GSI Global Coaching Partners and Tidal Consulting, working in partnership, have been delivering executive coaching to leaders across YUM Brands since 2018. The service provides personalised, values-based coaching that supports leaders through transitions, builds strategic capability, and embeds resilient, intentional leadership at scale.
Scale of Delivery in 2025
629 total coaching hours delivered in 2025 alone
89 individual coaching contracts concluded in 2025
107 new coaching contracts won in 2025 (up from 72 in 2024)
56 coaching extension requests in 2025 (leaders voluntarily continuing beyond their initial contract)
Leaders across KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and corporate functions globally
The Context
The organisation is operating in a high-change, high-pressure environment. Leaders are navigating:
Relentless pace of change — "The wave keeps on coming" with sustained pressure for delivering results while maintaining cultural standards
Complexity across markets and brands — Different brands experiencing change differently, requiring targeted rather than one-size-fits-all support
Leadership being tested in real time — Pressure exposing the gap between values and behaviour, creating the need for resilience and values-led decision-making
Growing demand for development support — Coaching has shifted from optional to essential: "People are wanting the space so much. Coaching is a place to land."
In this environment, coaching plays a critical stabilising and enabling role—accelerating capability while sustaining performance and wellbeing.
The Impact
Participant Experience and Satisfaction
Feedback gathered from 64 participants across Q3 2025 and Q1 2026 reveals consistently high satisfaction:
Nearly two-thirds (65%) report their coaching experience is exceeding expectations — up from 52% in Q3 2025
100% of participants report expectations are met or exceeded with regard to coach impact and value
Zero participants report disappointment with their coaching experience or their coach
Maturity Shift: From Foundational to Embedded Leadership
The coaching focus has evolved significantly as participants progress through their journeys, reflecting a clear maturity shift:
| Q3 2025 · Foundation | Q1 2026 · Maturity |
|---|---|
| Leadership Development (Building confidence, leadership style, and presence) | Empowering Leadership (Enabling others, listening deeply, scaling through people) |
| Behavioural Awareness (Managing "below-the-line" behaviour and emotional regulation) | Identity Transformation (Overcoming inner critic, authentic leadership, confidence through change) |
| Communication Skills (Adapting style, managing difficult conversations) | Strategic Influence (Stakeholder effectiveness, collaborative influence, navigating complexity) |
| Transition Support (Role changes, early career direction) | Executive Readiness (Director progression, career ownership, long-term development) |
What Participants Value Most
Five consistent themes emerged from participant feedback:
Safe space and deep listening — The coaching relationship is consistently described as safe, human, and deeply attentive. Coaches create environments where leaders feel heard and can be vulnerable.
Practical, actionable impact — Coaching is not theoretical. It translates directly into behaviour change and day-to-day leadership effectiveness.
Challenge and stretch — Coaches balance support with challenge, pushing leaders to think deeper, go beyond comfort zones, and grow.
Holistic impact — Coaching extends beyond work into identity, wellbeing, and life context, making leaders more effective across all facets of their lives.
Tangible shift in leadership effectiveness — Leaders report visible changes in how they approach situations, with stakeholders feeling the difference too.
In Their Own Words
On Coaching Impact:
“The core focus has been shifting my leadership from being directive and solution-led to being more intentional, empowering, and enabling. At a deeper level, the coaching helped me transition from driving outcomes through control to driving outcomes through clarity, alignment, and team ownership.”
“I'm deeply grateful for the pushes and the perspective. You challenged me to put myself forward not just to build systems, but to claim my leadership. You helped me see that advocating for myself is not self-serving; it's necessary for impact.”
“This process helped me think bigger about my career and trust myself more. The space to reflect, challenge my assumptions, and articulate what I actually want was invaluable. It pushed me to move from 'Can I?' to 'Why not me?'”
On Coach Quality:
“My coach is one of those unique individuals that are able to listen and identify what was actually said between the lines. S/he never lets me stay at the surface level—they consistently push for the deeper work, gently but firmly intruding and pushing in the right areas.”
“Extremely human, relatable and empathetic but also has a clear line of rational and logical balance. Their thoughtful questions and practical tools have had a lasting impact on how I show up as a leader.”
“The quality of the coach is critical to the success of the program. Having a coach who can operate credibly at a senior leadership level makes a meaningful difference in impact and outcomes.”
On Overall Value:
“For me, this was the best program I have done in a long time. It gave me the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day and reflect on where I am at work and at home. That kind of space is rare. The coaching gave me time to process the challenges and opportunities I uncovered. It helped me unlock new perspectives and provided practical exercises I can use in specific situations.”
“Thank you! I can't believe you all do this—it's the most amazing experience. It has changed the way I see myself in role, and how I see others. I know I am a better leader, mother, partner, friend, coach, and employee because of this.”
“I'm operating differently because of this work: more aware, more intentional, and more willing to step forward.”
What Made It Work
1. Rigorous Coach Selection and Quality — All coaches meet stringent criteria: 10+ years' executive coaching experience, internationally recognised training, 2,000+ coaching hours, membership in professional bodies (ICF, EMCC, COMENSA), virtual and global experience. Each coach completes a probationary phase to assess capability, reliability, and impact before full inclusion in the coaching pool.
2. Values-Based Coaching Integrated with Tools — Coaching integrates assessment tools like Heartstyles and 360 feedback. This provides data-driven insights while maintaining the relational depth that drives transformation. Participants consistently value how coaches help them turn assessment results into actionable, long-term growth plans.
3. Personalised, Context-Specific Support — Coaches tailor their approach to individual needs, brand contexts, and tenure levels. This ensures coaching remains relevant whether supporting a new hire navigating organisational culture, a mid-level leader preparing for director readiness, or a senior executive managing complex stakeholder dynamics during high-pressure change.
4. Trust-Based Relationships That Balance Support and Challenge — Participants describe coaching relationships built on empathy, authenticity, and safety—while also being consistently challenged to go deeper, think bigger, and operate beyond comfort zones. This combination of compassionate support and constructive stretch is what drives lasting development.
5. Sustained Engagement and Voluntary Extensions — The data tells the story: 56 coaching extension requests in 2025, with leaders voluntarily continuing their coaching journeys beyond initial contracts. This is not compliance—it is leaders experiencing genuine value and choosing to invest further in their development.
Strategic Outcomes
The coaching programme is delivering measurable impact at three levels:
Individual Leadership Capability — Leaders are shifting from directive to empowering, from behaviour management to identity transformation, from technical competence to strategic influence. They report visible changes in how they show up, how stakeholders experience them, and how effectively they navigate complexity.
Organisational Resilience — In a high-pressure environment, coaching provides critical stabilisation. It builds resilience, supports leaders through sustained change, and creates "a place to land" when the system is demanding. This prevents burnout and sustains performance over time.
Cultural Alignment Under Pressure — Coaching helps leaders navigate the tension between performance demands and cultural values. By embedding values-led leadership even under pressure, the programme supports the organisation's aspiration to align "at all costs" execution with Heartstyles principles—not as competing forces, but as integrated expectations.
Closing reflection
This partnership demonstrates what executive coaching can achieve when it is rigorous in design, personalised in delivery, and sustained at scale.
The combination of high-quality coaches, values-based frameworks, and genuine organisational commitment has created a development infrastructure that accelerates capability, builds resilience, and aligns culture even under pressure.
The participant feedback—both quantitative and qualitative—tells a consistent story: coaching is not just valued, it is transformative. Leaders are not simply acquiring skills; they are evolving their identities, deepening their self-awareness, and fundamentally shifting how they show up in their roles and lives.
As the organisation navigates ongoing complexity and change, this coaching infrastructure provides critical stabilisation and acceleration. It ensures leaders can sustain performance while maintaining alignment with values, operate strategically while managing day-to-day demands, and lead with resilience rather than burnout.