LOUISE
MOWBRAY
If we believe the future is all about advancements in technology and the sciences, we're missing the bigger picture. The future is all about people.
It's time for change
"It's time to think more holistically about people, our world of work and the future of leadership. Since founding Mowbray by Design in London in 2005, our social, political, economic and environmental conditions have changed enormously. And so too have we.
Today, we are experiencing a common, deepening desire to be more actively connected to the things we care deeply about across all aspects of our lives. However, many of our institutionalised systems, models, frameworks, thinking and approaches are lagging behind and creating a disconnect between what we desire and the organisations we serve.
We are experiencing a collective shift and the much-needed emergence of more conscious, purposeful, innovative, agile leadership at all levels. This is the work I care deeply about."
Louise's background and approach
Louise is a Future-Focused Conscious Leadership Coach, Thought-Partner, Advisor, Facilitator and Speaker. She works with executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, c-suite and board members across a number of sectors, cultures and countries.
As a professional speaker she is regularly invited to deliver keynotes, lectures and workshops for a variety of organisations and business schools. She is Associate Faculty for Duke Corporate Education and the Center of Creative Leadership (CCL).
Louise is a member and regular contributor to the Grey Swan Guild, the global Think Tank and also is an Executive Principal for Cygnus Sprints - the guild's venture arm.
She is the Host of the Lead Into the Future Today (LIFT) Podcast, LIFT Conversations on Camera and Time to Pivot open sessions.
You can subscribe to #LIFT, her regular newsletter on LinkedIn, read her articles on Substack and connect with her on social:
Louise was born in Cape Town and moved to London in her early twenties where she worked in the investment banking and technology sectors. She then joined a retained Executive Search Consultancy, delivering pan-EU assignments at C-Suite, Partner and Director levels.
In 1999 Louise founded Venture Partnership Ltd, the executive search and organisational development company focused on the VC and corporate venture space. Her next adventure took her to the Middle East where she set up the operations and was MD MENA for a British company in the luxury lifestyle sector.
Louise returned to London in 2005 where she set up Mowbray by Design. Today she is based between the UK and South Africa and works with clients in a number of countries around the world.
Louise's experience in Executive Search Louise provided the catalyst for her to found Mowbray by Design in 2005, with the sole purpose of helping leaders, teams and organisations to evolve and grow.
After studying Conscious Leadership Coaching in 2011 (ICF), her passion for conscious business was ignited. Because it has been proven to be more sustainable, it's incredibly rewarding and it's what today's increasingly transparent, connected world of work demands.
Louise continues to gravitate towards conscious leadership, team and culture development (how we do what we do), innovative, emergent thinking and the vast business and societal potential in using business as a force for good.
Louise is an International Coach Federation (ICF) & Conscious Leadership® (ICF/ACTP) Coach with over fifteen years formal experience coaching and mentoring diverse leaders, executives, entrepreneurs and their teams across the sectors and in many countries.
Louise is a professional member of the PSA & GSA. She has extensive and varied experience delivering keynotes, workshops and facilitation to audiences of up to 3,000 in a number of cities and counties. And yes, the 3,000 were daunting!
Louise is associate faculty for both the Center of Creative Leadership and Duke Corporate Education and has been a visiting lecturer for a number of business schools over the years including Chicago Booth, Durham, Cass, Henley, GIBS, UCT and Wits.
Louise is a Lumina Learning Practitioner and uses their innovative suite of integrated digital psychometric and assessment products, modalities and tools (Big5/Jung) wherever suitable for Leadership, EQ, Teams, DEI, Agile Thinking, Innovation and Resilience engagements.
Traditional strategy isn't enough for today's world of work. Louise works with Natural Foresight® tools (The Futures School/Kedge) to support leaders and teams to expand their perspective, connect the dots and make sense of complexity and the intensity and pace of change.
Louise is regularly asked to deliver keynotes and to consult on the topics of women in leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion. She is also a member and supporter of a number of global initiatives.
Louise was an early pioneer in the ‘people brand’ space and developed a winning methodology, which she delivers to leaders, executives, teams, business schools and in an online video based course on Udemy.
Louise uses the insights and powerful development tools from the dynamic worlds of conscious leadership, strategic foresight, systems thinking, sensemaking, behavioural science and neuroscience to inform and enrich all engagements.
As a former retained executive search consultant, Louise has unique insights, expertise and experience to assist you in successfully building your career and in navigating all manner of career challenges, change and transitions.
Louise founded Venture Partnership in London in 1999 to work with VC’s, incubators and corporate ventures at the rise of the new economy/dot.com. She continues to work closely with entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and their teams.
Louise has lived and worked in the UK, the UAE and SA and has experience working across Europe, MENA, North America and in a number of other countries.
Having worked for listed companies for the first half of her career and serving many today, Louise intimately understands the complexity of both internal and external challenges in today’s world of work.

I engaged with Louise in order to enhance our sense of working together in the Hempel Africa Management Team. Her work yielded great results for us. Louise helped us with various workshops providing a sense of direction for the team. This was followed by individual coaching sessions that gave a fantastic "rounding" for all involved. I can highly recommend Louise to aid you and your firm forward.
Michael Steen Lunde
Managing Director & INVESTOR