Product Leadership Coaching & Advisory

Perform under pressure.

When product teams are stretched, trust is low and pressure is high, I help leaders regain clarity, confidence and momentum.

Trusted by product leaders, founders and teams

Lloyds Banking GroupDeelDAZNGoogleM-KOPAPayoneerRemitlyExperianRavioTideTwinklVertoFunding CircleMultiverseOctopusThe GuardianLloyds Banking GroupDeelDAZNGoogleM-KOPAPayoneerRemitlyExperianRavioTideTwinklVertoFunding CircleMultiverseOctopusThe Guardian

The 6 most common complaints in scaling orgs

Does any of this sound familiar?

Patterns I see inside scaling teams. If two or more land, you're not alone — and they're fixable.

  1. 01

    Everything feels slow

    Delivery is unpredictable, dates are absent, or missed. Execs lose confidence. Teams avoid committing.

  2. 02

    We're doing too much

    Teams work hard, but priorities keep shifting, revenue is plateauing and burnout is rife.

  3. 03

    We're spending money, but nothing changes

    Lots of shipping — not a lot of progress. Customers stay frustrated, business metrics don't move.

  4. 04

    Everyone's firefighting

    Direction changes on gut instinct. Product feels reactive. Teams stop challenging ideas.

  5. 05

    Frustration is building across the company

    Sales doesn't trust product. Engineering feels overpromised. Tensions bubble up in meetings.

  6. 06

    The team isn't strong enough

    Product is seen as a bottleneck or black box. Founders step in to 'help'. PMs lack influence. Hiring has stalled.

  7. Free download

    The 6 most common complaints in scaling orgs — and what's really behind them.

    Root causes, COACH diagnosis and one step better for each.

Who I work with

Built for high pressure situations.

I work with Series A to FTSE 100 businesses — where product is important, but the system around it is under strain.

B2BB2B2CMarketplaceComplex platformsDataAIEdtechFintechUnder-represented groups

Scaling companies

You need product to become a growth engine, not another source of drag.

Transformation

You're looking for the benefits of product-led growth or AI-adoption.

Product leaders

You have capable people who need to show up with more authority, clarity and influence.

Emma Hopkinson-Spark, product leadership coach

About

I've been through
it many times.

I'm Emma van Dijkum. I spent 15 years building products, teams and operating models in high-growth environments.

I helped scale product at two unicorns, Funding Circle and Multiverse, including growing a team from 16 to 120 as a product executive.

For the past 3 years I've helped founders and product leaders diagnose organisational problems, fix the system and drive more impact through product.

I'm not a generic executive coach. I've sat in the product seat, built the teams and navigated the pressure.

15
years in product
200+
leaders coached
70+
clients
2
unicorns scaled

How I work

The strongest product
organisations are built
on five foundations.

Most product organisations don't fail because of technical skill. They fail because the system around the people breaks down. COACH is the diagnostic framework I use to find where the breakdown is happening and fix it at the root.

C

Clarity

Clear strategy, priorities and trade-offs.

O

Ownership

Empowered teams with clear accountability and decision-making.

A

Accountability

Strong execution rhythms and measurable progress.

C

Communication

Trust, alignment and executive influence.

H

High Impact Focus

Doing fewer things better.

Work with me

Three ways
to solve your problems.

Outcome-shaped, not hourly. Every engagement starts with a 30-minute discovery call so we can scope to the problem you're actually trying to solve.

01Do it yourself

Product Coaching

For leaders & teams

Support, guide and upskill product people in an AI-age.

  • Define goals & topics via an audit
  • 1:1 executive coaching for product leaders
  • Team coaching & workshops

Best for

  • AI or product-led transformation
  • Up-skilling & retention
  • Confidence building & support
02Do it with me

Product Advisory

Thought-partner to senior leaders

Hire, upskill, restructure or restrategise — I plug in alongside existing leadership.

  • 4–20 hours a month, scoped to your goals
  • Hiring & org design
  • Strategy workshops, ExCo support
  • Coaching & mentoring for top leaders

Best for

  • Faster transformation
  • Showing what excellent looks like
03Do it for you

Fractional CPO

Embedded leadership

I step in as your fractional Chief Product Officer. I'll help lead the function, create the strategy, and hire the team and full-time replacement.

  • Lead product strategy
  • Stabilise the team
  • Rebuild trust with stakeholders
  • Hire, coach and reshape the function

Best for

  • Maternity cover or interim support
  • Confirming what you want from a CPO before you commit
  • Fast(est) org transformation

Are you a senior product leader?

Coaching built around you — not your company.

  • Get promoted
  • Find a new job
  • Feel more confident & supported
  • Flexible payment options

Case studies

What changes,
in real teams.

01

Executive Coaching

A newly promoted Head of Product at a FTSE 100 financial services company was struggling with confidence and visibility at executive level.

15% improvement in confidence. 10/10 feedback from the CPO following a critical strategic meeting.

From

  • Feeling overwhelmed by increased responsibility
  • Over-reliance on external validation
  • Shrinking visibility at executive level

To

  • Stronger executive presence and communication
  • More consistent confidence under pressure
  • Increased visibility and trust from senior leadership
COACH focusCommunicationOwnershipFocus
02

Product Advisory

A Series A B2B AI SaaS business was losing stakeholder trust and team engagement during a period of rapid organisational change.

40% improvement in stakeholder trust within three months. 20% increase in team engagement during organisational change.

From

  • Declining trust in the product organisation
  • Reactive delivery and unclear accountability
  • Inconsistent communication across stakeholders
  • Low morale during a period of change

To

  • Clearer strategy and roadmap
  • Sharper ownership and decision-making
  • Improved delivery visibility and accountability
  • A more resilient, engaged and scalable product organisation
COACH focusClarityOwnershipAccountability
03

Product Advisory

A CPTO at a Series A startup had gone nine months without a successful hire into Product and Design, with delivery risk increasing and team confidence low.

Full Product and Design team hired within six months. Confidence in the hiring process fully restored.

From

  • Unable to hire into Product and Design
  • No clear process or evaluation framework
  • Low trust in hiring decisions

To

  • Clear rubric, profile and hiring process
  • Improved funnel conversion
  • Increased accountability and cadence across hiring
  • Greater trust in hiring execution
COACH focusClarityAccountabilityHigh Impact Focus

In their words

Hear it from
my clients.

More on LinkedIn
"Emma's coaching is not just about achieving success — it's about evolving into a leader who is true to themselves."

Jonathan Gall

Managing Director, BBH

"Her empathetic approach creates a trusting environment, allowing for open and honest discussions that are crucial for growth."

Caroline Ewerton

SVP Product, DAZN

"She brings a wealth of experience and a brilliant, warm coaching style that has helped each of us grow as individuals & guide us through a complex transformation."

George Cairns

Head of Product, Lloyds Banking Group

"Her positivity and helpful insights significantly improved my skills as a product and people leader."

Rūta Šeškauskaitė

Director of Product

"Coaching helped me respond with more clarity and not spiral into self-doubt as easily. I just feel more grounded and able to navigate things without getting stuck."

Georgina Nietzel

Head of Innovation, ERGO

"Emma's experience and impartial position was invaluable — we now have a product function in place that is fit to scale and drive value for our customers."

Jamie Hunter

COO, Aveni

Let's talk

You've been figuring
it out alone
long enough.

Let's talk.

A 30-minute discovery call. No pitch. We'll figure out whether — and how — I can help.

Where I work

Based in Spain, working remotely with companies and leaders globally — across UK, EU and US time zones.

Newsletter

Are you an underconfident
overachiever?

I’ve helped build two unicorns by scaling product in high-complexity environments. This is where I share the hard-won lessons and raw stories most people don’t talk about — with actionable tips and tricks.