ABOUT RACHEL
BUSINESS & PARENTAL COACH FOR PROFESSIONALS

Bio image for Rachel

Rachel is an executive leader and qualified coach, working across the healthcare sector. During this time she has gained a mix of experience in leading small-medium sized organisations on the health and care provider side, as well as professional services businesses for the pharmaceutical and medical technology sector and health care systems.

Her most recent role before establishing Nidd Valley Consulting Ltd, was Chief Operating Officer at HEOR Ltd, a health economics and market access consultancy.

Rachel’s career has been driven by strong values-based principles and a commitment to improve patient care and develop people and teams in the organisations in which she is involved. Rachel has a range of leadership experience which includes:

  • Developing strategy

  • Designing and delivering operational and organisational excellence

  • Building and developing teams

  • Developing and implementing best practice and consulting excellence

Having seen the benefit of strong people leadership and powerful conversations to support individual and organisational development, Rachel qualified as a coach with the OCM in 2019 and received accreditation at the senior practitioner level from the EMCC in early 2024.

During this time, she has undertaken a range of coach-mentoring engagements within her organisation, with the charities she has been a trustee and pro bono for external programmes such as the Pathways to Success programme (hosted by Magdalen College Oxford, Operation Black Vote and the House of Commons) for future political leaders from a BaME background.

As a business leader she has been an active advocate of a coaching culture in organisational growth and has led the development of internal coaching programmes in her last two in-house roles.

Rachel established Nidd Valley Consulting in September 2023 to provide management consultancy and coaching services to SMEs in the health and care and professional services sector. She has a particular interest in using a blend of coaching-mentoring-consulting to support founders and leadership teams in navigating the strategic and operational transition from small to medium sized businesses.

Rachel also supports leaders and teams taking on the challenge of personal and professional development in the new roles this entails.

How to work with me

Initial Call

Arrange a mutually convenient time to have an exploratory call to discuss your requirements, budget and timescales.

Proposal of Work

Based on your need, I will develop a proposal summarising a suggested solution and approach, together with a fixed fee budget, timeframe
and invoice schedule.

Agree & Proceed

Once you are happy with the proposal we will sign a contract / statement of work and the project can begin.

  • CLIENT FEEDBACK

    I had the privilege of working with Rachel as my professional coach for a full year during one of the most significant transitions of my career. I was moving from a senior academic and scientific role into a senior managerial position within the pharmaceutical sector, and Rachel's guidance was nothing short of transformative.

    From the very beginning, Rachel helped me navigate the many professional challenges that came with this change. She provided invaluable support in helping me set clear, achievable goals and develop concrete action plans to reach them. Her coaching was always tailored to my specific needs, helping me not only achieve my career objectives but also grow as a leader.

    One of Rachel's standout qualities is her ability to develop structure within teams. Under her coaching, I was able to transform my team into a more organised, efficient, and - most importantly - happier group of professionals. Her insights into team dynamics and leadership strategies had an immediate, positive impact on our performance and morale.

    Balancing a demanding professional role with being a mom was another area where Rachel provided much-needed support. She helped me find practical solutions to maintain a healthy work-life balance, ensuring that I didn’t have to compromise on either front.

    One of the highlights of our coaching journey was when I successfully transitioned into a promotion, a milestone I couldn’t have achieved without Rachel’s continued guidance and encouragement. Her unwavering belief in my abilities and her expert coaching made all the difference. I highly recommend Rachel to anyone seeking a coach who not only helps you meet your goals but and develop as a professional.

    Director of Data Science and Analytics

  • CLIENT FEEDBACK

    I began coaching with Rachel shortly after returning to work from my second maternity leave. I was lacking confidence and resilience, and feeling unsure about how to balance family life with my demanding role in consultancy.

    Rachel thoroughly explained the coaching process and helped me identify topics to explore. She guided me through our focused sessions, integrating useful exercises and suggestions along the way. Rachel was a fantastic coach – she was empathetic and encouraging, and always achieved a balance between support and constructive challenge during our conversations.

    The coaching was so valuable as I integrated back into my role. It helped me to recognise my strengths and experience, provided me with the tools to achieve a successful work-life balance, and helped to reframe my perspective on what I could bring to my team as a working mum. I would highly recommend Rachel as a coach.

    Principal / Senior Manager, Pharmaceutical Industry

  • CLIENT FEEDBACK

    I had a series of coaching sessions with Rachel having started in a new company and following a period of serious illness. During these sessions I became more confident and self-aware of my professional skills and knowledge, and I took the courage to experiment with new ways of building client relationships.

    In particular, I was able to “re-set” a key client relationship that was not going well and managed to re-instate the client’s confidence in us, meaning we won 3 out of 4 large programmes of work. I am also now using coaching techniques with my line reports and project teams very successfully.

    As a coach I most value Rachel’s ability of listening and taking swift action to provide support. I find extremely instrumental Rachel’s organisational skills, which facilitates our coaching session and tracking of objectives. I am grateful for her encouragement in making me think about what I need and want to achieve. It was extremely useful in a time of difficulties, when I returned to work after months of illness, and all seemed so overwhelming.

    Principal Consultant, Pharmaceutical Industry

  • CLIENT FEEDBACK

    I was approaching burnout - constantly operating at high intensity in a fast-growing tech company, with no clear boundaries between work and personal time. I needed a way to reclaim time for myself - time for my health, fitness and personal fulfilment, while still maintaining high performance at work.

    What stood out to me was the long-term commitment [of the Positive Intelligence programme] - two months of structured sessions, followed by eight months of self-paced reinforcement via the app. This ongoing support fostered real habit formation, unlike typical one-off workshops or talks. The range of topics provided deep exploration and practical application.

    This programme helped me reclaim time for myself without guilt. It re-energized me, strengthened my appreciation for positivity and provided a grounding force in my daily life.

    Sales Strategy Manager, Data Technology Company