We were thrilled to welcome participants to the sold-out event, “Leading Change: Inside Maersk’s Coaching Initiative,” marking the beginning of International Coaching Week. The event saw a remarkable turnout with 72 participants from various ICF chapters globally, demonstrating the strong interest and commitment towards fostering coaching cultures within organizations. We were honored to have Robert Garcia from ICF in Organizations, join us.
Our distinguished speakers included Rosa Ruiz de la Torre, Maersk Global Coaching Solutions Owner, and Sandra Oliver, Leadership Development Faculty Lead at A.P. Moller – Maersk. They presented their comprehensive vision for fostering a robust coaching culture within Maersk, characterized by inspiring, engaging, and empathetic leaders, as well as thriving colleagues. Rosa and Sandra detailed Maersk’s coaching strategies and the various pilot programs they have initiated to support these strategies. These initiatives include:
Internal Coaching Roster for Women in Leadership: A pilot program with 40 senior managers and directors globally, focusing on agile and design thinking approaches.
Coaching Skills for Leaders: Aimed at developing leaders’ potential through coaching skills, making them change catalysts within the organization.
External Coaching Platform: This newly set up platform and brokerage have been tested with 12 senior managers and directors, enhancing the external coaching support available within the company.
They shared insightful metrics and qualitative data that highlighted the success and effectiveness of these initiatives. For instance, the pilot program for Women in Leadership received a rating of 9.2 (on a scale of 1 to 10) for how much coaching helped participants achieve their objectives, and a perfect 10 for the coaches’ ability to create a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Rosa and Sandra also outlined their future plans, including the global launch of Coaching Skills for Leaders, the introduction of a new pilot coaching platform for executives, and the continued growth and maturation of their Internal Coaching Roster and Community of Practice.
The engagement from participants was outstanding, with numerous insightful questions directed towards the presenters, facilitated by Krister Ekström, President of ICF Denmark, and Dora Hegedus, MCC, President-Elect of ICF Denmark, fostering a lively and informative discussion.
We are privileged to witness and be part of the unfolding coaching story at A.P. Moller – Maersk. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by Maersk in integrating a coaching culture within their organization serve as an inspiration to many. This event not only highlights the successful initiatives of Maersk but also underscores the importance of coaching in achieving organizational excellence and leadership development.