Antonia Watson - Executive Career Coach for Women in STEM | Former Tech Executive helping professionals move forward with clarity, confidence and purpose

Bio

I am an executive career coach supporting professionals, particularly women in STEM, to move their careers forward with clarity, confidence and purpose.

Before becoming a coach, I spent over 20 years in global consulting and technology, progressing from consultant to executive leadership roles at Accenture and Avanade. My roles included UK Chief Operating Officer and Global Head of People Strategy at Avanade, where I managed complex business operations and led workforce planning and development programmes for a 40,000-person organisation. Alongside delivering business results, I invested heavily in mentoring and supporting women through promotions, transitions and returns.

I recently founded AW Coaching & Consulting to focus full time on helping others through the pivotal moments in their careers. My approach blends the strategic thinking and practical know-how of my corporate background with professional coaching expertise and personal experience balancing career and family life as a mother of three.

I work with clients on career strategy, leadership development, confidence and visibility, managing transitions and returns, and navigating organisational change. I have developed a Career Forward Programme to guide clients through understanding their journey, clarifying goals, building strategy and finding a sustainable way forward.

Having experienced my own career pivots, including three maternity leaves and two career breaks, I know how important skilled coaching support can be. Clients describe me as calm, professional and approachable, creating a safe space where they can think openly while still being challenged with incisive and thought-provoking questions. They value the balance I bring of empathy and structure, and leave our sessions feeling supported, confident and ready to take clear, practical steps forward.

Experience

I have spent more than two decades working in global consulting and technology, with a career spanning client delivery, business operations, account leadership and people strategy. I began as a consultant with Unisys before moving to Accenture, where I became a senior manager responsible for selling and delivering large-scale technology transformation programmes across industries including financial services, telecoms, resources and pharmaceuticals.

In 2011 I joined Avanade, an Accenture/Microsoft joint venture, where I held a series of senior leadership positions. As UK Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2018, I was accountable for business operations, financial performance and delivery of the business strategy. I consistently exceeded operating income targets while leading client teams, improving employee engagement and overseeing the integration of a major acquisition. I was recognised for introducing flexible working at executive level and for championing diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on female representation.

From 2018 to 2021 I served as Avanade’s Global Head of People Strategy and Programmes. Reporting to the CHRO, I led strategic workforce planning and global people programmes for more than 40,000 professionals. I designed and implemented frameworks that improved skills proficiency across consulting teams worldwide, while managing complex stakeholder landscapes and diverse cultural contexts.

Throughout these roles I continually coached and mentored colleagues, particularly women navigating promotions, leadership transitions and parental leave reintegration.

After leaving the corporate world I trained as an executive coach and founded my coaching practice, AW Coaching & Consulting, to focus full time on helping professionals, especially women in STEM, navigate change and move their careers forward with clarity, confidence and purpose. My coaching draws on both professional experience and my personal journey of balancing career and family life as a mother of three, including career breaks and flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching, Henley Business School – Accredited programme combining leadership insight with practical coaching expertise.

Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation (ICF) – Global accreditation demonstrating commitment to high professional and ethical standards.

Senior Practitioner, European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) – Recognition of advanced coaching capability and proven client impact.

MSc with Distinction, University of Reading – Strong analytical and research foundation.

BA (Hons) Mathematics, University of Oxford – Academic background developing structured thinking and problem-solving