Universal Coaching Alliance
Find out more about the UCA Team
Jeannette Marshall
Founder & CEO
Jeannette Marshall
Founder & CEO
An Accredited Master Executive Coach, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her dedication to creating transformative coaching programmes that yield tangible results for individuals, teams, and organisations is unwavering.
Jeannette’s educational background includes a Diploma in Business Performance Coaching and accreditation with the Coaching Academy. She has also earned recognition as an Accredited PROPHET Practitioner. Known for her motivational, charismatic, and energetic delivery style, Jeannette uniquely inspires and empowers those she works with.
Throughout her career, Jeannette has navigated hostile and fast-paced environments, successfully managing challenges such as team selection and recruitment, overseeing teams during takeovers, organising international conferences, and leading inherited teams. This diverse experience has honed her understanding of the complexities of managing and developing others.
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Jeannette has played a pivotal role in supervising external and internal coaches, training and leading Accreditation Assessors and developing, deploying, and delivering a suite of Coach Accreditation Schemes.
Jeannette has collaborated with esteemed authors to contribute chapters in influential publications such as “The Trainee Coach Handbook”, “Excellence in Coaching”, and “Coaching Supervision Groups: Resourcing Practitioners”. Her contributions reflect her commitment to advancing coaching and sharing her knowledge with fellow practitioners.
Her ability to inspire change and her deep understanding of organisational dynamics make her an invaluable asset to any coaching programme or professional development endeavour.
Tereza Venetsanou
Director of Strategy
Tereza, with extensive experience in managerial roles at esteemed corporations like Vodafone and Microsoft, spanning over two decades, Tereza discovered her passion for enhancing individual skills. Recognised for her ability to rally teams towards optimal results, she gravitated towards aligning diverse backgrounds with business objectives. Exposure to Executive Coaching at Microsoft solidified her interest, leading her to pursue further education in Executive Coaching and Organizational Development, Integrative Psychotherapy, NLP, and becoming a Licensed Master Practitioner.
Her coaching practice focuses on job performance, leadership, team management, and work-life balance, tailored to individual client understanding influenced by Carl Rogers’ “person-centred” theory. Viewing herself as an “Agent of Transformation,” she creates safe environments where clients feel supported, drawing from personal values of trustworthiness, compassion, and determination.
Sessions integrate various models and theories, such as Behavioral, Psychoanalytic, NLP, GROW, Person-Centered, Gestalt, and Solution-Focused Coaching, along with the PRAID Leadership Model. Following specific stages, sessions last 45 minutes, emphasizing recap, active listening, action planning, and summarization.
Embodying values like those in the PRAID Leadership Model, she believes in individuals’ transformative capacity. With over 3000 hours of coaching and training guided by prominent figures, personal growth remains paramount. As a member of the Association for Coaching and Strategy Director in the Universal Coaching Alliance, she upholds ethical standards, shaping coaching’s future.
Clients attending her workshops benefit from her wealth of training and experience, gaining actionable professional and personal growth strategies.
Helen Bullock
Director Of Professional Development
Helen is passionate about developing personal and professional growth. She is an Accredited Master Executive Coach, trainer, and facilitator with a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors.
Her journey in leadership development has been enriched by her diverse background, encompassing roles in both public and private organisations. This unique blend of experiences has given her a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and challenges individuals and teams face in today’s dynamic work environment. Helen holds a Diploma in Leadership Mentoring and Executive Coaching, complemented by qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).
She is committed to staying at the forefront of industry knowledge and best practices. In her coaching practice, Helen draws on a multifaceted approach rooted in the latest insights from Neuroscience, Psychodynamics, Transactional Analysis, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). This eclectic blend allows her to tailor coaching and training interventions to the unique needs of each individual.
Whether working one-on-one with executives or facilitating transformative team workshops, her goal is to create a supportive and empowering environment that encourages self-discovery, resilience, and continuous learning. By combining her passion for growing people with a diverse skill set and a solid foundation in various psychological frameworks, she strives to inspire lasting positive change in the lives and careers of those she has the privilege to work with.
Dr. George Karathanos
Director Of Communications & Research
George has sustained a professional and academic career for over 30 years, starting as a communication consultant in multinational companies with hundreds of national and international clients.
His specialisations in the communications industry cover Crisis management and media training. He then started his own business, offering communication and training services in Europe and Greece.
He has worked with CIPR (London), Henshall Centre (London) and the Irish Academy of PR.
In 2004, George entered the coaching world, working as a Coach and delivering high-quality coach training programmes to international students.
In 2009, in close cooperation with EKPA (the most prominent Greek public University), he offered coaching training programmes for the first time in Greece and Cyprus, having trained more than 5000 coaches and more than 30.000 hours of training.
Since 2016, George has been the President of the Hellenic Institute of Coaching for Greece and Cyprus and, for the last 6 years, was the AC Chair for Greece and Cyprus.
All his training programmes have been accredited by AC, and he has delivered more than 5,000 hours of coaching services accredited! He is also an accredited Supervisor and an evaluator of the accreditation process for coaches and coaching supervisors.
He has written his first book, and he is an active vlogger!
Yomna Yousef
Director of Membership
Yomna is a highly proficient and experienced coach and coaching supervisor renowned for her exceptional skills in working with diverse demographics of clients and coaches in various contexts. She has achieved numerous certifications as a Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Coaching Supervisor, including life coaching with Life 101 Coaching and Leadership Academy and an Accredited Diploma of Coaching Supervision with The Beyond Partnership Ltd.
Yomna is actively co-leading several accredited coaching training programmes where she imparts her expertise and carefully supervises coaching students. She is a sought-after external coach for numerous corporations. Her lifelong dedication to personal development and people-serving skills also extends to Lay Counselling as a certified Lay Counsellor by the Egyptian House of Counselling.
Remarkably, Yomna’s dedication to social diversity and inclusivity shines through, influenced by her background from an underprivileged demographic. She passionately champions these values to drive positive change within the coaching industry. Yomna exudes a blend of insightful coaching prowess and perceptive coaching supervision acumen with experience of practical experience of delivery in both fields.
With her extensive experience and unwavering dedication to coaching, training, and personal development, Yomna emerges as an indispensable asset to the coaching profession and a beacon of inspiration for emerging coaches.
Jeffrey Wotherspoon
Director of People Development & Innovation
Jeffrey is a highly accredited Executive and Leadership Coach and holds credentials including Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaches Federation (ICF) and Professional Executive Coach status from the Association for Coaching (AC).
With a background in Psychology (BSc Hons), he specialises in conflict resolution and is recognised as an International Trainer.His extensive experience spans various sectors, including private, public, and voluntary, with notable clients such as the United States Air Force, Sony Music Entertainment, Capital One, NHS, and various local authorities in England & Wales. Jeffrey’s coaching extends beyond corporate realms; he dedicates time to coaching incarcerated young men and underrepresented young women.
Jeffrey’s work centres around providing solutions for individuals, organisations and systems that bridge the gap from where they are to where they want to be.
A committed advocate for pro bono work, Jeffrey serves on the Advisory Board for ‘Culture at Work,’ providing training to senior executives. He holds past trustee roles with Peer Power Youth and Jubilee Primary School, demonstrating dedication to community and education.
As a Master Coach Trainer, Jeffrey develops apprentice coaches into lead trainers while ensuring coaching quality. His expertise includes various modalities such as Coach Supervision, Career Coaching, Solution Focused Coaching, and Organization Relationship and Systems Coaching (ORSC).
Jeffrey Wotherspoon’s passion lies in leveraging his coaching skills to empower individuals and organisations, fostering personal and professional growth.
Dr. Alexandra
Morgan
Director of
Quality
Alex was an “early adopter” of coaching over 25 years ago, seeing a need for a coaching approach when working with managers in the NHS, then taking the approach into a variety of strategic learning and development roles in the private sector.
With a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, an accreditation in Action Learning Facilitation and a Master Practitioner qualification in NLP, Alex has extensive knowledge and experience in helping teams and individuals learn, develop, grow and change.
Alex has deepened her knowledge of coaching approaches and coaching psychologies with an Advanced Certificate in Executive Coaching, a Diploma in Coaching Supervision, and a Doctorate in International Communication. Alex’s book “Coaching International Teams” shares her years of experience of working with teams in global organisations.
Alex’s coaching practice is guided by the principles of positive psychology, intentional change theory, intercultural theory, personality theory and person-centred approaches. She is an advocate of compassionate and resonant leadership styles, and her practice is informed by coaching research and the latest developments in neuroscience.
Alex has extensive experience in running high-level leadership development programmes connected with organisation change. Teaching leaders to coach is always a core part of these programmes.
Alex’s passion is developing and supervising other coaches, and she has run coach development programmes at Masters level. She is keen to see a variety of approaches, personalities and philosophies represented in the coaching world.
There is no “one-size fits all” approach to coaching from Alex’s point of view, but all approaches need a strong ethical and theoretical underpinning, to create a safe space for learning.
Sandra Watson Wright
Membership Manager
Sandra is a seasoned professional in the coaching industry, bringing over 19 years of experience to her role as Membership Manager for the Universal Coaching Alliance.
With a passion for encouraging a sense of community and supporting individuals’ professional growth through a professional coaching body membership, Sandra is dedicated to ensuring that UCA members receive the highest level of value and support from their membership.
With a comprehensive understanding of membership’s beneficial opportunities, she ensures that members utilise every aspect commensurate with their membership level. Her background in providing excellent customer service, coupled with her expertise in membership management, equips her to understand the unique needs of Coaches at every stage of their careers.
With a reputation for timely and helpful responses to enquiries, Sandra enhances members’ connection with their professional body.
With an eye for detail and a flair for defining effective, efficient, and streamlined processes, Sandra’s commitment to excellence and her strategic approach to member engagement make her an invaluable asset to the coaching community.
She is deeply invested in promoting the standards of excellence and ethical practice that define the profession, and she works tirelessly to support Coaches to thrive in their careers.
Kate Learmouth
Accreditation Manager
Kate is the Accreditation Manager at the Universal Coaching Alliance. With her extensive background in coaching and accreditation processes, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring that applicants for UCA Accreditation meet the criteria, are fully appraised of the requirements and feel supported during their accreditation journey.
Kate brings a wealth of experience to the Universal Coaching Alliance, having spent over 25 years honing her expertise across various industries. Through her experience in finance, running her own businesses and with a customer service background, she appreciates the need for structure, standards, and the human touch in connecting with members. Kate works tirelessly to uphold the integrity and credibility of the UCA’s accreditation standards. She collaborates closely with stakeholders to continuously refine and enhance the accreditation process, ensuring it remains responsive to the evolving coaching landscape.
Kate is committed to providing ongoing support and resources to accredited coaches, empowering them to thrive in their practices and make meaningful contributions to the coaching community.
With her unwavering commitment to excellence, Kate embodies the core values of the Universal Coaching Alliance. She supports applicants and UCA Assessors to ensure a timely turnaround of applications for individuals and training programmes.
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