TESTIMONIALS
I found Gareth’s sessions extremely useful at a very practical level. I have attended similarly positioned sessions over the years but the difference with Gareth was that he combined the skills required to deliver the sessions with a deep empathy of what it means to be a business professional and subject to the various demands, stresses and strains that brings. 10 weeks or so later I am still using several of Gareth’s practical suggestions daily - testament to the effectiveness of the sessions.
Paul Lewis, Firmwide Managing Partner, Linklaters
Working with Gareth has been a revelation. Truly. I had always been a bit doubtful of the value of coaching. But Gareth’s coaching style, with an emphasis on mindfulness, proved to be enormously helpful for me.
He helped me de-clutter my thoughts about my own career goals and I came away from the sessions with greater confidence and clarity of purpose about how to achieve them. I really looked forward to each session with Gareth, he was easy to talk to and very intuitive. His deep experience as a lawyer made him an ideal coach for me, but you definitely don’t need to be a lawyer to benefit from his coaching.
Give it a go, I was surprised how beneficial it has been for my general wellbeing.
UK Senior Manager (SMF), G-SIB
Gareth’s deeply insightful and sensitive coaching technique, combined with his experience as a senior legal professional, make him an ideal coach for senior lawyers looking to hone their leadership skills. Gareth’s coaching has helped me to become a more effective people leader and has been an important guiding light as I have sought to build and develop a team of highly talented global lawyers.
Brian Pringle, Head of Regulatory Legal, Visa Europe
The best word I can think of to describe the experience of coaching with Gareth is "transformative".
I went into the experience highly skeptical of the relevance of coaching to my day-to-day work and I found myself almost immediately challenged to rethink my assumptions and preconceptions about the concept, content and overall coherence of executive coaching.
One of the biggest insights for me was the extent to which I had assumed that I already basically understood and could apply key concepts and theories around management, leadership, team building and work practice generally. I had fallen into the trap of assuming that because I was competent in what I did for a living, there was nothing to learn about how and why that competence had become manifest and - more importantly - how and why there were gaps in that competence.
Gareth encouraged me to reopen problems I had regarded as insoluble and opened my mind to new ways of thinking and being in the workplace, with tangible results. What was even more amazing is that Gareth managed to achieve a seismic shift in my thinking and practice with great patience, humility and humour. I cannot recommend the experience well enough.
Senior Legal Counsel, APAC, G-SIB
I came across Gareth’s coaching during a period of great personal difficulty resulting from career-related stress and lack of direction. I undertook a 12-session course and genuinely consider it to be one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Gareth is incredibly kind and patient, and clearly truly cares about his coachees. He firstly spent time exploring my personality, my values, and what matters most to me; he then tailored his approach to best help me as an individual, dynamically adapting each session based on what I felt I most needed to address. By lightly guiding the discussion he enabled me to unlock my thoughts and better understand myself, ensuring that every session was highly rewarding.
The practical and emotional techniques taught to me by Gareth have been easy to implement on a day-to-day basis, yet have made a profound difference to my life - I am happier, have a positive career outlook, and have improved my performance. Gareth’s coaching is game-changing, and I would recommend it to any business professional.
Senior Manager, UK, Big Four Accounting Firm
Wow! Gareth has a very calm, supportive demeanour and I feel lucky to have had the time with him. This sounds drastic, but my experience with Gareth was life changing.
Perhaps not in the grandest sense, since I didn't make any fundamental changes to my life or job, but more in the sense of shifting my way of thinking and operating day-to-day.
I participated in a 10-session series over almost as many months, and eagerly looked forward to each meeting. But it was the time between each session, when I could put the learnings and practical techniques to work, that I grew the most. I gained increased comfort in my current role and feel confident that I will continue to reflect on the series and expand my growth even further in the years to come.
If you are fortunate enough to have an employer willing to offer these sessions - or the means to participate yourself - I feel confident you (and those around you!) will benefit. Enjoy the journey!
Senior Legal Counsel, US, G-SIB
The concepts covered in your sessions have been invaluable. I think these types of courses should be made compulsory for all senior leaders and people managers in the Legal Division. Frequently, lawyers are promoted for their technical rather than leadership skills. A very specific skillset is required for leadership, and these skills are not taught often enough.
Senior Legal Counsel, APAC, G-SIB
I recently completed a series of 12 coaching sessions with Gareth and couldn't be happier with the experience. When starting the sessions, there were certain, specific management challenges that I intended to work through. Not only did Gareth help me work through them, but he also helped me to see a bigger picture not only for my management style but also for my overall approach to career development. With a calm and relaxed approach, Gareth set the stage for open and meaningful discussions that enabled me to succinctly identify management techniques appropriate for my management style as well as my fundamental goals for my career and beyond.
Gareth clearly has a passion for his work and takes a holistic approach to professional development. I learned a number of helpful techniques, reinforced by various books and scientific studies Gareth was readily able to describe, that continue to provide meaningful guidance even after our sessions have ended. I would definitely recommend Gareth as a coach!
Senior Legal Counsel, US, G-SIB
Getting to know and build a trusting rapport with Gareth has been effortless; he is approachable, and relatable. The fact that he has intimate knowledge of the legal/ financial services market is an added bonus. He is one of the calmest people I’ve ever met and his serene demeanour can’t help but rub off on clients.
He has been directly responsible for the consistency in my mindfulness practice – for which I am enormously grateful. I believe everyone can benefit from a coach, and Gareth has helped me to see beyond certain long-held beliefs and also to connect with career-related aspirations (that I perhaps never knew I held).
Thank you for the confidence boosts and for inspiring in me a new communication/ listening/ coaching style with others, Gareth!
Dharini Collins, Director, Citigroup
I recently completed a 12 session coaching course with Gareth and really recommend the course to anyone who is searching for that extra bit of headspace and direction. When embarking on the course I was about to return to work after a period of parental leave and felt I needed to reset my way of thinking and find MY own true path, both professionally and personally. Gareth helped me enormously in this journey to declutter my thoughts and identify what makes me truly happy and what my core values are. Gareth guided me to consider small adjustments I could make to my day-to-day life to help achieve a greater sense of joy and introduced me to a wealth of podcasts, books and resources.
It is clear that Gareth is very passionate about coaching and this comes across in his sessions. He is very knowledgeable about the science behind the techniques he uses whilst at the same time he is very personable - the sessions felt like I was talking to a close friend. Having shared similar backgrounds and experiences as Gareth I found he could truly relate to my own circumstances which made his perspective all the more valuable and unique.
Senior Legal Counsel, UK, Investment Bank
Gareth's coaching truly lives up to its name - he played a pivotal role in supporting me to find my 'own true path' during a transition period when it could have been so easy to simply follow the 'expected path'.
The combination of Gareth's extensive senior leadership experience and his personal commitment to inner growth results in a powerful coaching presence - on the one hand, cutting out all the external noise to listen more attentively to the inner world, whilst, on the other, staying fully grounded in the reality of life and what's needed to take concrete steps forward.
For anyone seeking to carve out the space and time for meaningful personal reflection, I wholeheartedly recommend Gareth as your coach.
Rachel Schmieder, UK Director, Awaris
Gareth is an excellent coach; he has a friendly approach, which helps to put you at ease. I especially enjoyed the mindful aspects that were interwoven throughout the sessions I had with Gareth.
I fully recommend Gareth as a coach and his holistic approach to problem solving. After each session I came away feeling calmer and had clarity as to what actions I needed to take in response.
Senior Manager, NHS England
I can’t recommend Gareth enough - he is brilliant! I worked with him with his 1:1 coaching and he helped me deepen and strengthen my meditation practice as well as focus my priorities in my work and personal life. He has amazing perspective, having worked in Finance and Law for so many years so he understands the stresses and pressures, but he remains a calm and focused presence. Thanks to my work with Gareth, I’m now doing volunteer work that I absolutely love, something I hadn’t done for a few years.
Megan Davenport, Head of International Tax, State Street
Gareth has an inspiring way of bringing the benefits of mindfulness to lawyers. Having extensive legal experience sets him apart from those less familiar with the challenges and stresses of working in the legal profession.
A workshop that Gareth recently hosted online for our law firm was a success in sparking interest in the relevance and role of mindfulness in our practice. He demonstrated the practical benefits - ranging from resilience to improved interpersonal skills - in a relatable manner that engaged all of us, including participants who were initially hesitant.
To me it is apparent from how he approaches all aspects of this work that he “walks the talk” and is genuinely passionate about sharing with others practices that have obviously benefited him both personally and professionally.
Johann Magnus Johannsson, Partner at BBA//Fjeldco
Gareth encouraged me to unpackage what I was perceiving to be insurmountable problems and to reframe them as bite sized stepping stones on a more sustainable path. This has in turn led to other successful changes in both life and career - aided greatly by the self compassion and mindfulness techniques that he brings to the table in addition to his excellent coaching abilities.
Senior Legal Counsel, UK, Private Equity Firm
The benefits from Gareth’s coaching sessions were many but the primary one was gaining the ability to have a calmer and clearer perspective on workplace interactions as a lawyer. The sessions both enhanced skills and reduced stress in a way that I can carry forward. The result, I think, is improved mental health and a deeper understanding and acceptance of how colleagues communicate in the workplace.
Gareth has an amazingly calm and warm demeanor, which sets the “coachee” at ease right away, and his listening skills are second to none. His ability to weave in and refer back to things we discussed in earlier sessions was quite remarkable and really effective at developing themes.
I found Gareth to be an extremely effective coach!
Senior Legal Counsel, US, G-SIB
Gareth’s coaching sessions have been a valuable pillar of support as I have been navigating a career transition. He uses a variety of techniques, as well as thoughtful inquiry, to help me consider more deeply what I really want from my life and career. In particular, I’ve found he’s helped me to balance visionary thinking with developing clarity around the specific details of what I’m hoping to bring alive.
The sessions are supportive and focused yet light-hearted and very human - an environment which I’ve found encourages me to be fully authentic and open in the exploration process.
I leave each session feeling uplifted, clearer in my vision, more connected to my values and motivated to stay true to these things when it could be so easy to get swept away with following the ‘expected path’. For anyone looking for guidance and a safe holding environment during transition, I wholeheartedly recommend Gareth as a coach.
Freelance Consultant, UK
Gareth’s recent session for our entire Legal and Compliance department on Response Flexibility was fantastic and received rave reviews. His insight into the functioning of the human mind - particularly in relation to the fear, anxiety and apprehension that change can generate – is brilliant. This means that the techniques he teaches to deal with these issues are highly relevant and effective. I would strongly recommend Gareth’s work for both individuals and entire teams/ departments.
Brian Pringle, Head of Regulatory Legal, Visa Europe
I did a 12 session coaching program with Gareth and - to someone like myself who has made a career in large financial institutions - I found him both inspiring and relatable. I initially signed up simply thinking I needed a kick-start on my mindfulness practice that had lagged during the pandemic. My time with him turned into so much more.
Gareth is so kind and humorous and really helped me (an uptight lawyer) to identify my core values and re-envision what my future and my career could look like. Thanks to Gareth’s guidance and support, I have found ways to find new meaning in my existing role but am also pursuing meaningful volunteer work that I previously didn’t believe I had the head space for.
Gareth has introduced me to so many resources - books, podcasts, speakers - that I feel our 12 session program will serve me for years to come. He’s also available for one-off sessions whenever I need a top-up of inspiration! I could not recommend Own True Path and Gareth himself more whole-heartedly for anyone who is looking for more meaningful connection in their lives. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change you’re looking for; he can help you identify small steps towards a more authentic self. And sometimes he just helps you breathe a little more deeply.
Senior Legal Counsel, UK, G-SIB
Gareth has a real passion for his subject matter and has put in the miles himself. This comes through in his work. His presentation and teaching styles are authentic and effective - he reads, engages and holds the room (or video conference) in an effortlessly understated yet impactful way.
Global Head of Compliance, Investment Fund
I had the privilege of attending Gareth's EQ training in 2023, an experience that elegantly synthesized decades of leadership wisdom gleaned from books and personal learning. Throughout my two decades of leading large teams in pivotal roles, I've actively sought out leadership training and absorbed insights from various books and concepts, notably Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow," and Daniel Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence." The integration of the techniques taught in Gareth's training has proved instrumental for me in fostering team safety, happiness, and productivity.
Gareth's EQ training served as a nexus, bringing together this knowledge and practice. Reflecting on my journey, I realize how transformative mindfulness and presence are in leadership - they are akin to superpowers. I can't help but wish that more individuals could partake in Gareth's enriching learning environment, especially earlier in their careers.
Kolin Ibrahim, HSE Officer, US, Global Energy Company
I had a 12 session virtual coaching course with Gareth at a time when I found it challenging to answer what was next in my career and finding work-life balance whilst going through the ups and downs of COVID lockdown. Gareth worked with me on quieting my busy mind, being kind to myself, and figuring out what is at the core of what drives me. I thoroughly enjoyed my sessions with Gareth. He's extremely relatable given his extensive career in financial services where I felt heard, understood and the natural skeptic in me was quieted with the scientific studies Gareth shared. Throughout the sessions, I didn't feel like I was talking to a coach but rather a very insightful friend. I've continued to notice and practice what I've learned and would highly recommend coaching with Gareth.
Product Manager, UK, G-SIB
Gareth uses his own journey and his experiences of working in the City to bring practical exercises and techniques, which can be used in a personal or professional context by those wanting to focus on what matters. He has extensive knowledge of the scientific studies on positive psychology and emotional intelligence, but manages to distill this into clear, practical everyday steps that really make a difference. Gareth's enthusiasm, clarity and down-to-earth approach enabled me to take a step-back and focus on personal goals that mattered to me.
General Counsel, UK, Renewable Energy Producer
Gareth is a very talented executive coach and mindfulness practitioner. He exudes a sense of calm and groundedness, which allows for the deep introspective work of coaching to take place. Not only does he have significant knowledge and experience of coaching; he is also a top lawyer, meaning that he understands first-hand the intricacies of the business world and all the stresses and challenges that come with that. If you're looking for a coach with depth, wisdom and kindness who can operate in the 'real' (corporate) world, Gareth is an excellent choice.
Helen Pamely, Ex-Law Firm Partner, Executive Coach
A truly inspirational and genuinely compassionate leader, Gareth has a warm and caring personality and displays a genuine desire to help people identify and develop their own strengths and a greater sense of personal well-being. He has a deep understanding of emotional intelligence and is able to relay the supporting scientific evidence in a simple, consumable manner. His enthusiasm for these topics is deep rooted and infectious!
Head of Change Management, UK, G-SIB
Gareth's one hour talk to our team had a massive impact. He got us all thinking about psychological safety, and inspired us to read books and articles. And when we had our values session, "be fearless" emerged as one of the 3 values that we all signed up to. I'm not sure we'd have got there without Gareth, and I'm very pleased we did.