Apex Leadership Group was founded in 2009 by Dr. Eleanor Whitfield, a former chief people officer who had spent two decades inside FTSE 250 organisations witnessing first-hand the gap between leadership aspiration and leadership reality. She saw brilliant strategies falter because the leaders tasked with executing them lacked the self-awareness, relational skills or systemic thinking required to bring others along.
Determined to bridge that gap, Eleanor assembled a small team of experienced practitioners — each with deep expertise in executive coaching, organisational psychology and strategic planning. From a modest office in Edinburgh, they began working with a handful of clients who shared their conviction that leadership development should be rigorous, evidence-based and deeply personal.
Over the years, the practice has grown to serve clients across the United Kingdom and beyond, spanning sectors from financial services and healthcare to technology and the public sector. What has not changed is our founding commitment: to treat every client relationship as a partnership grounded in trust, candour and a relentless focus on impact.
Our mission is to develop leaders who create organisations where people thrive and performance flourishes. We pursue this mission through five core values that guide every interaction, every recommendation and every relationship.
We tell the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. Our clients trust us because we prioritise their long-term interests over short-term approval.
Every intervention is grounded in research and validated through measurement. We combine academic rigour with practical wisdom to deliver results that endure.
We work with our clients, not on them. True transformation requires shared ownership, mutual accountability and genuine collaboration.
Leadership growth requires stepping into discomfort. We model the courage we ask of our clients by challenging assumptions and raising difficult questions.
We are obsessed with outcomes. Beautiful frameworks mean nothing unless they translate into measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness and organisational performance.
Our consultants bring a rare combination of senior leadership experience, academic credentials and coaching expertise. Each member of the team has held significant leadership roles before transitioning to consulting, which means they understand the pressures, politics and possibilities of organisational life from the inside.
Founder and principal consultant
Eleanor holds a doctorate in organisational psychology from the University of Edinburgh and has over twenty-five years of experience in leadership development. Before founding Apex, she served as chief people officer at two FTSE 250 companies. She is a certified executive coach with the International Coaching Federation and a visiting fellow at Strathclyde Business School.
Senior consultant
Marcus spent fifteen years in the financial services sector, culminating in a role as head of strategy at a major investment bank. He specialises in helping leadership teams navigate complex transformations, mergers and cultural integration. Marcus holds an MBA from London Business School and is trained in systemic team coaching.
Consultant and researcher
Sarah brings a unique blend of academic rigour and practical insight. She completed her PhD in adult developmental psychology at the University of Glasgow and has published extensively on the topic of vertical leadership development. Sarah designs our assessment tools and leads our research partnerships with leading universities.