Jen French

Jen French

Education and Experience: A graduate of Bath University with a B.Sc. (Hons) International Management and French, Jen began her career at J P Morgan as a Financial Analyst (Mergers & Acquisitions). She then moved into consultancy, joining the Hay Group where she work pan sector on talent, assessment, leadership development, organisation design, coaching and change management projects. Subsequently at BT plc she held a number of corporate talent and leadership roles before becoming the Learning Partner for Next Generation Access within BT’s Openreach Business Unit. In 2012 Jen left BT to develop a career as an independent consultant.

Professional Skills and Expertise: Leadership assessment, development, change management, coaching, the design and implementation/delivery of leadership frameworks and leadership development programmes. Jen draws on her background in business and finance to ensure a commercial stance is always taken in her work. An experienced assessor, coach and facilitator, Jen focuses on driving performance improvement through people development. She is a qualified test user for both occupational and personality assessments, a registered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and trained in the delivery of a range of psychometric, 360 and aptitude diagnostics.

International Experience: Jen travelled extensively during her time with JP Morgan delivering projects in North America, Italy, Greece and Sweden. Her consulting work has also taken her to Western and Eastern Europe, China, India, Russia and Egypt and she has supported international clients remotely in South Africa and South America.

Coaching Style and Approach: Jen’s style focuses first on increasing self-awareness (typically through suitable diagnostic tools) grounded in the reality for that organisation, team or individual. She looks to support and challenge clients through searching questions, data analysis and clear communication. This is supported by insights from her work in assessment; change management, talent management and organisation design. Above all she believes in mutual respect, confidentiality, inclusivity and co-learning. Jen enjoys the variety that consultancy work brings and is particularly keen to support individuals enhance their self-awareness, their leadership skills and their ability to navigate change.

What Inspires me: Those who pursue audacious physical (and therefore mental) challenges… and time on my bike in the hills with friends…

Indicative Clients: Some clients past and present; Carlsberg, Virgin Atlantic, ITV, Sainsburys, Unilever, RBS / Natwest, Tubelines, Tarmac, Virgin Care, Anglo American, TMF, The British Council, Arriva Trains and Catalyst Housing. Here’s a flavour of what they say about me…

“I have known and worked with Jen for a very long time, working together on many consultant projects. She is a highly skilled, hard working, diligent and inspiring colleague to work with. Jen brings a unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking to her consulting and coaching work. She builds excellent relationships, and provides the right balance of challenge and support in what she is working on. She is also very enjoyable to work with. I wouldn’t hesistate to recommend Jen to colleagues and clients for any coaching or consultant assignments.”

Frances Merrylees

CPO European Tour

European tour

“Working with Jen as my coach was a big pleasure and at the same time a great personal experience and opportunity to draw from her vast wisdom. Jen coached me during my organization’s strategic reshape. She helped me focusing on the key objectives, never losing sight of the impact changes had on my teams. Our coaching sessions were an inspiration for driving colleague engagement throughout this sometime painful process. I would always recommend Jen as a coach to senior managers in more complex matrix organizations.”

Juraj Gerzeni

Head of EMEA at TMF Group

TMF Global Reach

“Jen is an absolutely excellent addition to any team - knowledgable, experienced, resourceful and practical. She takes on any challenge which faces her and is capable and competent in reaching sensible, effective solutions. She is incredibly efficient and thoughtful in all that she does and a great person to have around too! Having worked alongside her for 10 years plus, I would wholeheartedly recommend her.”

Katherine Thomas

Founder and MD Collaboration Partners

“Jen helped me make the transition from Country Director for Egypt to Regional Director for South Asia: a promotion and big step up for me. Jen was thoroughly professional, highly supportive and, when I needed it, challenging. She was really excellent and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my new role.”

Mark Stephens

Regional Director, The British Council, 2018

British council
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