About | James Mountford Coaching and Advisory

My expertise

I am a coach and advisor with three decades’ experience at the intersection of healthcare, consulting, leadership and education. This has taken me from medicine to McKinsey, working "ward-to-board" and across sectors. This experience helps me cut through the noise and work with you to find next steps that feel both honest and doable, and which matter.

Working with me

Coaching with me is structured but never rigid: my approach is tailored to your particular needs and preferences. We invest time up front to create a picture of your goals and what’s holding you back, grounded in who you are as a person. This builds understanding and lets us rapidly focus on what really matters. We typically meet in person or online every few weeks, but I’m accessible between sessions for check-ins when life throws you a curveball. Along the way, I’ll invite you to examine assumptions and find ways of working that feel authentic and sustainable.

A relationship of trust is central to all of this. I offer clarity and calm when the sea around you feels stormy: together, we’ll plot your best course ahead.

Why I coach

What keeps me doing this work is a long-standing fascination with how people can excel, professionally and in their personal lives. But so often we don’t allow ourselves to realise our potential or have a shot at our dreams. I’ve come to understand that my real interest isn’t just in creating better organisations and systems, but in the flourishing of the people within them – and helping them to build lives they can look back on with delight.

My work gives me a front‑row seat in that process. I get to help people see themselves more clearly and support them as they move towards something that feels more true to who they are.

What is coaching?

Coaching with me is a structured conversation where you can think aloud, test ideas and look at familiar problems from new angles. It’s focused on your goals and growth, not on “fixing” you.

How does it work?

We meet regularly over a period of months, giving us time to build trust and understand what’s going on with you and what you're really looking for. We explore what’s working and what isn’t, and co‑design new approaches that you can test between sessions, with me alongside you as a thinking partner. It's energising, fun and challenging – often unearthing deep insights in difficult places.

Benefits

My goal is to guide you to ways of thinking and working that better suit you, and give you the confidence to make choices you can stand behind. You’ll gain a more honest view of your own habits and situation, and clarity about what really matters to you and who you can become.

Is it for you?

I'm a good fit for people who are curious about themselves and open to reflection, even if they feel stuck or tired. If you're committed to having honest conversations over time, we can achieve long-lasting positive results.

Man in glasses and a dark suit speaking on stage with a microphone headset at a Harkness Fellowship event.

My approach

A top priority of mine is to create a space that feels warm and safe, yet stretching. I listen carefully, challenge your thinking kindly, and stay alongside you as you deconstruct ineffective patterns of thinking and behaving, to rebuild stronger habits and capture new possibilities.  

We’ll spend time getting really clear on what’s brought you here and what you want to get out of our sessions together. From there, we work collaboratively to test assumptions and reflect, while trying out small experiments between sessions. 

Everyone is different, and has different circumstances. I don’t follow a rigid, set formula – there isn’t a one-size-fits-all coaching process. Instead, I stay flexible and responsive, meeting you where you are and collaborating to achieve lasting benefits.

A bit more about me

My expertise

Working with me

Why I coach

My approach

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