About Cathy Belford
Leadership coaching grounded in two decades of executive experience in fast-growing technology companies.
My work sits at the intersection of leadership, people and business performance.
Alongside my coaching practice, I bring over two decades of experience working at executive level in fast-growing technology companies - partnering closely with CEOs, founders and Boards through growth, transition and complexity.
This experience shapes how I coach. I understand the weight of leadership, the pressure of decision-making, and the realities of leading when there are no simple answers.
Professional background
I've spent the past twenty years leading People & Culture in global technology scale-ups across the UK, US and Europe - including parcelLab (backed by Insight Partners) and UserZoom (acquired by Thoma Bravo).
My work has involved shaping executive teams, strengthening leadership alignment, preparing organisations for acquisition, and building people strategies that support clarity, performance and scale.
I've worked at the centre of high-stakes decision-making - supporting leaders through rapid growth, investor scrutiny, organisational change and moments where leadership judgement matters most.
This background keeps my coaching grounded, pragmatic and closely aligned with the realities CEOs face.
My perspective
I believe strong leadership is built on clarity, honest reflection and intentional decision-making.
The leaders I work with value direct, thoughtful conversation - not advice-giving, not theory and not performance. My role is to create the conditions where good thinking can happen, and where leaders can trust the decisions they're making.
I bring calm, focus and challenge when it's needed - always in service of your clarity and progress.
Beyond the job title
I currently live near Exeter, splitting my time between there and London, with my husband and our three teenage boys. Life is busy and grounded - family time, work, rugby with the boys, and time outdoors on Dartmoor or by the sea when it allows.
I’ve always been curious about how people think, grow and make sense of the world around them. An interest in behavioural psychology - and in how awareness shapes judgement and decision-making - has influenced the way I approach leadership, relationships and conversation more broadly.
Travel and time away from routine matter to me a lot. They offer perspective and reinforces why clarity at work creates space for the rest of life.
Your next steps
If you'd like to explore working together, you'll find more detail on how I work - or you can start with a simple conversation.