C-Suite Transition Coaching
I’m Sarah Hartley — former CFO, now executive coach. I work exclusively with senior leaders stepping into CEO and CFO roles for the first time. Because I’ve sat in the chair you’re about to take.
Sound Familiar?
You’re not short on intelligence or ambition. But the step from senior leader to C-suite is a different game entirely.
You’ve been promoted — or you’re about to be — and the congratulations feel slightly hollow because you know what’s coming.
The boardroom dynamics are unfamiliar. The politics are sharper. The decisions land harder.
You’re used to being excellent at your job, and suddenly you’re in a role where the learning curve feels steep and public.
You can’t talk to your team about the weight of it. You can’t show your board you’re uncertain. The loneliness is real.
You’ve thought about getting support but most coaching feels generic — leadership platitudes from people who’ve never sat in the chair.
You want someone who’s been exactly where you are. Not theory. Not frameworks. Real experience.
This isn’t about capability. It’s about unfamiliar terrain.
About Sarah
I spent fifteen years as a CFO in mid-market businesses — the £50m to £500m companies where the C-suite is small, the stakes are real, and there’s nowhere to hide.
I know what the first board meeting feels like when you’re the new face at the table. I know the politics that nobody warns you about. I know the specific pressures of leading a finance function, managing a board, and finding your authority without burning your relationships.
Now I coach senior leaders through exactly that transition. I only do C-suite transitions. It’s all I do, because doing it well requires depth, not breadth.
40% of my clients come back for ongoing work after their initial engagement. I take that as a better endorsement than anything I could write here.
Services
Every engagement starts with a conversation. No pressure, no pitch — just an honest assessment of whether I can help.
£18,000
The full engagement. We work together across your first six months in role — covering board dynamics, stakeholder management, strategic authority, and the hundred small decisions that define your leadership. For CEOs and CFOs who want a trusted partner through the transition.
Book an introductory call →£6,000
A focused, intensive engagement for newly-appointed CFOs. We cover the critical first 90 days: establishing your authority, navigating the board, managing your team’s expectations, and avoiding the early missteps that are harder to undo later.
Book an introductory call →£1,200 / quarter
For past clients only. A small group of C-suite leaders who meet quarterly to share challenges, pressure-test decisions, and maintain the momentum from their coaching engagement. The loneliness of the role doesn’t have to be permanent.
Get in touch →How It Works
No hoops. No drawn-out sales process. Just a straightforward conversation to see if we’re the right fit.
A 30-minute introductory conversation. You tell me what you’re facing. I’ll be honest about whether I can help.
If it’s a good fit, I’ll send a clear proposal with scope, timeline, and investment. No surprises.
We begin. Regular sessions, direct conversation, practical focus. You’ll feel the difference within the first month.
The Uncomfortable Truth
The people I work with are some of the sharpest operators in their industries. They’ve earned their seat. They know their numbers, their markets, their teams.
What they don’t know — because they can’t yet — is the terrain. The unwritten rules of the boardroom. The shift from functional expert to enterprise leader. The loneliness that comes with the title.
That’s not a weakness. It’s a gap that closes faster with someone who’s already walked the path.
Let’s talkClient Experience
Names changed for confidentiality. The sentiments are real.
“Sarah was the only person I could be completely honest with during my first six months as CEO. She’d been there. She knew what I was going through before I’d finished describing it. That alone was worth the investment.”
— CEO, mid-market technology company (£180m revenue)
“I nearly didn’t hire a coach. I thought I should be able to handle it. Three months in, I couldn’t imagine the transition without Sarah’s support. She’s direct, practical, and doesn’t waste your time.”
— CFO, professional services firm (£95m revenue)
Get Started
A 30-minute conversation. No cost, no commitment. Tell me what you’re facing, and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help. If I can’t, I’ll point you toward someone who can.