Meet Áine
I’ve enjoyed diverse and challenging roles in my professional life, each of which developed and stretched me. I’ve worked alongside senior leaders - Minister in the NI Assembly, CEO of a London think-tank, Chair of a campaigning collective - as a sounding board and a maker-of-things-happen.
I’ve collaborated on research into big questions at a think tank: what skills are need for the workforce of the future?; What does Good Work look like?; How to increase innovation and creativity at the BBC?; What makes for thriving cities?; How can the UK’s creative industries flourish?
I thrive on connecting people and ideas, working with parliamentarians and businesses as Head of Public and Parliamentary Affairs, as a speaker at national and international conferences and as an advocate for creators’ rights. I have advised groups looking at issues from intellectual property rights and copyright to climate change, arts education to music festivals.
My love of music has taken me onstage at world-famous venues like Glastonbury, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Paris' New Morning; I’ve shared that love by co-leading a community choir and teaching ukulele to five year olds.
I have experienced collisions of ideas, personalities, perspectives and principles, all of which supports me to coach from a place of curiosity and openness.
You can find more about my career background and experience on LinkedIn (and you can hear how to pronounce my name - it’s not immediately obvious!).
Helping Create Better Workplaces
My coaching practice is how I help to create better workplaces where people can grow and flourish.
I’ve helped leaders grow and develop in UK universities and government departments, and I’ve worked with founders of high-growth tech start-ups as they build and scale their businesses. In the corporate space, as a coach with Ivy House I work with delegates on their leadership programmes to deepen their learning through 1:1 coaching centred on radical support and radical challenge. And at The Brave Lab, I’m aligned with their purpose: to realise a world where people and planet can thrive by helping organisations and the people in them take brave steps together.
My clients come from different backgrounds; all share a desire to develop and to grow, the courage to face into the issues that are getting them stuck, and the aim of leading with a sense of authenticity and congruence.
A commitment to excellence
I work with individuals and with senior teams to develop their leadership and organisational capacity, both in my own practice and as an associate consultant, including specialist Higher Education consultancy Elementa Leadership. I qualified with the Practioner Diploma in Executive Coaching with the Association of Executive Coaching and am an active member of the Association of Coaching. I have trained in a wide range of techniques to support inquiry and creative thinking with clients.
I have deepened my understanding of organisational cultural change, qualifying in Group and Systemic Mediation and as a Certified Partner of the Denison Organisational Culture Survey. I have a lot of experience helping people to understand their 360 degree feedback through the Leadership Practices Inventory model.
Practice based on integrity
Ensuring that I maintain an ethical practice based on integrity is important. I subscribe to the Global Coaching Code of Ethics, hold PPI for coaching engagements, and regularly access supervision to deepen my understanding. I am a Research Affiliate of the Centre for Leadership, Ethics and Organisations based at Queens University Belfast.
I believe in the transformational power of constructive dialogue and served as a board member of Mediation NI which supports parties dealing with change, contention, conflict and difference.
“I appreciate the quality of Áine’s analytical and critical thinking and - importantly - her capacity to support and build on ideas and early stage projects. Her generosity is also striking: her support for and contributions to new projects we’ve collaborated on has added a huge amount to their work and credibility.”