MEET THE TEAM

The foundation of Athena Coaching Solutions comes, firstly, from a passion for supporting the development of others and, secondly, from having decades of experience and knowledge behind us to really make a difference. We believe that we role model as well as train and coach. We also come with a cracking sense of humour so ensure that the learning experience is fun as well as impactful!
 

Athena Coaching Solutions is synonymous with quality content and delivery, impactful outcomes, cost-effective training and authenticity. We are proud of the feedback and testimonials that we receive. 

Read our testimonials to find out more about what you are saying. 

So how did Athena Coaching Solutions come about?
We are Abigail and Mark, the husband/wife co-founders, who have combined and extensive experience and qualifications in training, coaching and people management. It’s from this that we recognised the gaps, the needs and the had the desire to set up Athena.
 

We made the time to reflect, re-evaluate our own goals and aspirations, spent many hours discussing and getting feedback from others and, after having our Train the Trainer and Effective Management Courses accredited, we launched Athena. 

The name stems from Athena, the Goddess of War and Wisdom; an apt name for a team who come from joint military backgrounds and have years of experience in developing skills, knowledge and confidence in others. 

Our aim is to guide and challenge you towards achieving against our agreed outcomes. We offer flexible approaches, including 2-day courses for small groups or via a 1-2-1 online approach over several weeks. 

When it comes to goal setting we all have the ability to reach for the sky! 

"You are far more than you think you are at any one time"

Abigail is an extremely experienced and passionate trainer and coach with years of experience in developing and managing teams. She believes that learning is for life and that we all have the potential, with the right knowledge, skills and approach, to do anything that our hearts and minds want to do. You can always be certain that Abigail delivers outstanding results; building confidence and opening minds at all levels of ability. 

Through the right coaching and training, we really can achieve anything. 

Abigail has personally designed and developed the Athena accredited courses, something that she immensely proud of. She now delivers them through face-to-face 2-day courses in the UK and, via online delivery, as weekly sessions to participants based in the UK and abroad.

Abigail graduated from Reading University in 1990 with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. Her coaching & training career path started in 1991 when she passed officer selection to become a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force (RAF). There she was given the prominent position of training officer for RAF specialists. This was a critical role in which she excelled and for which she was given formal recognition. Her role as OCWRAF (Officer in charge of female personnel at her serving station) included the responsibility for 100 personnel, overseeing matters of a sensitive nature and advising on the support required.
 

Another of her passions is her family and, as a mother of three now grown up children, she took time to both nurture, support and allow them to flourish in their own life and career paths whilst also not forgetting her own development path (in a manageable way!) 

She continued her passion in the area of personal development by working as a Resettlement Advisor and Work Skills Tutor and is a fully qualified Science & English teacher, holding a PGCE (Science), RSA C/TEFLA and NVQ Level 4 in Further and Adult Education. 

She firmly believes that people’s limiting beliefs about themselves are the only obstacles preventing them from achieving their ultimate goal. Abigail’s ability to create a natural and strong rapport from the start is one of her strengths and builds on this trusted relationship to ensure that attitudes, confidence, new ways of thinking and behaviours are developed. She also has an in-depth understanding of how we all process information differently which, in turn, brings added value to her training and coaching approaches.

Over the years, Abigail has worked for several large global organisations, managing the performance and development of their national sales teams. The key function of her managerial roles has been to lead on the formulation of appropriate coaching & training strategies and subsequent delivery of programs, either remotely or face-to-face. She has been a key influencer in leading, coaching and mentoring teams through periods of change during restructure. 

In 2021 she became a Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), a Certified NLP Coach, and a Certified Timeline Therapy Practitioner. She achieves great outcomes by utilising these additional skills and techniques in conjunction with her various agile strategies and experience.

Abigail now offers her years of experience and skills, and is following her passion for the development of people through the coaching and training of both individuals and small groups. She does this by introducing strategies to help progress quickly through any limiting beliefs holding them back from achieving focused goals.  

"The distance between your dreams and reality is called action"

Mark brings with him skills and experiences gained from a distinguished military

career spanning over 20 years, predominantly with the British Airborne Forces.

During his time in the Army, Mark proved to be a strong proactive leader,

empowering soldiers to take ownership, providing coaching, mentoring, and

training in a variety of, sometimes, very tough situations, spanning career decisions, setting goals and personal life ambitions.

Prior to leaving the British Army in 2004, Mark was awarded the Military Cross by HM Queen Elizabeth II for gallantry during conflict. Post Iraq invasion (2003).

Mark has worked all over the world with exposure to various industries as a risk manager, honing his managerial, coaching and mentoring skills with employees and clients during difficult times, in some extremely challenging environments. 

His area of expertise is primarily in supporting the development of bespoke training and coaching requirements in the area of risk security and communication skills.
 

In 2012 he was introduced to Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), an approach to communication and development created by Richard Bandler & John Grinder in the 1970’s. Over the years he has used this newfound skill successfully with various clients and co-workers. 

This has enabled them to implement the required strategies and has allowed them to move forwards both professionally and in their personal lives.

Mark holds various instructor training qualifications as well as an MBA. In 2021 he became a Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), a Certified NLP Coach, and a Certified Timeline Therapy Practitioner.
 

Mark now offers his skills and life experience to help individuals, giving them the confidence to achieve goals and to develop a growth mindset. 

"Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen"

Pip has been at Athena from the start. She prides herself in being the general 'dogs-body' with key responsibilities in team fitness, well-being and in-house agility training requirements. She is a huge advocate of learning through play and her bouncy personality is infectious. She excels at putting smiles on people’s faces and is an essential part of the Athena team!