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Maria Cole

Facilitator.Leadership coach.Moderator.

I help leaders and teams think better together, have the conversations that actually matter and find a way forward.

Let's talk
Portrait of Maria Cole in daylight

What I do

Three ways of working together. The same starting point: better thinking, together.

01 — 03

Facilitation

“I facilitate when the conversation is too important to leave to chance.”

Good facilitation isn't about running exercises or filling an agenda. It's about creating the conditions for a group to do better thinking together.

I work with leadership teams, teams and organisations on strategy, leadership, collaboration, change and complex questions. I design both the process and the room itself — from a single leadership meeting or offsite to longer leadership programmes and organisational initiatives.

Facilitating a group in a bright room

02 — 03

Leadership & team coaching

“Sometimes you don't need more models. You need better questions.”

I coach leadership teams, intact teams and individual leaders. The focus is clarity, reflection, responsibility, team dynamics and the patterns that shape how you actually work.

It's practical and grounded. We start where you are, look honestly at what's happening, and move from insight to doing something differently.

  • Leadership teams

    How you think, decide and hold each other accountable.

  • Intact teams

    Collaboration, trust and the things left unsaid.

  • Individual leaders

    A room to think clearly — and then act on it.

Two people in a coaching conversation at a table
Moderator with a microphone in conversation on stage

03 — 03

Moderator & MC

“A good conversation on stage works much like a good conversation in a team. Someone needs to really listen, ask the next question and help the audience understand why it matters.”

I moderate conversations, panels, conferences and events. Curiosity, presence and preparation are what make complex subjects accessible — and keep an audience genuinely in the conversation.

Talk to me about an assignment

Experience

15+ years of learning, leadership and change.

For more than fifteen years I have designed and facilitated learning, leadership and transformation across different organisations and cultures. Over the years I have worked with leaders and teams in and together with organisations such as:

  • Spotify
  • IKEA
  • Södra
  • TUI
  • Systembolaget
  • Strawberry
  • Penguin Random House
  • Hyper Island
  • Novare Leadership

A few examples

  • Södra

    Leadership and strategy development at scale.

  • Spotify

    Leadership development.

  • TUI / IKEA

    Facilitation and leadership development in international organisations.

About me

I believe more in good questions than in finished answers.

I have worked with learning, leadership, coaching and change for over fifteen years — across different organisations, industries and cultures.

I don't believe leadership development happens because someone presents another model. Learning happens when people can connect ideas to their own reality, reflect honestly, experiment and change what they actually do.

About me

Working with me

  • Clarity over complexity

    If we can't say it simply, we're not done.

  • Questions before answers

    I'm more curious about your thinking than my conclusions.

  • Application over theory

    It counts when something is done differently on Monday.

  • Real conversations over polished ones

    The uncomfortable part is usually the important one.

Contact

Shall we explore something together?

If you're considering a leadership programme, need help with an important conversation, are looking for a coach, or need someone to hold a room or a stage — get in touch.

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