The problem was never the work
You’ve done the work. The research, the bids, the change programmes, the years of proving yourself in rooms that weren’t designed for you. The problem was never your capability. It was that nobody helped you make it count.
That’s what I do. I’m Sally Purdie – I help organisations land complex work that’s too important to be ignored, and I coach STEM professionals who are tired of being told the problem is their confidence. I write funding bids that win. I deliver change programmes that stick. And I fix the systemic problems that push good people out of the careers they’ve earned.
Who I work with
STEM Professionals
Mid-career engineers and scientists facing career transitions and the structural barriers that don’t show up on a job description. I help you make strategic moves that help you stand out.
Leaders & Managers
Managers are closest to the retention problem. I coach you to recognise what’s pushing your best people out – and how to do something about it.
Organisations
Universities, research institutions, and engineering organisations with complex work that must win funding, pass review, or change minds e.g. REF impact case studies, funding bids, change programmes, and strategic communications.
What sets me apart
I’m a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), with twenty-plus years in materials science, advanced manufacturing, and innovation management. I’ve made diamonds, built jet engines, and tried to recreate the sun
I’m also a Henley Business School-trained coach, an NLP practitioner, and a writer who won the United Agents’ prize for Most Promising Writer. I understand your world because I’ve worked in it – and I can help you communicate it, change it, or change your own story.
Together, we’ll find a better solution to the problem than the one you’re stuck with.
Latest insights
I’m Sally Purdie, and I’m a coach
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