Sarah Rourke

I help organisations to develop career navigation skills in their high-potential talent so that they can improve employee retention and build stronger succession planning pipelines. I have worked with people in organisations across the board, from professional services, to banking through to public sector.

I partner with HR and L&D teams to develop career development skills in high-potential talent, improving employee retention and strengthening succession planning outcomes.

Forward-thinking organisations want to build strong internal talent pipelines and retain their most capable people by providing clear development pathways.

The challenge is that while leadership programmes successfully develop leadership capabilities, they often miss the career development skills that actually drive progression: skills like, executive presence, strategic professional branding and visibility, and confident self-advocacy.

As an ICF-accredited coach trained at Henley Business School with hundreds of hours of senior leadership coaching experience and extensive experience developing career development training interventions, I specialise in bridging this gap.

I am also a Strengthscope^® Practitioner, creating opportunities for organisations to help people understand what energises them in their work. My work with MBA and executive education participants provides consistent insights into what drives successful career advancement – knowledge I apply through coaching, workshops and training focused on key career development areas such as: executive presence development, strategic networking capabilities, and authentic self-promotion skills.

When high-potential talent masters these career navigation skills alongside their operational capabilities, organisations are able to:

• Fill senior roles internally rather than paying premium recruitment fees for external candidates
• Reduce turnover costs by retaining talented employees who see clear advancement opportunities within the organisation
• Strengthen succession planning with leaders ready to step into key positions when needed
• Build reputation as an employer that develops talent, attracting high-calibre candidates who want to grow their careers
• Maximise ROI on leadership development investment through measurable internal promotion rates

Rather than replacing existing leadership development, I provide the complementary career navigation components that transform operational leadership skills into advancement capability.

My approach builds on the foundation your programmes already provide, adding the strategic career navigation skills that help talented people progress within your organisation.

A Technical Director recently said: “Sarah’s coaching has enabled me to develop a more strategic mindset and enhance my overall performance. I am now more equipped to handle challenges and make informed decisions. Sarah’s coaching has empowered me to take proactive steps towards achieving my career aspirations.”

If you’re responsible for talent development and want to ensure your high-potential people progress internally as well as develop a culture of career development, please get in touch through the contact form below.