Navigating Complexity: Executive Coaching for Reflective Leadership in Uncertain Times
Delivered by Professor John Vinney Founder | Executive Coach (AoEC Accredited) | Former University Vice-Chancellor
Programme Overview
Our bespoke executive coaching programmes offer tailored, one-to-one support for senior university leaders navigating institutional complexity, strategic challenge, and cultural transformation.
Delivered by Professor John Vinney, founder of Eton Executive Coaching Ltd and former Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, each coaching engagement is grounded in systemic inquiry and values-led practice. With over 14 years’ lived experience leading a UK university, John brings rare depth of empathy, contextual insight, and strategic awareness—offering a coaching approach that stands apart from more generic models.
Who This Programme Is For
Our coaching programmes are designed for senior leaders in UK higher education, including:
Vice-Chancellors
Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Pro-Vice-Chancellors
Chief Operating Officers (COOs)
Other senior leaders such as Deans/Directors of Professional Services
A typical cohort includes up to six participants, each engaging in a confidential coaching journey tailored to their role, leadership context, and developmental priorities.
Typical areas of Coaching Focus
Leading with clarity in complex, uncertain environments
Cultivating emotional resonance and psychological steadiness
Exercising strategic authority through relational influence
Navigating identity, values, and paradox in decision-making
Sustaining resilience and purpose in demanding leadership roles
Programme Structure
Contracting & Orientation Week 1 Clarify leadership purpose, coaching goals, and establish psychological safety.
Coaching Sessions Weeks 2–12 (every 2–3 weeks) Six 60-minute one-to-one coaching sessions focused on live leadership challenges.
Integration & Legacy Weeks 13–16 Reflective closure and planning for sustained leadership impact.
Methodology
At Eton Executive Coaching, we draw on contemporary coaching methodologies that integrate systemic inquiry, values exploration, emotional attunement, and reflective practice. Our approach is deeply relational and grounded in the realities leaders face today—whether navigating complexity, shaping culture, or leading through uncertainty.
Every coaching journey is bespoke, meeting leaders where they are—offering both developmental stretch and compassionate support.
Typical Delivery & Pricing
Format: Virtual one-to-one coaching
Executive Coach: Professor John Vinney
Duration: Four-month engagement per participant
Cost: For six participants, the typical total programme fee is £7,750.
In-person delivery or extended formats can be arranged separately
Full contracting terms available on request
About Professor John Vinney
Professor John Vinney is an accredited executive coach with the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC), known for its commitment to professional excellence and ethical standards.
As Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University for over 14 years, he led strategic and cultural transformation grounded in kindness, inquiry, and systemic thinking. Through Eton Executive Coaching Ltd, John now supports leaders across UK higher education in developing reflective resilience, relational authority, and purpose-led leadership.
His unique combination of lived sector experience and coaching depth allows him to meet senior leaders with clarity, empathy, and rigour—supporting not just what they do, but how they lead.