Michelle de Havilland stands as a definitive example of the science-informed coaching practitioner. Her authority is rooted in a dual foundation: formal certification in the empirical methodologies of coaching, and a decades-long career applying strategic leadership in the high-stakes global arena.
She is a University of Cambridge-Certified Executive Coach and an Accredited Member of the Association for Coaching, credentials that signify a commitment to the evidence-based frameworks, ethical rigour, and measurable outcomes discussed in contemporary coaching literature. This academic grounding informs a practice that is deliberately structured, leveraging insights from positive psychology, behavioural science, and neuroscience.
This theoretical expertise is powerfully animated by a 30-year career in international real estate and investment. Operating at the C-suite level, Michelle has been instrumental in shaping over £15 billion in assets across six continents, navigating complex capital structures, cross-cultural teams, and boardroom dynamics. This provides her with an unparalleled, lived-in understanding of the pressures facing high-performing leaders, moving coaching concepts from the abstract into the realm of tangible strategy and human resilience.
As a sought-after public intellectual and commentator, she further translates this expertise for wider audiences. A regular contributor on networks such as CNN, Bloomberg, and Channel 4, and a frequent speaker at industry conferences, she analyses leadership, market dynamics, and professional evolution with a characteristic blend of eloquence and analytical clarity. This role reinforces her capacity to distill complex concepts into actionable insight, a skill central to her coaching methodology.
Ultimately, Michelle’s practice embodies the synthesis posited in the preceding analysis. She functions as a translational agent, integrating peer-reviewed research with the nuanced reality of executive life.
Her approach is not one of generic motivation but of strategic partnership—applying a scientific lens to the uniquely human challenges of legacy, performance, and purpose.
For leaders and creatives seeking transformation that is both profound and pragmatic, Michelle offers a partnership grounded in evidence, tempered by experience, and dedicated to replicable results.
