Dumi Magadlela - Faculty

Dumi Magadlela is an accredited international executive coach, team coach, coach trainer, leadership development facilitator, organizational ‘people whisperer’, and African skills development practitioner. He is based Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a regularly featured speaker and panellist on coaching, leadership, and people development. He is an author on executive coaching, coaching approaches, ubuntu values, and people development. Dumi co-founded the Ubuntu Coaching Foundation (UCF) at The Coaching Centre (TCC) in South Africa where he has been part of Senior Faculty for over twelve years. He delivers a module on “Coaching in the African Context” at the Integral Africa Coaching Centre. Dumi is part-time faculty at the University of Stellenbosch Business School’s MPhil in Management Coaching. He has vast experience working across the African continent and collaborating with other coaches globally. He currently serves as a Trustee on the Board of the International Coaching Federation Foundation (ICF-F). Dumi is part of an international faculty at the WBECS’ Global Team Coaching Institute (GTCI). He is accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) as a Senior Practitioner in Team Coaching. Dumi’s coaching and way of being is influenced by the same principles that Nelson Mandela lived by, that of Ubuntu (meaning: “I am because we are”). He is trained in systems thinking, in gestalt, integral frameworks, and has been exposed to PERILL as some of the adaptable and agile tools for working with and within organisational systems. Dumi features regularly on local and international coaching, leadership, and speaking platforms.

Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu - Head of AoEC Turkey

Gamze Acar Bayraktaroğlu is an experienced leadership trainer of 24 years, internationally accredited EIA Master Coach and has been coaching executives and teams for 15 years. Gamze is also ESIA accredited coach/mentor supervisor, an EMCC's coach assessor and co-author of a book called- MANAGERS AS COACHES. She has deep experience in facilitating leadership, teambuilding, coaching and mentoring skills trainings. Gamze is in the global trainers team of New Haven from NY, USA and Demos-Hemsley Fraser from Germany and Talentis from France. She is one of the global coaches of Human Systems from UK and PeakInsight from USA and part of World Bank’s coach and facilitator pool. Gamze consults organisations for creating leadership and coaching cultures. She facilitates groups, writes articles on related subjects at Harvard Business Review blog and presents in national and international conferences. She is also a mentor coach and mentor trainer with her 3000+ executive coaching hours.

George Warren - Faculty

Based in Wales, George is an ICF accredited executive coach, facilitator and consultant.After a year living in Argentina, George enjoyed nine years in senior management positions in the travel industry. It was here that he noticed that, each time after being coached, he felt unstoppable, that he could tackle any problem.Following up his interest, he studied and practiced coaching, enjoying the challenge of introducing a coaching culture and style to businesses.It was while attending the AoEC’s Practitioner Diploma programme that he realised coaching was in his bones. He set up his own practice shortly after graduating, and hasn’t looked back since.An internationalist at heart, George loves nothing more than understanding different cultures and approaches. He has coached clients across Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australasia and Africa.He is deeply passionate about the topics of confidence, potential and enjoying a life and career in line with one’s values.

Joan van den Brink - Faculty

Joan’s life purpose is to create intimate environments so that people thrive. This acts as her north star in all her work and interactions with others. She has extensive experience in working with organizations as a senior manager, executive and as a consultant. She has specialised in leadership and talent since 2001 and been an executive coach for over 15 years. Prior to her consulting experience, Joan has enjoyed an eclectic career spanning Marketing, Operations, HR & Communications. Her expertise lies in working with teams and individuals in creating bespoke solutions to specific people needs that range from enhancing team effectiveness through building more trust and intimacy to creating and implementing people capability frameworks to develop desired skills in organisational transformations. She has extensive experience of working in the field of diversity and inclusion to facilitate the development of less favoured groups within organisations. Joan has a strong track record in building trusted advisor relationships and supporting others to grow and develop.In addition to her people consulting work, Joan is an author, executive coach and coach supervisor.

John Gray - Faculty

My role as AoEC faculty allows me to combine my experience in coaching with my enthusiasm for supporting people in their professional development and personal awareness and change. I bring empathy and insight to working with those in their learning journeys, for them to find their ideal coaching model and approach. Originally qualifying and practising as a solicitor, John has also worked at the at the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva, in grassroots peace-building in Burundi, and establishing and leading a community mediation service. Since 2001 he has been freelance offering organisational consultancy and facilitation, non-managerial supervision, and also latterly coaching. He has developed a number of professional development programmes and initiatives, including supervision skills, effective conflict skills, team building, reflective practice, managing change, and globally responsible leadership skills and practice. His coaching practice is with leaders and leadership teams, in a wide range of local, national and international organisations. In addition to his coaching, supervision and mentor coaching, and his faculty role with AoEC, John is also an Associate at the University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights, researching leadership within the international human rights movement. John is closely involved in the AoEC’s multi-year commitment to the international movement against modern slavery. His qualifications include: · Advanced Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching · Diploma in the work of the Change Agent · Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Groupwork Skills) · Certificate in Management and Leadership. He is double-accredited as an Executive Coach – Master Practitioner (EMCC), and PCC (ICF)

John Leary-Joyce - CEO and Founder

John is our CEO and founded the Academy of Executive Coaching in 1999 with one administrator and over the years recruited and collaborated with many talented directors, trainers & administrators to develop AoEC into the prestigious brand it is today. 

With his tireless entrepreneurial spirit, AoEC has become a highly successful international coaching training organisation with professional accreditation from ICF, EMCC, & AC. Previously, he was MD of Gestalt Centre London growing the business fourfold in six years and gaining a Company Director diploma with the Institute of Directors. 

John is a highly principled leader, drawing on and applying his experience from a long career as a Gestalt psychotherapist, executive and team coach, trainer and supervisor. He is past president of EMCC UK where his focus was on maintaining standards for coaching and mentoring and building collaboration between the different professional bodies. 

In 2010, he founded with Peter Hawkins the Systemic Team Coaching programmes. He has an MA in Executive Coaching, is PCC with ICF, qualified supervisor, regular presenter at international conferences and author of Fertile Void, Gestalt Coaching at Work 2014 and co-author of Systemic Team Coaching - 2nd Edition, 2024. His other passion is dancing Tango which links with leadership, coaching and Gestalt.

Katrin Oblikas-Peretti Faculty

With 15+ years of leadership experience in multicultural teams, Katrin today delivers the best results through coaching leaders and teams, mentoring coaches, and as a coach trainer. She has specific expertise in leading cultural transformational projects and developing catching leadership conference programmes. There is a fire & ice in her. She is passionate about self and others' development through transformational coaching, believes in Authentic inside-out leadership, digs deeper in context, and comes across as Nordicly calm, structured, and straightforward. Also known as an effective and skilled communicator with the proven ability to build, motivate and engage groups.Katrin has graduated from multiple coach-specific training programmes with AoEC, including Senior Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching and Systemic Team coaching programs. She holds a Professional Coaching Certificate with ICF and has been ICF Estonia Chapter president from 2020-2023.Certified in C-IQ Conversational Intelligence with Dr. Judith E Glaser and finished The Transformational Coaching enhanced program by PsyD MCC Marcia Reynolds.

Leila Rezaiguia - Head of AoEC UAE

Leila Rezaiguia BA (Hons), MA, Chartered MCIPD, PCC, ORSC, NLP, STC and EIA.Co- Founder & Managing Partner, Kompass/ Head of Academy of Executive Coaching UAEExecutive & Systemic Team CoachTrainer, Facilitator, Observer and ICF Mentor CoachLeila is a highly sought-after multi-lingual Executive, Systemic Team Coach and ICF Mentor Coach with over 23 years, in public and private sectors, working with leading organisations and individuals to enhance productivity, maximise performance, and accelerate growth across 5 continents. She is renowned for her high energy, enthusiasm, passion, fun-loving nature, and her love for building connections, empowering and working with people from diverse cultures. She is passionate about 1:1 & Systemic Team Coaching, Coach Training, Coaching Supervision and Women in Leadership.Leila coaches in English, Arabic and French. Leila’s vision is to successfully contribute to the continued growth of the coaching industry in the UAE, GCC and Levant by bringing top notch executive coach training programmes accredited by all major global coach-accrediting bodies: the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Association for Coaching (AC),) The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and Association for Professional Executive Coaches and Supervisors (APECS).

Madeleine Dunford - Head of AoEC East Africa

Madeleine is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) credentialed PCC coach and founding Managing Director of Career Connections. She comes from a background of assessing, developing and advising the largest companies in East and Central Africa. With her qualifications from the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC), UK, and ICF Accreditation, she has over ten years’ experience as an executive coach. Madeleine is an action oriented, solutions focused coach who believes deeply in the resourcefulness of her clients. As an experienced leader that consults at senior levels, Madeleine’s coaching clients include the region’s largest and multinational FMCG, governmental and financial services organisations. Madeleine earned her first degree at the University of York, UK and her MSc, with Distinction, from the University of Edinburgh, UK. She has multiple specialist qualifications from USA and UK in assessing and coaching leaders for development. In 2017 Madeleine completed a Certificate programme at Harvard University, USA, on the Art & Practice of Leadership Development.

Natalia Zalesinska -Head of AoEC Poland

Masters Degrees in Occupational Psychology and Human Resources Management, NLP Master Practitioner,Integrative and Generative Coach, Advanced Diploma in Executive Coaching (AoEC), Founder of Metta Coaching. Natalia is fascinated by the mystery of human nature and potential, trying to understand and find the key to unlock people’s ability to blossom and thrive. Natalia was working in London for over a decade as an HR business partner and consultant for international banks and financial institutions. The understanding she gained from this experience has afforded her a unique insight into, and an understanding of, the challenges and complexities faced by leaders as well as what is required for exceptional leadership. She has coached both corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, with a particular interest in those driven to inspire and make positive impact. Natalia extends executive coaching beyond the usual; also delivering transformational coaching programmes to those seeking to connect with their inner wisdom, to express their unique individuality and to create an extraordinary and meaningful life.

Shruti Sonthalia - Faculty

Shruti Sonthalia is a highly accomplished Master Certified Coach, renowned in the International Coaching Federation for her exceptional talent in guiding executives and senior leaders towards peak performance. With an impressive global reach, Shruti has provided dynamic executive coaching to C-Suite and senior leaders across a diverse range of industries, from multinational corporations, operating on a global scale, to market leaders in technology, financial services, data analytics and legal consulting, there Shruti consistently empowering renowned department heads and senior managers to unlock their full potential. Her expertise extends to industry leaders in technology, pharma, retail, manufacturing, financial services, development, Edutech, chemical, agrochemical, and textile, among others and invitations to present at major coaching platforms, including the prestigious ICF Global Converge, are a testament to her reputation as a leading industry professional.Clients wholeheartedly endorse Shruti's compassionate, yet fiercely determined approach, as she advocates for them to embrace their true abilities and potential. With a diverse portfolio spanning organisational culture, resilience, stakeholder management, career transitions, difficult conversations, emotional intelligence, and burnout, Shruti has consistently helped clients derive tremendous value from transforming challenges into opportunities for growth. Her ability to navigate ambiguity and the unknown while embodying agility, resilience, deep listening, curiosity, and presence has positioned her as a trusted guide in the world of coaching.Beyond her impactful coaching work, Shruti has been a Coach Educator and Mentor Coach for years, equipping business leaders with coaching skills and supporting aspiring coaches worldwide in achieving their coaching credentials. Shruti also serves as a Board Member of an International Women's organisation with ECOSOC status at the UN, headquartered in Geneva. Additionally, she has designed and led coaching interventions for country heads and core teams, including Peace Corps Madagascar and Fiji.Shruti's educational background includes a sociology degree and economics diploma from the esteemed London School of Economics and Political Science. She has been a recipient of the prestigious ICF Young Leaders Award.

Zeynep Yetkin - Faculty

Zeynep is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) credentialed PCC coach with more than 1,300 hours of executive coaching practice. She is enthusiastic to combine her 14 years corporate management experience with positive psychology and mindfulness methods for professionals to thrive while enabling them to discover their life purposes, values and authentic selves. After graduating from Co Active Coaching Institute in 2013 she completed ORSC (Organizational Relationship and Systems Coaching) to lead team development. Zeynep has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Istanbul University and graduated from Yeditepe University MBA program in 2002 with honors.Her passion about coaching led her to join Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC) in Istanbul and became faculty member in year 2022. After joining AoEC, she improved her coaching model as a mindfulness based model. She takes pride in supporting coaching profession by delivering high quality trainings of AoEC as well as ICF credentialed trainings for coaches. Spending years in global corporate banking industry enables Zeynep to connect deeply with people who work under competitive and stressful conditions. Being one of Search Inside Yourself (SIY) Leadership Institute’s global teachers enables her to deliver practical mindfulness techniques for her coaches and trainings. Search Inside Yourself is a Google born Mindfulness based Emotional Intelligence Program for leaders, reaching more than 50,000 participants all over the world.