Conscious Leader. Thoughtful Coach. Dynamic Woman.

Caroline Hughes is a highly accomplished global talent and leadership executive, ICF accredited coach and developer of leaders who are committed to building their legacy from a place of authenticity.

She has held many senior leadership positions including Global Head of Leadership Development in CRH plc a Fortune 500 company, and Head of Change in the Central Bank of Ireland, and Head of Talent in Bank of Scotland (Ireland) she has experienced first hand that being a leader is an inside-out job and that focusing on goals without more in-depth exploration into drivers of key behaviours, will only lead to short-term outcomes. The real work takes place when we dig deep to answer the question “Why should anyone be led by you?” and "Who do you need to be to lead powerfully every day?"

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Caroline has run highly successful international teams, worked with hundreds of leaders all over the world and  partnered with thought leaders such as Duke CE, Centre for Creative Leadership, McKinsey Academy, Accenture to develop innovative leadership programmes. She has also immersed herself in the teachings of Brené Brown, Steve Hardison, Tony Robbins, Brandon Bays, Michael Neill, Patrick Lencioni.

Focusing on personal impact, she coaches and consults with leaders, bringing methodologies and insights into human behavior to create customized leadership and executive team development programmes. 

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These are designed to build high-performing teams and foster a strong company culture. She is also skilled at managing diverse stakeholder needs, helping to form coalitions that drive positive change for everyone involved

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Caroline is a dynamic woman with infinite curiosity, she brings her unique insights from her most challenging hikes from all over the world - Kilimanjaro, Base Camp Everest, Annapurna Circuit (Himalaya), Ausangate (Peru) to help clients think differently about who they are being and how by being authentic and human they can be a magnet for others' greatness. 

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One of the experiences that shaped her was often being the only woman in senior leadership forums—a 'woman in a man's world.' She learned to use this unique position to stand out and foster constructive dialogue about what it means to be in that situation. She has a proven track record of promoting an 'Inclusion before Diversity' approach, believing that diversity discussions must include all genders to be truly effective. Inclusive behaviors must be integrated at all levels to unlock the full potential of diversity.

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By the end of 2018 Caroline was at the top of her career, and had trained for and trekked to Base Camp Everest in her spare time!  Throughout 2019, in her passion to succeed, she got used to functioning through the tiredness that sleep never seemed to be enough to feel replenished.

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Her mind racing, her body feeling a constant state of jetlag, she treated her weekends as time to catch up on sleep.  Stopping was simply not in her vocabulary when there was much to be done!  Her strategy was to do a deal a day with her body to do "just one more"...one more meeting, one more flight, one more conference call, one more trip, one more project, just one... 

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Those three little words proved to be a dangerous mantra as she had no idea what she was walking herself into. Her burnout was extensive and in her recovery lead to the biggest transformation of her life, and the establishment of Conscious Leadership Development in 2020 as she was determined to use her skills in leadership development to create the next chapter of her fulfilling career. 

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An international speaker at global events in New York, Dublin, London she engages audiences with her candid experience and lessons from senior leadership, burnout and how women especially can be at the top of their game - and stay there, without risking their health. 

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Caroline has often been described as "the ultimate bridge-builder" by her clients, because she invests heavily in her their outcomes, and can see beyond the horizon of what initially appears possible; and in working together:

• She listens deeply to bring out the greatness in you, your teams, and your organisation.

• She creates deep trust so you can experience deep shifts in who you are being.

• She is fully committed to your outcome and doesn’t let anyone off the hook in pursuit of your outcome!