Kate Smith

• Leadership development
• Managing for performance
• Effective team working
• Appropriate workplace behaviour / Preventing sexual harassment (in line with the 2024 Worker Protection Act)
• Designing and embedding a positive organisational culture
• Strategy development
• Business planning
• Managing change
• Report writing

• 250+ hours executive coaching experience
• Accredited by the International Coaching Federation
• Certified to use Clarity4D Psychometric profiling
• Institute of Leadership & Management Level 5 – Coaching and Mentoring
• Institute of Leadership & Management Level 3 – Workplace coaching
• Honors degree in Experimental Psychology, Oxford University

Service provided: A four-day programme aimed at helping the senior leadership team work more effectively together followed by six hours’ coaching for each team member.

Quote from evaluation form: “Kate’s professionalism, sheer intellectual power and energy made the sessions hugely beneficial and productive”

This work was carried out for a City of London Corporation Director and their senior management team between September 2024 to November 2025 in association with Focal Point Training and Consultancy.

—————————————————————

Service provided: 4 one-day workshops aimed at improving report writing, working effectively as one organisation, senior leadership team development and building an organisational strategy.

Quote from Chief Executive: “Kate’s work with Local London over the past year has delivered strong results for the team members. She is diligent in her preparation to ensure that there is clarity of expectation and yet is able to adapt and pivot when the session evolves naturally and yet still deliver great results. She does this without missing a beat.

“Her approach is focused but delivered in an inclusive and accommodating way. This resulted in a beautiful team away day recently which brought our many teams together and nurtured some hugely positive cross team interactions. I can see the difference in individuals who have worked with Kate in a lasting way. I can also see better understanding between colleagues thanks to the techniques Kate has shared with us. We are planning further small group work as a follow up.”

This work was carried out for Local London, the sub-regional partnership for the East London boroughs, in 2023 and 2024 in association with Focal Point Training and Consultancy.

—————————————————————

Service provided: Two management team one-day workshops followed by a whole team one-day workshop aimed at getting everyone working well together

Quote from evaluation form: “I thought it was a brilliant session, very engaging”

This work was carried out for the City of London Corporation in association with Focal Point Training and Consultancy between May and November 2025.

—————————————————————

Service provided: Coaching for an Assistant Director and two workshops for their service management team aimed at getting the team working well together

Quotes from evaluation form: “A really useful and practical course presented in an insightful, engaging and passionate manner by a friendly, professional and talented facilitator!”

“I particularly like the way the previous content is used to frame the next session. This is very constructive and helps build on progress”

This work was carried out for the City of London Corporation in association with Focal Point Training and Consultancy in November and December 2025.

—————————————————————

Service provided: One to one coaching for a Director

Quote from evaluation form: “Kate is an excellent coach and I have really benefited my sessions with her. She is warm and engaging with excellent listening, communication and engagement skills. Kate has extensive experience  of working with senior employees in the public and charitable sectors and has a good understanding of the issues and pressures affecting staff. She is reliable, discreet and professional. I have no hesitation in recommending Kate and hope to work with her again soon.”

This work was carried out for the City of London Corporation during 2023 and 2024 in association with Focal Point Training and Consultancy.

• Kate consistently scores between 4.7 and 5 out of 5 in workshop and programme evaluations
• Self-scored team effectiveness improvements rated between 32% and 44% on average across ten types of behaviour

• 20+ years in local government in a wide range of roles
• 5 years as corporate lead for strategy and performance at the City of London Corporation
• Produced the City’s Corporate Plan 2018-23 and aligned 20+ business plans with it
• Led the design of a dynamic Corporate Performance Framework using PowerBI
• Led a Fundamental Review resulting in a new operating model, a Member governance review and savings that met the Medium Term Financial Plan
• Led the City’s climate action strategy 2020, achieving a 74% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025 and setting the organisation on course to reach net zero by 2027. This is the biggest drop of all UK local authorities.
• Shaped joint strategies for Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden with the GLA, police, major cultural institutions, BIDs, landowners and residents
• Successfully bid for £4.5m to support Westminster’s service delivery during the London 2012 Games. Produced the 100 Day operational plan and led the design and 24/7 delivery of the Central Zone Borough Group Support Unit, co-ordinating reporting to regional and Games bodies for the eight central London boroughs
• Built partnerships with the full range of local government partners, e.g. government departments, neighbouring LAs, police, fire services, transport providers, NHS, landowners, Businesses, BIDs, Housing and resident Associations
• Major events and emergency response including to the 2005 London bombings
• Regeneration including delivering the UK’s first Academy school and bespoke health, youth and community facilities
• Public realm improvements and management
• Internal change projects in customer services, service integration and flexible / mobile working
• Income generation

• Leadership development
• Managing for performance
• Effective team working
• Appropriate workplace behaviour / Preventing sexual harassment (in line with the 2024 Worker Protection Act)
• Designing and embedding positive organisational culture
• Strategy development
• Business planning
• Managing change
• Report writing

Kate provides training in change management, building effective teams designing and building organisational culture.

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/katesmith2021