The Architect of Professional Transformation.
From Sandhurst to Professional Coaching: A Lifetime of Service and Leadership.
My career began at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, with the Sandhurst motto Serve to Lead. Many years later, this motto still guides me.
My twenty-six years as a Royal Engineer led me into new avenues beyond the purely military; via a Masters degree, I was employed in business management roles in the Ministry of Defence and strategic management roles in Army Headquarters. This involved managing complex teams on multiple sites with large budgets and supporting Army-level decision-making. I taught myself programme management techniques on the job and was impressed by their effectiveness in delivering change and, more importantly, in ensuring that the intended benefits of a programme are realised. I joined the Association for Project Management to develop these skills.
Working with civil servants and contractors presented different leadership challenges, which I found fascinating. I pursued my interest in people and became a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
After a period of poor health, I lost my mojo and eventually realised that my career was over. This was a real wrench as serving in the Army was all I had ever wanted to do. For the first time in my life, I found myself without a sense of identity and without a vocation: I had no idea who I was or what I wanted to do. The career transition support provided by the military was useful but did not address the underlying issues. My quest to figure this out became a 3.5 year journey of self discovery and healing.
This personal experience revealed a gap in the professional world: high achievers with successful careers can find themselves facing a loss of purpose that technical competence alone cannot fix. Without the deep inner work to discover who they truly are and what their purpose is, they can find themselves stuck in a rut, with no understanding of how to move forward in their life and career. This can have severe consequences such as unemployment, poor health and strained relationships. I did the hard inner work and learned that, with commitment and courage, and the right support, we can all find our way again. Following my true path has improved my health and wellbeing and brought me a fulfilling second career as a professional coach and mentor, as a leader of coaching communities, and as a thought leader within the coaching profession.
Transition Transformation
This experience led me to found Transition Transformers™ for people who want to overcome the challenges holding them back, pursue the business or career that ignites their passions and purpose and lead flourishing lives. This requires more than just a new CV or training in interview techniques. It requires you to go on a challenging journey of self discovery to figure out who you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there.
It’s not for the faint hearted: it requires real commitment and courage, however you are not alone. I will be your guide and support to help you navigate the journey to be the person you want to be, and to have the career, business or life you want.
If you are ready for the challenge, contact me for a free, no-obligation discovery call.
Every coach has a story of their own growth. In this sit-down with Robert Stephenson, Head of Training at Animas Coaching, Ross explores his professional path—beginning as a dedicated business mentor and evolving into a holistic coach for business, leadership, career, wellbeing and cancer.
Watch to learn how Ross uses his coaching skills as a grounded, strategic foundation to support his clients’ personal and professional transformation.
The Evolution of Excellence: Ross’s Journey
Shaping the Global Coaching Profession
As a dedicated contributor to the coaching profession, I have had the privilege of shaping global standards. My recent contributions with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) include:
Co-creating the competency framework for mentor-coaching (2024)
Co-creating the Official ICF Coaching Body of Competencies and Knowledge (2025)