”You cannot cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”
I am a Professional Executive Coach (AOEC Accredited) and Fundraising Consultant. I have two decades of experience in fundraising, leadership and building teams, specialising in the cultural, not-for-profit and creative sectors. I’ve worked with organisations including The British Museum, Royal Academy of Arts, Young Vic Theatre, The Royal Institution, and The Guardian News & Media.
A second generation British-Bangladeshi woman; I am passionate about inclusive leadership and creating purposeful and impact-driven organisations, and am Co-Founder of The Women of Colour Global Network, a membership network connecting professional women of colour to support their advancement.
As a Professional Executive Coach I work 1:1 with individuals, helping them become aware of their strengths - and the mindsets that can sabotage them. I also deliver team coaching, working through specific challenges as a group.
As a Fundraising Consultant, I have tried and tested strategies that can help any organisation, leader or fundraiser grow in confidence and raise more funds, forging stronger connections and more rewarding relationships.
“I help managers and leaders develop confidence, recognise their strengths, and get the best out of all their people.”
“MY PURPOSE AS A COACH IS TO HELP MY CLIENTS FEEL HEARD, UNLOCK THEIR ABILITY TO EXCEL AS LEADERS, GAIN CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PERFORMANCE AND GET THE BEST OUT OF THEIR PEOPLE.”
We give so much of our lives to working that we often neglect what we actually want from our careers: how we want to think, feel and act in our roles. However, when we are given the space and time to reflect and explore who we truly are, along with a bag of new tools, tricks and mindsets, we can start to create small, incremental changes that can lead to transformational results.
My approach is based on the assumption that we all have unlimited potential and resourcefulness - and a natural urge to self-improve. However, external forces and self-imposed restrictions often prevent us from realising our true potential.
I am an ICF accredited, co-active and solutions-focused coach, encouraging clients to explore who they really are. Out of this exploration emerges an appreciation of their strengths, their potential, and the particular issues they want to work on.
My clients create the agenda and take accountability for their own solutions. I don’t aim to change people, but to help them become aware of how they can leverage their personal strengths to find balance and fulfilment in their professional lives.
Co-active & Solutions-focused coaching
EXECUTIVE COACHING & MENTORING
I am a transformational executive and business coach.
I am passionate about coaching ambitious professionals and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. With a blend of strategies and deep reflection, I help clients define their own version of success - both professionally and personally. I work with a wide range of client topics, such as helping clients become aware of their strengths, helping them to build resilience, develop leadership and management skills, find their voice and speak up, navigate unique challenges they may face in the workplace due to intersectional challenges and manoeuvre through big career transitions.
I offer one-to-one executive business and career coaching sessions to managers and leaders of all levels. I create a safe and encouraging space to help my clients challenge their own thinking, developing new habits while building on existing strengths. For more information please click on the links below.
Testimonials
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Testimonials 〰️
Professor Anjali Goswami, Dean of Postgraduate Research, Natural History Museum and Evolutionary Biologist
Haseena provided me with much guidance on how to engage with difficult conversations at work and how to influence my colleagues to support much-needed changes. She also helped me take a broader and more balanced perspective on my own role and trajectory, which ultimately helped me make some critical decisions about my role and use of my limited time. I will absolutely call on her again when I have the next new challenge!
Nat Defriend, Chief Executive Officer, Participatory City
I found Haseena's coaching to have been hugely valuable to me in terms of starting the new role with structure, confidence and calm. Her approach, which was based upon inviting me to set the agenda, creating space for me to share often unstructured thoughts, concerns and ideas, and to then reflect these back to me with clarity, helped me to feel ready to step into the new role and to feel that the plans I had in the initial phases were robust and realistic.
I would summarise the most significant effects of her coaching style to have been a notable increase in my confidence, a decrease in my fears about the new role and a sense of purpose and agency derived from the space she made for me to articulate and iterate what I wanted to do in the role.
Haseena took time to understand the specifics of the context I was facing in taking on my new role, but was highly skilled at not offering direct advice. Instead she helped me to see that I had the answers, that these were coherent and that my instincts about what was, and wasn't important were justified.
Despite our sessions being online, I had a strong sense throughout of Haseena's empathy, her total engagement in our discussions, and a deeply professional approach, born of her own considerable experience and wisdom.
Now, two years on from this transition, I feel increasingly settled and confident in my skills as a charity CEO and often reflect that my ability to make this transition smoothly was, to a great degree thanks to getting the right support at the right time.
I would highly recommend coaching, and specifically Haseena's coaching, to anyone making a transition to a new senior role, particularly if this represents a step up from previously. It will help you to have the space to pursue your own thinking processes, have these reflected back to you so you can clearly see and understand the twists and knots, and most importantly, give you the confidence that you are capable, credible and ready!
Sarah Whybrew, Director, Skills and Workforce Development, British Film Institute, Former Director of Skills at Creative Cultural Skills
Being coached by Haseena is a gentle and deeply rewarding journey. She encouraged me to reconnect with my authentic self and to use this to make careful and considered decisions, which encouraged me to move away from an overgrown, litter- strewn professional wasteland and into a new landscape rich in flora and fauna.
Kate Davies, Marketing Director, Wildfarmed and Former Marketing Director, The Guardian News & Media
I worked with Haseena in early 2020. I was able to benefit enormously from her expertise and insight as a coach. Her inclusive style ensured we were able to explore topics quickly, and her experience working with leaders in the cultural and media sectors meant she has great understanding.
Andrea Cleaver, CEO, Welsh Refugee Council
I was impressed with Haseena from the offset. A very approachable, warm, knowledgeable and professional individual. We invited Haseena to coach some of our female staff members. It was incredibly important to those seeking support that they had an independent, safe space with someone they could relate to. This support was provided during the Covid period, a time when many women faced increased pressures from their caring responsibilities. Haseena was calm, empathetic, and built a wonderful rapport with everyone. The feedback from our staff was overwhelmingly positive; they felt more equipped to handle both personal and work challenges. We would highly recommend Haseena for future coaching work.
Jo Peel, Visual Artist
Working with Haseena has been a complete joy and I can’t believe how much she has encouraged me to challenge pre-conceived notions I had about myself and my abilities. The realisations came about organically in our conversations and I felt she really connected with my personal journey. I’m looking forward to putting our work into practice as I progress my artistic career.
Penny Reid, Director, Eximia
Haseena is an absolute professional and has outstanding qualities that set her apart as a coach. I am full of admiration for the journey she enables her clients to go on.
Zoe Genders, Artist
I had some Creative Coaching with Haseena during 2021 and have found the work we did to be invaluable. The exploration and discussion we had gave me clarity over my work life balance as a whole and this in turn has increased my confidence and productivity. Haseena’s style is professional, understanding and encouraging and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again.
FUNDRAISING CONSULTANCY
I am an experienced Head of/Director of Development and have led fundraising teams working across major cultural institutions including The British Museum, Young Vic Theatre, Royal Institution and The Guardian News and Media. I am also an experienced fundraising consultant and have been headhunted for consultancy positions working for organisations such as The Serpentine Gallery, Imperial College London and FORWARD. I have over 20 years experience in the charity, cultural and creative sectors, and have raised over £5-£10 million for good causes.
As a Consultant I offer one to one and board level consultancy, training and coaching. I help leaders and professional fundraisers build trust and raise revenue from a diverse community of donors.
Much of my career has been spent developing lasting relationships with individuals who are motivated by making change and demonstrating real impact.
I enjoy bringing together inspirational change makers with the causes that matter to them - and helping both parties realise their ambitions and create positive change. And I believe successful fundraising is underpinned by transformational relationships. I am also an experienced Trustee sitting on several boards including Southwark Park Galleries, Soho House Foundation and Everyday Plastic.
INDIVIDUAL & MAJOR GIFTS FUNDRAISING
I specialise in raising funds from individual and philanthropic donors - which can be pretty daunting to anyone new to this type of fundraising. Successful fundraising requires buy-in from the wider organisation, preparation, time and commitment. Asking for donations can be intimidating, and many boards and executives don’t feel comfortable asking their network to donate. I work with organisations and individuals to ensure their house is in order before they embark on a new fundraising approach or campaign. Working closely with boards, executives and fundraisers, I develop strategies to help them understand what a high-value fundraising mindset is, so they become more confident when building donor relationships and asking for gifts.
INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP CONSULTING
Many organisations are now committing to diversity. However, a diverse workforce doesn’t automatically result in an inclusive culture. Through a bespoke programme of consultation and coaching, and based on my own lived experience as a woman of colour in leadership, I can help you discover the inclusive leader that lies within you. And I can help you develop the skills you need to build an inclusive culture in your team: a culture that yields real results.
Testimonials
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Testimonials 〰️
Gail Cardew, CEO, Linnean Society and Former Director of Science at The Royal Institution
I can’t recommend Haseena highly enough. I was lucky enough to work with her at the Royal Institution many years ago and I’ve watched her career go from strength to strength ever since. She has an eye for detail, gathering exactly the right evidence and data to support her decision making. But above all, she believes in the power of building and nurturing relationships, ensuring everyone feels included and is working towards a shared goal. She works with honesty, integrity and kindness – meaning that even if you’re working with her on the trickiest and deepest of problems, it will feel like a whole lot of fun.”
Heather Williamson, Senior Director of Development, Harvard University and Former Director of Principal Gifts, Imperial College London
I worked with Haseena at The British Museum and later employed her as a consultant. Haseena is a seasoned fundraising professional. She is not only knowledgeable of the fundraising sector and major gifts landscape, but she is able to develop strategies to secure funds and identify any barriers quickly, which is invaluable. She is also highly skilled at building relationships and is able to quickly gain the trust of senior management and donors
Professor Christofer Toumazou, CEO and Founder, DNANudge and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London
Haseena is an exceptional leader, securing multi-year funding during my time at The Royal Institution and winning the support and trust of the Board where I was Trustee. I believe Haseena’s strength is in spotting business opportunities and providing solutions that meet a company’s goals. She has helped me and my team to challenge our ways of thinking, and is a warm and upbeat personality to have around any organisation.
Fergus Boyd, CTO, Ex BA, Virgin Atlantic, Yotel, Soho House Group
I overlapped with Haseena in my role as a Trustee and Patron in the Royal Institution. She was a key member of the Ri Senior Leadership team and was responsible for fundraising via philanthropic activity and partnerships. I always found her helpful and engaging and she was the authentic, friendly face of the Ri brand for me. I wish her well in her future ventures.
Nicky Denovan, Managing Director & Co-Founder, EvokeSet
A strategic thinker and a cool-headed presence, Haseena is able to assess a project's scope extremely quickly and implement practical, effective programmes that achieve results. Haseena's expertise and counsel would be hugely beneficial to any senior leadership team.
Daniel Webb, Founder, Everyday Plastic
Haseena is a hugely knowledgable, experienced and supportive consultant. She knows fundraising like the back of her hand, but her expertise goes beyond that. She has advised me on brand strategy, relationship building and business development, and has helped to transform Everyday Plastic's approach to launching an ambitious new project. No matter what sector, Haseena is full of ideas and advice and a great soundboard.
Adeola Sole, CRM and Marketing Consultant, Former Guardian News & Media
Haseena is a formidable force to have on your team. With her years of experience she proactively takes charge and finds creative and innovative ways to lead strategies, find business opportunities and grow member numbers. She always has a plan and actions them with precision. She’s friendly and always happy to help!
Caroline Golden, Team Lead Systems & Translation at Compass Pathways, Former Researcher, Imperial College London
Haseena shows exceptional leadership qualities and is an expert in people management, relationship management, and in providing strategic insights. She has an innate ability to bring out the best in people.