challenging situations and, because of our sessions, I have been able to handle them with a more measured, elegant attitude. I highly recommend him as his approach is about you and not bringing regurgitated opinions and methods.
Charles Jeffrey, Founder Charles Jeffrey Loverboy (undisclosed investment from Tomorrow)
I was most impressed with Richard’s ability to coach on such a range of leadership topics. Everything from branding to managing conflict to career development. He is very approachable and has an authentic curiosity that made me go deeper on my own introspection and get to the root of a challenge, before developing pragmatic action steps. I had several ‘light-bulb’ moments where I’d been struggling previously to get there on my own.
Richard’s a fantastic coach and I would highly recommend him if you’re considering coaching to accelerate your leadership development.
Tom Broome, VP of Customer Success, project44