Our story

We're building an independent place to compare executive coaching, leadership development and board support in the UK, so that these choices rest on evidence rather than guesswork.

CompareHQ was founded by Paige Thomson and Kathryn Smith, who saw the same problem in the professional development market from opposite sides of the table.

For over a decade, Paige has worked inside the coaching, leadership development, and career transition industry, watching talented professionals and organisations invest significant time and money into programmes that didn't deliver, because there was no practical way to compare providers objectively.

Kathryn saw it from the buyer's side. As a practising Non-Executive Director and senior business leader, she was regularly responsible for sourcing coaching and leadership development, relying on Google searches, referrals, and recommendations that were credible, but rarely led to the provider best suited to the job. The process was slow, inconsistent, and short on the transparency that makes a decision easy.

Together, they built CompareHQ: an independent platform where buyers compare providers on published pricing, checked accreditations and independent reviews rather than marketing claims.

Founders

Paige Thomson

Co-Founder

Over a decade working inside coaching, leadership development and career transition, seeing first-hand how hard it was for buyers to compare providers objectively. Paige works at Starbuck & Associates and is a board member of Age UK Tameside.

Kathryn Smith

Co-Founder

Head of Football Development at Manchester FA, Non-Executive Director at Oldham Active and board member of Rotherham United Community Trust. Kathryn has spent years sourcing coaching and leadership development from the buyer's side, and also plays for Leeds United Women.

Our core beliefs

Buyers deserve transparency

You should be able to understand pricing, accreditations, experience, and reputation before entering a sales process.

The best providers should win

High-quality providers should succeed because they deliver outstanding outcomes, not because they have the biggest marketing budget.

Buying professional development should be simpler

You shouldn't need weeks of research or a dozen introductory calls to understand what's available.

Independent comparison creates a healthier marketplace

Consistent, factual information raises standards across the industry and rewards providers who deliver real value.

Trust is earned

Trust comes from consistent, evidenced information rather than advertising.

Browse verified providers

Compare providers across executive coaching, leadership development, coach training and NED services.

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