Practitioner Diploma / “Be open to transformation”

We’re delighted to catch up with Jeremy Shute, a graduate of the AoEC’s Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching, whose career spans global leadership roles across B2C and B2B. With a track record that includes steering multi-million-pound P&Ls and leading strategy, marketing, and innovation teams at Fortune 50 and 500 companies - not to mention serving as VP of Corporate Strategy at McCormick & Company - Jeremy now brings his strategic, no-fuss approach to coaching and consulting. In this interview, we explore how the diploma helped ignite his next chapter as an executive coach, mentor and founder of Ignition Strategy.

Prior to developing yourself as a coach, you had a stellar career working in senior leadership positions for brands including McCormick & Company and SC Johnson. Who or what introduced you to coaching and led to you signing up for coach training with the AoEC?

Throughout my corporate career, I managed teams and was always drawn to helping individuals and teams unlock their potential and be the best version of themselves. Over the years I supported over 100 talented people, but this was more mentoring, not coaching. When I left the corporate world in 2023, I didn’t want to lose this opportunity to help others, but I wanted to challenge myself to elevate my own performance, hence signing up with the AoEC.

What were some of the positives and challenges you experienced while doing the diploma?

The diploma was an eye-opening experience. For 25+ years having supported over 100 people, I thought I had already been coaching. From day one on the AoEC course, I released I had been mentoring, using my experience to guide others, versus their own experiences to guide themselves.

The biggest positive was the how effective the tools and frameworks provided were in gaining trust and how effective they were in help unlock immediate impact from my clients.

The biggest challenge was letting go of my corporate instinct to jump in with solutions. Coming from a leadership background, I was used to driving decisions, but coaching required a shift, allowing space for clients to find their own answers. That shift was both humbling and powerful.

What is your top advice to others considering coach training?

Be open to transformation, both professionally and personally. Coaching is not just about learning techniques; it’s about evolving how you engage with people, listen, and create space for growth. And don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’, the learning happens in the doing and you will be amazed at how quickly that happens.

Looking back at doing your diploma, what has been its lasting impact on you as a person and you as a coach?

As a person, I’ve become more present, more attuned to listening deeply rather than just hearing. I approach conversations with greater curiosity and less judgment, which has enriched my personal and professional relationships.

As a coach, the diploma reinforced the importance of trust, the power of believing in people’s ability to find their own solutions. It also gave me a solid framework to coach with confidence and authenticity.

Can you tell us more about your personal coaching model and how this has evolved since doing the diploma?

My coaching model is rooted in transformation and alignment. I focus the coaching through three lenses: Beginning (contracting), Middle (exploration), and End (commitment). I help clients gain deep clarity about what truly matters, build the confidence to act, and create accountability to drive meaningful change.

Since the diploma, my model has evolved to bring a blend of strategic insight from my corporate background with the reflective depth of coaching, helping leaders balance both vision and self-awareness.

You are now self-employed and co-founded Ignition Strategy in 2023; can you tell us about the type of clients you are working with?

At Ignition Strategy, we primarily work with senior or emerging leaders in all kinds of industries. Many of our clients are navigating challenging transitions, sometimes stepping into a bigger leadership role, or driving business transformation, or redefining their career trajectory. We help them accelerate the time to optimal performance in their challenges.

What are some of the issues and opportunities you coach people around?

We work primarily on three common themes.

Firstly, navigating change with confidence, whether that’s career transitions, organisational shifts, or personal growth.

Secondly, we work a lot on leadership presence, helping executives build their authenticity, influence, and impact.

Finally, we cover resilience and mindset, many leaders struggle with impostor syndrome, decision fatigue, or balancing strategic vision with execution. We help them shift their thinking, build sustainable habits, and lead with clarity.

Can you share a success story or testimonial from one of your clients that highlights the impact of your coaching?

One of my most rewarding experiences was coaching a co-founder in a global branding agency.

“Highly recommended, Jeremy is a great coach. Our sessions together have been invaluable in providing the time and space to reflect on personal challenges and business goals. Jeremy is both professional and impartial, an effective sounding board that encourages me to lean into live issues and conclude successful strategies for how I can take positive action against them.”

That’s the kind of impact that fuels my passion for coaching.

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a coach?

Seeing people have those ‘aha’ moments, when something shifts, and they realise they already have everything they need to succeed themselves. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness their growth, not just in their careers but in how they show up in life. Coaching isn’t just about business results; it’s about unlocking human potential.

Our deepest thanks to Jeremy for sharing his personal experience of coach training with the AoEC.