Top 10 Female Executive Coaches and Their Impact

The executive coaching world is packed with people claiming to be experts. Finding the right coach to help you grow your career can feel overwhelming.

As a woman competing at the top level, you face unique challenges that require special guidance. Female coaches understand your experiences better and can connect with you more deeply.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to ten amazing female executive coaches leading the industry. These coaches combine solid business advice with managing work-life balance and building confidence.

TL;DR – 10 Female Executive Coaches

Here are some of the leading female executive coaches making a significant impact in the industry (in no particular order):

• Anne Koopmann – Engineering leadership expert
• Brené Brown – Research professor and vulnerability expert
• Brooke Taylor – Former Google executive specializing in women’s leadership
• Cherie Silas – Founder of Tandem Coaching, ICF-credentialed Master Coach
• Dr. Kym Harris-Lee – Creator of the M.O.R.E. methodology
• Elizabeth Pearson – Spiritual executive coach
• Laura Weldy – Specialist in women’s leadership development
• Marie Forleo – Thought leader and creator of B-School
• Sally Helgesen – Authority on women’s leadership
• Victoria Pearl Wright – Inclusive leadership expert

At Tandem Coaching, we specialize in executive coaching solutions designed for successful leaders seeking their next level of growth.

Led by Cherie, our experienced team works with you to develop a personalized coaching plan that transforms your leadership capabilities and creates meaningful organizational impact.

Schedule a free consultation with us today! Let’s connect and create your path to success.

Benefits of Working with a Female Coach

Working with a female coach offers some unique benefits of executive coaching:

• Deeper Connection: Female coaches easily relate to the challenges professional women like you face regarding work-life balance, caregiving duties, discrimination, etc. Their personal experiences make them more empathetic.
• Enhanced Confidence: Coaches use their own success stories to motivate you to push limiting self-beliefs and embrace ambitious career visions.
• Work-Life Integration: Juggling career and personal responsibilities can cause burnout without proper boundaries. Coaches teach essential well-being skills.
• Overcoming Obstacles: Having overcome similar obstacles, women coaches offer practical, proven strategies for breaking through the glass ceiling while staying true to your authentic leadership style.

Female coaching promotes leadership development for authentic, balanced, and empowering management, which is crucial for organizational advancement.

The Role of Female Coaches in Business and Entrepreneurship

Female executive coaches are transforming how top female executives go above and beyond:

Breaking Glass Ceilings

When you work with a female coach, you’re tapping into years of experience overcoming workplace barriers.

These coaches don’t just teach theory—they share battle-tested strategies that work.

Whether you’re seeking your first executive role or aiming for the C-suite or directorship, they’ll show you how to manage complex workplace dynamics and effectively advocate for yourself.

Professional Guidance and Role Modeling

Female coaches bring a powerful combination of professional guidance, executive coaching tools, and real-world wisdom to help you succeed.

Here’s what makes their coaching unique:

• They have strong professional networks you can tap into
• You’ll learn from their firsthand experiences in overcoming industry challenges
• They provide ongoing support as you implement new strategies in your role

Innovation in Coaching Approaches

Instead of sticking to outdated “command and control” models, female executive coaches help you embrace modern leadership approaches that work in diverse workplaces. 

You’ll learn how to:

• Build genuine connections with your team while maintaining authority
• Use emotional intelligence to drive better business results
• Create inclusive environments that bring out the best in everyone

Their methods combine proven business practices with innovative techniques, giving you a comprehensive toolkit for success in your leadership journey.

Characteristics of Top Female Executive Coaches

The most successful female executive coaches share several key traits:

• Technical Expertise + Soft Skills Mastery: Female executive coaches offer extensive career experience coupled with communication talents like empathy and insight discovery through powerful questioning and active listening.
• Focus on Potential Realization: Coaches motivate you based on possibilities rather than problems – a future-focused perspective.
• Commitment to Ethics: Coaches abide by ethical codes, including integrity, avoiding conflicts of interest, establishing clear agreements, and maintaining confidentiality.
• Continuous Learning Mindset: They pursue regular learning on organizational development, data analytics, positive psychology, etc., to maximize their impact.
• Courage to Challenge: Female coaches can give candid leadership feedback to expand thinking, believing in your ability to grow through disruptive viewpoints.

At their core, top coaches are authentic, understanding leaders passionate about service, not glory.

10 Top Female Executive Coaches and Their Impact

Let’s see how these accomplished coaches are helping executives like you transform your leadership abilities. 

These pioneers are listed in no particular order, as each brings unique expertise and proven methodologies to help you succeed:

1. Cherie Silas

Cherie’s passion is helping managers and leaders develop more strategic, innovative, and effective organizations. 

She partners with them to identify and creatively resolve the people, process, culture, and leadership problems preventing their success.

As the Founder and Head Coach of Tandem Coaching, Cherie Silas is among the elite in executive coaching. She brings 20+ years of experience as a corporate leader to her practice.

She ranked in the top 3.7% of over 56,000 credentialed coaches worldwide and was named the #16 most influential coach by Global Gurus in 2022.

What makes Cherie unique is her deeply personal approach to coaching. Her mission is simple but powerful: “To leave you better than I found you with each encounter.”

Through her extensive experience and innovative ASPIRE model, she’ll help you define and achieve success on your terms, both professionally and personally.

Cherie has exceptional credentials to her merit:

• ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) – placing her among the highest-qualified coaches globally
• One of only 215 Accredited Coaching Supervisors worldwide with EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council)
• Advanced certifications include:
  • ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC)
  • ICF Advanced Certificate in Team Coaching (ACTC)
  • EMCC Master Coach & Accredited Coaching Supervisor (ESIA-MC)
  • SA Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC)
  • SA Certified Team Coach (CTC)
• ICAgile certified instructor in:
  • Team Coaching (ICP-ACC)
  • Team Facilitation (ICP-ATF), 
  • Enterprise Coaching (ICP-ENT), and 
  • Systems Coaching (ICP-SYS)
• Co-author of the Enterprise Agile Coaching book

Beyond individual coaching, Cherie serves as a mentor coach and EMCC-accredited supervisor, helping other coaches enhance their skills and client relationships.

Her comprehensive understanding of business and leadership challenges comes from years of hands-on experience, which she now uses to help executives like you deal with complex organizational problems.

Have questions about how Cherie can help you achieve your leadership goals? Book a free consultation session to discuss your journey.

2. Brené Brown

As a research professor at the University of Houston, Dr. Brown has revolutionized our understanding of leadership through her research on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. 

Her TED Talk on “The Power of Vulnerability” is one of the most viewed talks in the world.

Her impact on leadership development includes:

• Five #1 New York Times bestsellers
• Host of the “Unlocking Us” podcast, exploring human experiences and emotions
• Creator of online courses focused on bravery and authentic leadership
• Author of transformative books like “Daring Greatly” and “The Gifts of Imperfection.”

Dr. Brown’s famous quote captures her philosophy:

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it… Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.“

3. Marie Forleo

Marie has transformed how entrepreneurs approach business growth through her flagship program, B-School. She has helped over 55,000 business owners turn their ideas into profitable ventures.

Marie’s straightforward teaching style makes complex business concepts easy to understand and implement.

Her award-winning show MarieTV has reached over 75 million viewers, and the Marie Forleo Podcast has reached nearly 26 million downloads. 

4. Dr. Kym Harris-Lee

Dr. Harris-Lee’s M.O.R.E. methodology has transformed how leaders approach personal development. 

She focuses on four key areas that will help you become a more effective leader:

• Maximum Self-Awareness: Understanding how others experience your leadership.
• Optimal Optimism: Building resilience and a positive outlook.
• Rich Relationships: Developing strong networks and team connections.
• Empathetic Engagement: Leading with understanding and insight.

5. Laura Weldy

Laura specializes in helping women find their authentic leadership voice.

Through her Professional Certified Coach background and deep understanding of gender dynamics, she’s developed practical approaches to common leadership development challenges.

Her coaching focuses on helping you overcome imposter syndrome and build lasting confidence. You’ll learn to lead authentically while navigating complex workplace dynamics.

6. Sally Helgesen

Forbes recognizes Sally as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership, and she has earned her place in the Thinkers 50 Hall of Fame.

Global Gurus ranks her #1 in leadership, and the Institute for Management Studies awarded her a lifetime achievement award.

Her groundbreaking work includes:

• “Rising Together”: Her latest book on building inclusive workplaces.
• “How Women Rise”: Co-authored with Marshall Goldsmith, translated into 24 languages.
• “The Female Advantage”: A classic in print since 1990.
• “The Web of Inclusion”: Named one of the best leadership books by The Wall Street Journal.

With 35 years of experience across 37 countries, Sally brings unmatched expertise to leadership development.

She continues to influence the field through Strategy + Business magazine and the 100 Coaches Network.

7. Brooke Taylor

After a successful career at Google, Brooke now helps executives overcome what she calls “The Success Wound”—the belief that their worth comes solely from their achievements. 

Her Conscious Success Method takes you through four key phases:

• Understanding your current leadership challenges
• Creating a realistic plan for growth
• Addressing emotional hurdles that hold you back
• Emerging as a more confident leader

8. Victoria Pearl Wright

As CEO and founder of VP Wright International, Victoria-Pearl ‘VP’ Wright has created a unique space in the coaching industry through The Creative’s Corner.

This online community helps creative entrepreneurs and coaches build sustainable, inclusive businesses.

Featured in NPR, MSNBC, and Vox, VP specializes in:

• The CEO Accelerator program
• Systems development for sustainable growth
• Content creation strategies for 5K-10K monthly sales

Her book “Inclusive Strategies for Your Coaching Business” reflects her core belief: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to business success. 

VP helps entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups—including women of color, business owners and founders with disabilities, etc.—build sustainable businesses through customized strategies and inclusive practices.

Her approach addresses unique challenges these entrepreneurs face, such as limited access to capital, networking barriers, and systemic inequities in the business world.

9. Elizabeth Pearson

With 15 years in sales and 8 years of coaching experience, Elizabeth brings a unique spiritual perspective to executive coaching.

She specializes in helping women dominate male-dominated industries, return to work after pregnancy, and find work-life balance.

Her coaching programs include:

• Team workshops
• Five-month intensive one-on-one coaching
• Two-week immersive career clarity program
• Small group masterminds for networking and skill development

Elizabeth also offers specialized resources for LinkedIn optimization and personal breakthrough programs, helping you align your professional goals with your personal and spiritual journey.

10. Anne Koopmann

Anne’s your go-to coach if you’re transitioning from technical expert to leader. She specializes in helping STEM professionals become strong leaders while maintaining their technical credibility.

She’ll help you bridge the gap between technical expertise and leadership excellence through personalized coaching programs. 

Her clients consistently report improved team engagement and better project outcomes.

How to Choose the Right Female Executive Coach

Consider these essential factors when selecting an executive coach:

• Specialization: Seek someone experienced in your particular industry. Identify specific skills needed to avoid mismatched expectations.
• Compatibility: Have a discovery call to decide if your visions align. Look for a coach who challenges yet supports your growth journey.
• Credentials: Verify certifications from accredited bodies like the ICF and proof of continuous development, such as updated testimonials, that confirm proficiency.
• Success Stories: Review case studies and testimonials from clients with similar goals to check if methodologies work.
• Logistics: Evaluate flexibility around session timing, formats, duration, and budgets to ensure seamless coordination.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let’s address some common questions about executive coaching for women:

What Makes a Female Executive Coach Unique?

A female executive coach leverages shared experiences facing gendered workplace barriers to deeply empathize with clients. 

Coaches integrate strategic business consulting with an emphasis on authentic self-expression and work-life harmony.

Which Top Female Executive Coaches Are Influential on Social Media?

Several coaches maintain strong social media presence:

• Cherie Silas
• Marie Forleo 
• Brené Brown
• Elizabeth Pearson 

Are There Specific Industries where Female Executive Coaches Excel?

While female coaches succeed across all sectors, they particularly excel in executive coaching for nonprofit leaders, technology leadership, healthcare administration, educational leadership, and creative industries.

Conclusion

Female coaches bring fresh perspectives and proven strategies to help you push boundaries.

At Tandem Coaching, we understand the challenges you face as an executive. Through our ASPIRE® methodology, we help you develop strategic thinking, enhance decision-making, and improve team managing abilities.

Our bi-weekly one-on-one coaching sessions are tailored to your specific goals, whether you’re new to an executive role or looking to break through to the next level.

Let’s discuss how we can help you achieve meaningful results!