Meet the team
ICF MCC

Paul Starbuck MCC

Managing Director, Executive Coaching, Team Development and Leadership Specialist

“I care about helping leaders help themselves, their teams and their business unleashing their full potential. I build trusting, authentic partnerships focused on the executive’s growth through a fun, relaxed style and by keeping things simple.”
Paul Starbuck

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Starbuck and Associates Limited Paul Starbuck MCC

Career background and strengths

As an experienced executive leader with 35 years in retail and healthcare leadership, I have had an accomplished career in HR, finance, operations, property, and audit. I have led large field leadership teams across the United Kingdom and Ireland. I have also spearheaded significant change and transformational projects, including organisational design, operational improvement, people change, resourcing, the introduction of new systems, risk management, technology, and store formats.

I have non-executive director and board experience, with an extensive understanding of leading highly successful teams in the corporate sector. My passion for coaching comes from my innate desire to empower others and see them succeed. This is evident in my work with senior leaders, directors, C-suite executives, and board members of some of the largest global businesses. My approach, which combines high support and challenge, is designed to stretch clients’ thinking, unlock their true potential, and facilitate the changes they wish to make in their organisations.

My focus is clear: I am dedicated to fostering executive growth through powerful and challenging conversations. I believe in infusing fun and simplicity into the process, making the journey enjoyable and rewarding. By placing the client at the heart of the changes they wish to make, I equip them with the leadership skills, executive capabilities, and personal confidence necessary to achieve their objectives. My passion and energy to support leaders in making change is infectious.

“I chose Paul as my coach due to his impressive track record of leading sizeable teams through periods of change and uncertainty.”
Dr Rob Lorenz, President, Cleveland Clinics

Coaching and leadership experience

​I have worked for Microsoft, General Electric, KPMG, Jaguar Land Rover, SAP Global, Adecco, British Telecom, Boots, Morgan Stanley, Unilever, Ralph Lauren, Astra Zeneca, Coca-Cola, Standard Chartered and NHS. 

​Key sectors

  • Retail
  • Healthcare
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Telecoms
  • Oil and Gas
  • Finance
  • NHS
  • Public Sector
  • Finance
  • Hospitality
  • Technology
  • FMCG 

Qualifications and training

​ICF MCC (Master Certified Coach Accreditation)
EMCC Senior Practitioner 
ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring
Chartered Fellow (CMI)
Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Diploma in Professional Consulting 
Hogan Assessments Certification
Korn Ferry LPA & 360 Accreditation
Thomas International PPA & TEIQue Accreditations 
FAA Level 3 Mental Health First Aider

​I am a member of the Institute of International Coaching Federation (ICF), European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC), and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Inspiration outside work

​I love being with family and friends and enjoy sport and music. I believe in fostering a sense of well-being and having a fabulous sense of fun!

What clients say

  • I wholeheartedly recommend Paul Starbuck as an outstanding professional coach who has been instrumental in my journey from a senior manager to a senior leader. Paul’s expertise and guidance were a tremendous help in not only securing the promotion I sought but also in ensuring that I was performant from...

    Perrine Faye

    Global Head of Editorial & Pricing, Fastmarkets

  • Qualified Business & Personal Coach | NED | Chief People Officer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion champion. Qualified Business & Personal Coach | NED | Chief People Officer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion champion.
    Paul is highly capable leader. His calm yet driven approach to performance delivery made him a trusted...

    Nathan Clements

  • I recently had the pleasure of working with Paul for over 6 months, one on one. I chose Paul as a coach due to his extensive background in leading large teams, inside large, complex corporates in times of change and ambiguity. Paul has a unique ability to make very complex...

    Clyde Rosanowski

    Senior Vice President, Mastercard

  • Paul and I had a coaching relationship for one year in a period which was critical to my landing as senior director in a new company and during a very transformational period for the company and for my role. We started working on some initial objectives set but where the...

    Oltea Ceraceanu

  • Paul significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth. With his open mind and on-point coaching techniques, Paul helped me to understand feedback received and brought me along a journey of self-awareness which ultimately contributes to a more robust foundation as a leader. Paul’s vast experience translated into innovative approaches...

    Pedro

    Director, Biopharmaceutical company and global leader in developing and delivering high-quality medicines.

  • Paul supported me into a career change to become a consultant. I found his experience invaluable and his enthusiasm infectious. His help propelled and prepared me for my first client. Thank you Paul for all of your support.
    Working with clients to understand ICH-GCP, run clinical trials, register and...

    Victoria Sessions

  • I really looked forward to my chats with Paul and discovered a lot about myself through both our philosophical debates as well as challenging silences. Paul is a great listener, but also not afraid to challenge when required. I highly recommend having a chat with Paul and seeing how he...

    Hina Shavdia

  • Working with Paul Starbuck as my coach has been a transformative experience. Over the course of six months, Paul dedicated his time and expertise to help me address my weaknesses and unlock my full potential. Through his insightful mentoring and skillful guidance, I was able to make significant strides in...

    Francois Orhan

  • It really was a pleasure to work with Paul. Whilst our sessions were very relaxed I found them hugely interesting and powerful. A fresh perspective on my journey, skills and development areas for a more deliberate plan of my future career. Some very useful tools and tricks for future planning...

    Scott Carolan

    Chief Digital Officer, NTT Ltd

  • Paul is a brilliant executive coach who asks thoughtful, well-timed and challenging questions. His coaching expertise plus considerable people and operations experience meant he fully understood my objectives and goals during a recent career transition.

    Paul’s coaching drives accountability and builds confidence and I felt the impact from the first...

    Richard Ashby

  • Paul was a fantastic coach who really helped me to make the next step in my career to director level. Paul’s ability to ask thought provoking questions and challenge me to push myself was extremely powerful, and I have come away with a more considered approach to my career. I...

    Nick Reynolds

  • Paul, with his humorous and calming attitude, had been an indispensable partner for me through challenging times of my professional career. He did help me find my true north of expectations and questioned through what is it that I can do to influence- in my own way.

    During 8-9 months...

    Oguz Aytekin

    Executive Engineering Section Manager, GE

  • Excellent coaching skills – Paul makes it very easy to talk through career choices and evaluate options and issues. His background across sales and retail has given him priceless insight into how to drive success in a business. A pleasure to work with

    Mark Dailey

    Partner, Madano Partnership

  • I have been working together with Paul on my Leadership Development, Development of my future career path and my Personal Development in general for the last 11 months.

    I have found Paul very professional and supportive as well as challenging and funny (with great sense of humour) at the same...

    Stefan Kellner

  • I really enjoyed working with Paul exploring new opportunities for my career. Paul is very calm, patient and takes to time to listen to fully understand you and your situation and then is very effective at challenging your thinking and decision making.
    Paul is very supportive and always willing...

    Yvonne Crabbe

  • had a 6-month coaching license with Ezra through my company, and started at a time that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by some added responsibilities I’d taken on. I was able to identify the areas I wanted to work on and how I wanted to grow and use each...

    Victoria Knight

    Head of Site Trading, Yoox Net-a-Porter

  • I worked with Paul over a 9-month period as part of BT’s executive talent programme. I can genuinely say that that the experience and insights that Paul brought about were game-changing. Through the perfect balance of challenge, support and encouragement, Paul created an environment wherein I was able to critically...

    Ben Thomas

  • Like many at some time in their careers I recently found myself at a crossroads professionally, I knew in my mind what I wanted to do or the direction I wanted to pursue but was unsure how or what I need to to get there. Paul was recommended to be...

    Nouman Rahuf

  • Paul has been supporting me through a recent career transition with compassion, insight and constructive challenge. I feel like I am continuing to develop the tools and approaches to be able to make decisions with purpose based on self-awareness, integrity and authenticity. Paul has been incredibly supportive of my goals...

    Sam Houston

  • I have been working with Paul for 10 months. I have found him to be totally supportive as a coach but challenging at the same time – a great combination which worked really well for me. When I started with Paul, I was really low on self-confidence and couldn’t imagine...

    Sue Martin

  • I have just completed 3 months of coaching from Paul and I have to say that during those 3 months of training I have never enjoyed or looked forward more to having a coaching session as I did with Paul. Going into the start of the coaching I had reservations...

    Ian Barnes

    Director Of Operations UK, YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP

  • Over the last few months, I have had the great pleasure of working with Paul Starbuck through In Touch Networks. Paul has been a fantastic support and leader as an executive coach. No need to say that in the recent somewhat challenging and isolating times, all my sessions with Paul...

    Melina Mousalli

  • Paul has coached me through my transition to a portfolio career, and I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding professional experiences I have had. Paul is empathetic, challenging, energetic, humorous, and has an enormous wealth of experience to draw on. His easy-going style was accompanied by...

    Colin Reed

  • Being coached by Paul was a really fantastic experience. I enjoyed every minute of being stretched, challenged, questioned and occasionally even laughed at, but not in a mean way. Paul’s energy and enthusiasm for life is infectious, his experience is vast and as a coach he combines deep and broad...

    Susan Castle

  • Paul has been my excellent coach for 8 fun filled sessions over 6 months. His gentle coaching took me through a discovery process and helped me to sort out my thinking. He listened thoughtfully and skillfully directed our conversations. His light-hearted approach and critical questioning accelerated my learning about what...

    Harry Moss - DPhil, C.Eng., FIMechE.

    Director, Engineering Assurance Specialist, Board Advisor and Asset Integrity Consultant, IM3R Limited and ex-BP

  • Paul Starbuck was excellent whilst challenging me….

    Paul Starbuck provided an excellent coaching session. Whilst putting me at ease from the start, he challenged my thinking, provoked conversations that drove my views forwards and really made me consider things which I was missing. A great session that I would highly...

    Hywel Price

    Commercial Director, Smart Industries Limited

  • On booking the accelerated executive coaching, I was concerned that it could end up being a nice, general discussion but not necessarily a practical help but thankfully my worries did not materialise. A very positive session and I ended it with tangible and real actions that I am able to...

    Tara Avila

    Director, TKA Consulting Limited

  • I have known Paul Starbuck since May 2020 – and learnt lots from working with him. PauI is someone true to his word. As a Coach Paul is always focussed on the needs of his clients. I’m not being coached by him at the moment, however, have been contacted by...

    Toyin Higgs

    City Integration Manager, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

  • Paul is naturally gifted as an executive coach. He has an ability to have a difficult conversation in a comfortable way without making you feel compromised. Paul very quickly recognises limiting beliefs and using his positive lens in a masterful way. As a result he has helped me to remove...

    Susan Hill

  • In the last 6 months Paul has been supporting me on a transformational coaching journey. Facing life changing opportunities and challenges whilst being coached professionally by a coach that goes beyond the call of duty and who is not afraid to make you think through the most difficult choices whilst...

    Petra in'tVeld-Brown

  • Paul mentoring me has been incredibly impactful to me both professionally and personally. His open style of coaching and support has really encouraged me to focus on my personal development by finding new perspectives and ways to think about and approach my leadership. As an established leader himself he is...

    Steve Jones

    Senior Manager for the CSC and Transformation, Walgreens Boots Alliance

  • I would like to thank Paul Starbuck for his coaching input over the last few months. I can truly say it has been a really positive experience where Paul has regularly pushed me to look at new ways of thinking when I have been stuck in areas of my career...

    Janet Butler

  • Paul has been my coach at a key point in my career. I was made redundant and had a huge opportunity to think about the direction I wanted to take, but was deeply unsure about it all. Through lots of very patient listening, and a bit of well-timed humour, Paul...

    Lesley Coldham

    Head of External Affairs, Tullow Oil & Gas PLC

  • Paul is a great coach
    Paul is a great coach. He listens really carefully and empathetically and then responds with gentle but persistent challenge. He has a wealth of experience, understanding and ideas which meant that wherever the conversation went he could bring something new and inspirational. Above all...

    Jack Murphy

  • Excellent Exec Coach.
    I worked with Paul over a six month period during a particularly intense period professionally. He helped me to think clearly around the planning and implementation of successful business change, and also helped me learn a lot about myself along the way. I found all of...

  • Highly recommend
    I have found working with Paul incredibly beneficial. He has an impressive CV working at senior level in large organisations, which makes him very credible. He’s seen it, and done it, so can relate to my challenges. Paul has a wonderful manner, which makes sessions engaging and...

    Bonnie M

  • Fantastic coach
    Paul is been a fantastic coach – exactly the right balance of challenge, listening, thoughtful questions and insight. He’s been a valuable support and I’ve benefitted hugely from his approach

    Richard S

  • I really enjoyed working with Paul. He stretched my thinking, really challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, providing useful tools and insight which benefitted my development as a leader.

    Stephen Butterworth

  • Great, challenging and supportive coach.
    Paul’s coaching has been hugely valuable. He combines a constructive, supportive, and exploratory approach with genuine challenge on areas that need further reflection. I have found this hugely useful in identifying parts of my approach to leadership that need more work. Paul has got...

    S Collins

  • Relaxed but very powerful sessions…
    It really was a pleasure to work with Paul. Whilst our sessions were very relaxed I found them hugely interesting and powerful. A fresh perspective on my journey, skills and development areas for a more deliberate plan of my future career. Some very useful...

    Scott Carolan

  • Paul supported me through an important career transition with compassion, insight and constructive challenge. With Paul’s help, I was able to develop the tools and approaches to be able to make decisions with purpose based on self-awareness, integrity and authenticity. Paul was incredibly supportive of my goals and was a...

    Sam

  • Working with Paul has been an incredible experience. A first class Coach who shows empathy but also will ensure accountability to move forward positively with results.
    I have been fortunate to gain Paul’s support to really help me focus on my personal brand, my skills which should enable me...

    Andy Webb

  • Paul coached me through my transition to a portfolio career, and I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding professional experiences I have had. Paul is empathetic, challenging, energetic, humorous, and has an enormous wealth of experience to draw on. His easy-going style was accompanied by a...

    Colin Reed

  • I have been working together with Paul on my Leadership Development, Development of my future career path and my Personal Development in general for the last 11 months.

    I have found Paul very professional and supportive as well as challenging and funny (with great sense of humour) at the same...

    Mr Kellner

  • During 6 months, Paul has supported me on a transformational coaching journey. Facing life changing opportunities and challenges whilst being coached professionally by a coach that goes beyond the call of duty and who is not afraid to make you think through the most difficult choices whilst feeling safe and...

    Petra Intveldbrown

  • Paul has been my excellent coach for 8 fun filled sessions over 6 months. His gentle coaching took me through a discovery process and helped me to sort out my thinking. He listened thoughtfully and skillfully directed our conversations. His light-hearted approach and critical questioning accelerated my learning about what...

    Harry Moss

  • I had the privilege of being coached by Paul for a period of 12 months during a crucial time in my career. I was transitioning into a senior leadership role in a new country, in a new market. I chose Paul as my coach due to his impressive track record...

    Dr Rob Lorenz

    President, Cleveland Clinics

  • I recently had the pleasure of working with Paul for over six months, one on one.  I chose Paul as a coach due to his extensive background in leading large teams, inside large, complex corporates in times of change and ambiguity. Paul has a unique ability to make very complex...

    Clyde Rosanowski

    Senior Vice President, Mastercard

  • Paul is a fantastic coach and mentor. I really enjoyed our challenging and supportive sessions and they delivered brilliant results. With Paul’s guidance, I made huge steps forward and secured an exciting new role. I always looked forward to our time together and there were many times that Paul went...

    Jo Lavender

    Chief Marketing Officer, TrustedHousesitters

  • I really enjoyed working with Paul. He stretched my thinking, really challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, providing useful tools and insight which benefitted my development as a leader.

    Stephen Butterworth

    Chief Operations Officer, HC-One

  • It really was a pleasure to work with Paul. Whilst our sessions were very relaxed I found them hugely interesting and powerful. A fresh perspective on my journey, skills and development areas for a more deliberate plan of my future career. Some very useful tools and tricks for future planning...

    Scott Carolan

    Chief Digital Officer, NTT

  • Paul is an excellent coach who is able to combine challenge and support really well. Paul enables you to get to the issues fast and helps you to find ways to work through them quickly.

    Susanna Frost

    Chief People Officer & Non Executive Director, Fred. Olsen Limited

  • I wholeheartedly recommend Paul Starbuck as an outstanding professional coach who has been instrumental in my journey from a senior manager to a senior leader. Paul’s expertise and guidance were a tremendous help in not only securing the promotion I sought but also in ensuring that I was performing from...

    Perrine Faye

    Global Head of Editorial & Pricing, Fastmarkets

  • I worked with Paul over a 9-month period as part of BT’s executive talent programme.  I can genuinely say that that the experience and insights that Paul brought about were game-changing.  Through the perfect balance of challenge, support and encouragement, Paul created an environment wherein I was able to critically...

    Director, Global Operations

  • From our initial discussion it was clear Paul understood my problem and had the means and tools to support and help my development. Paul clearly outlined the process we would undertake and what he expected to me to gain out at the end – making clear that I would have...

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