Client Case Study: Paddy Rehill

CTO of Perci Health, and a critical member of the Leadership Team, Paddy’s role was changing and his team needed to grow - requiring Paddy to redefine his role and radically change how he was showing up.

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Coaching Contract: Part of Perci Health's Organisational Coaching contract, Paddy Rehill has been working with Jennifer over a year in fortnightly, alternating 90-minute and 45-minute coaching sessions for the first six months, and then monthly 90 minute sessions, all online.

When did you start working with Jennifer and what stage were you at then?

It was one of the most challenging periods in my career - one of the lowest points of my life. I was really struggling. I could feel and articulate the symptoms of what I was going through at the time, but I didn't really understand why I was struggling and how to work through it.

I'd had a very high trajectory in my career - excelled way beyond what I ever could have dreamt of. But the capabilities that I'd learned to rely on to help me progress were now the very same things that were holding me back. That being the transition from being an individual contributor to being more strategic, learning to step back, enable the team rather than trying to resolve everything myself. Many of the coping mechanisms and strategies that I had unconsciously developed to help me succeed before were now making things worse.

What made you decide to get a coach at that point?

I didn't know coaching would be a good solution. Kelly [CEO] suggested it, and at that point I was open to any help I could get. Testament to Kelly - she wasn't getting what she needed from me, and she decided to put her arms around me rather than boot me.

I didn't have any expectations going in, and I didn't feel cynical. A lot of my peers are quite skeptical of things like coaching, but I couldn't be a greater advocate for coaching now.

What's it like working with Jennifer? How would you describe her coaching?

Jennifer spends a lot of time understanding and listening, and allows me the space to really explore what I’m experiencing, and that space is massively underrated. 

As business leaders and executives, your mind never turns off - you're always thinking. You have the capability to stretch your mind in so many different ways, but your brain doesn't go there on its own.

Jennifer created a space to allow my brain to acknowledge the lay of the land. I wear my heart on my sleeve - I really experience everything. Jennifer identified that, and chose specific techniques to explore my experiences. For example, we visualised certain feelings and ideas; these images became a space through which I could explore those feelings, whilst not letting things overwhelm me.

Jennifer is kind, perceptive, profound. She's a very clever lady. You can tell she's got all these strategies and techniques. She's really good at picking the right one to work through different situations. She seems to be some kind of font of knowledge.

What difference has that work made for you?

I have overcome a crippling anxiety about being able to hire and communicate with my team.  Now I've scaled to a team of 13 - hired them all myself. Built a platform, raised £3 million, spent most of that on technology. I've done talks this year in America on how CTOs can help contribute to healthcare businesses. I feel super aligned with the leadership team - we're really close. I've had feedback on more than one occasion that both founders are really impressed with the transformation they've seen and know I'm definitely the right person to lead business technology.

What growth or changes have you noticed in yourself over time?

I'm definitely not doing the same role even though I have the same title. I don't recognize the person I was before. I've gone from someone who couldn't communicate with my team to someone who's built and scaled a team, who's doing thought leadership talks, who's super aligned with the leadership team.

Who would you recommend Jennifer to, and why?

Jennifer's work is valuable for executive team members and of course founders. I’d recommend her to anyone going through a difficult transition in their leadership role.