An executive coach who has led international operations himself
Before becoming an executive coach, I held senior management roles at Rank Xerox, Groupe SEB (Sales Director in Russia, then Managing Director of the Dubai subsidiary) and Lactalis (Managing Director of a subsidiary in Kazakhstan), leading teams of up to 600 people. A graduate of a Master's in Human Resources Management from HEC Paris and an ICF PCC certified Executive Coach, I have supported executives and management committees since 2015 across 7 countries (France, Switzerland, Russia, Morocco, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Canada) — see our client references.
« Marc has successfully managed our Middle East operations over the years and has shown exceptional leadership skills. Marc is a hard-working and an easy-going individual. A great person to work with. » — Marc Brevière, SVP & Managing Director, Groupe SEB / Groupe ALDES
The Value of Executive Coaching for Senior Leaders
Executive coaching has become increasingly popular in the business world. It is a form of professional development aimed at helping leaders improve their performance and effectiveness. An executive coach works closely with clients, offering insight and strategies that help them build leadership skills and reach their professional goals.
What an experienced coach can provide
As a business leader, you face a wide range of challenges every day — tough decisions, complex projects, and diverse teams to lead. Staying ahead in such a demanding environment means constantly sharpening your skills, broadening your perspective, and staying adaptable. This is exactly where executive coaching can make a real difference.
The Role of the Coach in Executive Coaching
In executive coaching, the coach plays a central role. Their main job is to support and guide executives as they build their leadership skills and overall performance, drawing on a range of tools and techniques — along with their own experience — to offer genuinely useful advice and feedback.
As executive coaches, we are neither simply a mentor nor an advisor. We become a partner to our clients, working together to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This collaborative relationship lets us offer guidance that is genuinely tailored to each individual's needs and goals.
Case Study: Successful Implementation of Executive Coaching
One of the best ways to understand the real value of executive coaching is to look at how it plays out in practice. Take, for example, a case involving a senior executive and a highly experienced executive coach.
At the beginning of the coaching process, the executive faced several challenges, including difficulties in team coaching management, decision-making, and keeping pace with a fast-changing business landscape. He sought the help of an executive coach to sharpen his leadership skills and improve his overall performance.
The coach began with a thorough review of the executive's full profile, including his strengths, weaknesses, leadership style, professional goals, and organisational context. This in-depth understanding helped the coach tailor the coaching to the executive's specific needs.
Over several months, the executive and coach worked together on key areas for development — effective decision-making, team leadership, and adapting to change. The coach drew on a range of tools and techniques, backed by extensive coaching experience, to guide the executive toward his goals.
By the end of the process, the executive had made real progress in his leadership abilities. He was making more informed decisions, leading his team more effectively, and adapting more quickly to changes in the business environment. The organisation benefited too, with visible improvements in team productivity, employee engagement, and business growth.
How Executive Coaching Enhances Leadership
Leadership is a multifaceted role — inspiring others, making decisions, and managing resources effectively, among many other responsibilities. Effective leadership is one of the strongest determinants of organisational success. Executive coaching helps leaders build these skills so they can lead their teams more effectively and steer their organisations toward success. A coach can offer constructive feedback, challenge your thinking, and help you spot your own blind spots — all of which lets you build on your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and become a more effective leader.
The Impact of Executive Coaching on Business Success
Executive coaching can have a real impact on business success. By strengthening leadership skills, improving decision-making, and raising self-awareness, it contributes to better performance at every level of the organisation.
Executive coaching can also boost employee engagement and retention — something that matters more than ever, now that hiring good talent has become so costly. By building a culture of learning and development, it motivates employees, lifts morale, and improves performance, which in turn drives greater productivity, better quality of work, and stronger business results.
Choosing the Right Executive Coach
When choosing a coach, look closely at their background and experience. A coach with a proven track record of helping executives reach their goals can offer real insight and useful strategies — and it's worth making sure they hold relevant qualifications and training in executive coaching.
Just as important is the fit between you and your coach. A good coach should make you feel comfortable, understood, and supported, while still being able to challenge you, give you honest feedback, and guide you toward real progress.
Harnessing the Power of Executive Coaching
The coaching process is highly personalised and collaborative. It starts with a deep understanding of the client's full profile — their strengths, weaknesses, and goals — which lets the coach offer guidance that's genuinely tailored, and help the client reach both their professional and organisational objectives.
How well executive coaching works largely comes down to the quality of the coach and the relationship between coach and client. It's worth choosing a coach with a proven track record, the right qualifications, and a style that genuinely fits the client's needs.
Whatever level of success a leader has already reached, they can still benefit from executive coaching. Whether the goal is better decision-making, stronger team leadership, or staying ahead in a fast-changing business environment, executive coaching offers the tools, insight, and support leaders need to keep improving.
What is top management coaching?
Top Management Coaching is a form of executive coaching that focuses specifically on developing the skills of senior leaders and executives — helping them become more effective in their roles, improve their performance, and deliver better results for the organisation.
FAQ
How do I choose the right executive coach?
Selecting the right executive coach requires careful consideration of several factors. First, evaluate their experience working with senior leaders in corporate organisations similar to yours, and look for a proven track record of leadership development at the executive level. Consider their approach and whether it aligns with your personal view of growth and learning — the best coaches tailor their methods to the unique challenges leaders face, and can provide references from other senior executives they have coached. It's also essential to assess the chemistry between you and the potential coach: executive coaching is a collaborative partnership, so you need someone you trust and feel comfortable being vulnerable with, with relevant credentials and experience in talent development within corporate settings.
What is the cost of executive coaching for a top manager?
The cost of executive coaching depends on the length of the programme (typically three to six months) and the organisation's context. Every engagement is the subject of a personalised quote, established after an initial conversation.
What goals can be achieved through executive coaching?
Executive coaching helps leaders achieve several important goals: developing their ability to inspire and guide their organisation, improving strategic thinking, decision-making and communication skills essential for corporate success, and navigating career transitions such as moving into more senior roles. Another key goal is developing talent management capabilities — learning how to identify, mentor and retain high-potential leaders — alongside personal development goals such as building emotional intelligence, managing stress and achieving better work-life integration.
What is executive coaching and how does it differ from mentoring?
Executive coaching is a specialised service where coaches support clients as they develop the leadership and high-level skills necessary to succeed as business leaders, through structured, goal-oriented sessions focused on professional development. The key difference with mentoring lies in approach and timeline: mentoring shares a more experienced professional's wisdom over an extended period, sometimes years, while executive coaching concentrates on the leader's development through improved self-awareness and targeted performance enhancement, usually over six to twelve months with measurable outcomes.
Is this coaching adapted to international and cross-cultural leadership challenges?
Yes — it is even a specificity of this support: before becoming a coach, I held international management roles at Groupe SEB (Russia, Dubai) and Lactalis (Kazakhstan). This operational experience feeds into coaching that is particularly well suited to leaders managing teams or subsidiaries abroad, with clients today spread across 7 countries.
Who can benefit from executive coaching?
Executive coaching benefits a wide range of leaders: C-Suite executives such as CEOs, COOs and CFOs engage with coaches to sharpen strategic focus and navigate pivotal moments, while first-time leaders often see the greatest organisational impact over time as they transition from individual contributors to management roles. High-potential employees identified for advancement, individuals from underrepresented groups seeking to close experience gaps, and leaders at vice-president or senior director level all gain from coaching engagements tailored to their stage of leadership.
What indicators reveal that a senior leader needs an executive coach?
Several clear indicators suggest a senior leader could benefit from executive coaching: a sense of career stagnation, feeling stuck without clear advancement opportunities, or difficulty unlocking new leadership potential. Communication and relationship challenges are another critical indicator — struggling to manage team dynamics, resolve conflicts, motivate teams or delegate effectively all signal an opportunity for leadership development through coaching.
How can organisations measure the return on investment of executive coaching?
Organisations can measure the ROI of executive coaching through both quantitative and qualitative approaches: the net benefits of coaching minus its total cost, alongside employee surveys, supervisor feedback and behavioural assessments. Research shows substantial returns from coaching investments — studies report returns ranging from five hundred to nearly eight hundred percent, driven mainly by productivity gains and improved retention. The most effective approach combines financial metrics with broader organisational change, tracked against a baseline set before coaching begins.
Which behavioural competencies do top managers develop through executive coaching?
Top managers develop several behavioural competencies through executive coaching: communication skills, including delivering clear messages, giving constructive feedback and conducting difficult conversations with both empathy and authority. Leaders also strengthen their influence and change management abilities — inspiring others, navigating organisational politics and guiding teams through transitions — along with accountability and goal orientation as they learn to set clear objectives and hold themselves and their teams responsible for results.
Other publication on the subject
- Corporate Coaching
- Individual Coaching
- Definition of coaching
- Executive Coaching
- How can immersive coaching accelerate your career growth?
- What are the advantages of selecting an ICF Certified Coach?
- Equine Coaching in the Workplace: What Are the Benefits?
This article was written by Marc Prager.