TEAM PROFILE
Rachel Kay
Associate Coach & Consultant
"I think it’s truly remarkable to see just what you can do in an extremely challenging situation, if you embrace it."
Early Leadership
Born and raised in Cheshire, Rachel became one of the youngest Principals in the Further Education sector when she was appointed CEO and Principal of Macclesfield College in 2015. Taking on the role during a period of significant challenge, she led a rapid, values-led turnaround - achieving an Ofsted Good judgement within 18 months and transforming the college into a multi-award-winning organisation with a strong academic, financial, and community reputation.
Achievements
Under Rachel's leadership, Macclesfield College became the number one college in Cheshire and Warrington and received multiple regional and national awards. A defining strength of her leadership is her ability to build high-performing teams - placing the right people in the right roles and creating cultures where ambition, accountability, and care coexist.
Career Breadth
Rachel's career spans senior leadership roles across sport, leisure, hospitality, and education, giving her a rare blend of commercial acumen and people-centred leadership. A Fellow of both the CIPD and CIM, with postgraduate qualifications in Strategic Leadership, she is widely recognised for her expertise in organisational growth, income diversification, and transformation.
Entrepreneurial Work
Alongside her work in FE, Rachel founded Maxim Business Training and later Cheshire Business School - a leadership movement designed to open up access to world-class thinking, short, impactful learning, and meaningful leadership conversations for SMEs. Her work reflects a deep commitment to collaboration, regional impact, and raising leadership standards.
What Rachel Offers
Through Authentic Leadership Coach, Rachel offers leadership coaching for senior, middle, and aspiring leaders; strategic mentoring for executives navigating growth, change, and complexity; organisational consultancy focused on culture, performance, and people strategy; high-impact keynote sessions grounded in lived leadership experience; and advisory support on income diversification, partnerships, and organisational sustainability.
Impact
Leaders who work with Rachel consistently describe her as both challenging and deeply supportive — helping them grow in confidence, clarity, and courage, while building organisations that are commercially strong, values-led, and human at their core.
What They Offer
- Leadership coaching for senior, middle, and aspiring leaders
- Strategic mentoring for executives navigating growth, change, and complexity
- Organisational consultancy focused on culture, performance, and people strategy
- High-impact keynote sessions grounded in lived leadership experience
- Advisory support on income diversification, partnerships, and organisational sustainability