Empowering Leaders Through Change

The problem

Client: Greencore | Leadership Coaching | Women in Leadership

The Challenge

During a period of significant organisational transformation, Greencore identified five senior female leaders whose continued development and engagement were particularly important to the business.

With the acquisition and integration of Bakkavor bringing two organisations and cultures together, these leaders were navigating considerable uncertainty alongside the demands of their existing roles.

Each woman faced different challenges. Some were considering their future career direction or the possibility of role displacement. Others were managing stress and burnout, building confidence, strengthening personal boundaries or seeking greater influence over their next career move.

Greencore recognised the importance of providing personalised support that would help these talented women navigate change with confidence, maintain their engagement and take ownership of their professional futures.

The solution

VB&A designed and delivered a bespoke executive coaching programme for five senior female leaders, combining individual development with a shared organisational ambition to retain and nurture critical talent.

Each participant received six 90-minute virtual coaching sessions over nine months, creating dedicated space for reflection, challenge and practical action.

The programme was deliberately tailored to each individual rather than following a prescribed curriculum. Coaching explored themes including:

– Career direction, aspirations and future opportunities
– Confidence, self-advocacy and personal impact
– Resilience, wellbeing and managing pressure
– Boundaries, prioritisation and sustainable performance
– Stakeholder relationships and influencing
– Navigating organisational uncertainty and cultural change

To give the programme structure and help participants recognise their development, VB&A incorporated self-assessments at the beginning and end of the coaching journey. These explored leadership capabilities, confidence and personal development priorities, providing a valuable thread throughout the coaching conversations.

The approach combined a confidential, psychologically safe environment with practical challenge, encouraging each woman to make conscious choices about her career, contribution and wellbeing.

The outcome

Feedback from the programme was exceptionally positive, with participants reporting development through their end-of-programme self-assessments.

Greencore’s central team also reported encouraging signs of increased engagement, stronger talent retention and greater readiness among these senior women to navigate the organisation’s changing landscape.

Importantly, the coaching helped participants move from reacting to uncertainty towards making more intentional decisions about their own leadership and career direction.

For Greencore, the programme demonstrated the value of targeted, personalised development in supporting high-potential leaders during a period of significant change.

Building on the Partnership

The success of the programme has created the foundations for a broader relationship between Greencore and VB&A.

As the newly combined organisation develops its future people and leadership strategy, VB&A is working with Greencore’s People Development team to explore an expanded programme for 2027.

Discussions include extending executive coaching to a wider leadership audience, alongside leadership workshops and facilitated development activities aligned to the organisation’s evolving strategic priorities.

What began as a focused investment in five senior female leaders is developing into a longer-term partnership centred on leadership capability, organisational performance and cultural integration.