Practitioner Diploma / “The AoEC Diploma offered the most comprehensive training”

With nearly 20 years at KPMG across the UK, Canada, the US, and Australia, Emma Strack brings deep insight into high-performance leadership and the human side of business. Now an EMCC Global-accredited coach, she shares how the AoEC’s Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching helped her shift from informal coaching to developing her own science-backed Performance Strategy Coaching model - empowering senior leaders to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Prior to developing yourself as a coach, you had a stellar career working in senior leadership positions at KPMG. Who or what introduced you to coaching and led to you signing up for coach training with the AoEC?

I have a genuine interest in people and am curious to know what makes them tick.
I see the best in them, and I like to reflect that back so they can see it too.

I was a restructuring accountant at KPMG in the UK, Canada, the US and Australia for ~20 years and the variety of work was super interesting; from Comic Relief in London, to oil and gas in Canada to wineries and insurance in Sydney, and everything in between.

The real highlight for me has always been the people side of business; keeping clients happy by understanding pain points, anticipating needs, and recognising that what’s done is done - let’s make tomorrow better.

I informally coached friends and colleagues for years before considering formal training. One C-Suite friend once told me that I had done more for her in a brunch than her executive coach had done for her in years.

The AoEC Diploma offered the most comprehensive training and I never like to do anything by halves.

What were some of the positives and challenges you experienced while doing the diploma?

The AoEC opened my eyes to the many coaching styles and tools there are available, and they’re great to keep in my toolbox. Every person is different - one size does not fit all when it comes to coaching.

The biggest challenge for me was shutting up my inner advisor. My entire career, plus being a parent to four children, meant that people looked to me for an answer. My default was to jump to problem-solving mode; to take the problem and deal with it.

🔹 Advisors tell you what they think you should do.
🔹 Coaches help you uncover your own solutions.

Remembering people are naturally creative, resourceful and whole is actually quite empowering.

What is your top advice to others considering coach training?

If you can, get clear on your niche market sooner rather than later.

Looking back at doing your diploma, what has been its lasting impact on you as a person and you as a coach?

Fun. I met some really interesting people from around the world and the content was rich and rewarding.

It’s given me a new lens on people - which I find fascinating.

Can you tell us more about your personal coaching model and how this has evolved since doing the diploma?

I’m naturally a Co-Active coach, and I began with the aim of helping high performers make success feel easier and more effective.

The restructuring accountant in me (some habits die hard) knows that knowledge is power, and I found that surfacing certain insights early in the coaching process gave my clients the clarity to move forward faster and with greater confidence.

This led me to develop my Performance Strategy Coaching, a science-backed process that helps clients reveal these insights up front:

1️⃣ Performance insights that refine strategic decision-making
2️⃣ Capability levers that maximise return on leadership effort
3️⃣ Sustainability drivers that protect and extend high-level impact

These insights create a stronger foundation for the coaching that follows, and the impact is immediate.

You are now self-employed and founded your own practice in 2021; can you tell us about the type of clients you are working with?

Given my financial background, it’s no surprise that most of my clients are senior leaders in accountancy and law firms, though I also work with leaders in tech and other sectors.

Whilst people often seek executive coaching to help them deal with challenges they need to overcome, I am now increasingly seeing clients wanting to use my Performance Strategy Coaching to refine their edge.

What are some of the issues and opportunities you coach people around?

The themes I see most include overwhelm, communication misfires, career stagnation, struggling to see a clear path forward, and the shift from reactive firefighting to strategic leadership.

Career progression is another frequent focus.

In my experience, people rarely value their natural strengths high enough. Once they do, they can often find an easier path through challenges.

You have gone on to be credentialed with EMCC Global. Why was becoming credentialed with one of the professional bodies important to you and what value has it brought your practice?

Some firms require that I be formally accredited. Whilst both ICF and EMCC offer global accreditation, I preferred the personal touch from the EMCC.

Can you share a success story or testimonial from one of your clients that highlights the impact of your coaching?

⭐ “Emma did more for me in one meeting than my existing executive coach had done in years."

⭐ “I feel happier, more confident, and clear on how to work at my best.”

⭐ “Emma gave me a strategy I’ll use for the rest of my career.”

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a coach?

When my clients tell me how empowered they feel.