Lead Next By Laura Leslie & Dawn Murden

Laura Leslie

I use my coaching skills alongside my lived experience to empower you towards your goals.

I am a founder and coach. I am also an engineer, an educator, a leader, a runner, a reader, a nature lover and more. I am a coach, coachee and lifelong learner.

I spent 20 years in the Higher Education sector, from a post-graduate student, through to an Associate Professor and Head of School. I have led teams at operational and strategic level, managing individuals and groups of varying sizes and with varying remits. I have made difficult decisions, dealt with unexpected and rapidly changing situations, and faced my own personal and professional challenges.

Coaching was a huge part of my success and my growth. Throughout my leadership roles, my coach was there to support me in understanding and recognising my thoughts, concerns and ambitions, in preparing for difficult situations, understanding myself and who I wanted to be, and making the best decisions I was able to make for me.

Then, things at work changed and I realised I wanted a change. I wanted to follow a pathway that more closely aligned with what I felt was the best element of my job – empowering others. It was not an easy decision to leave a career of 20 years, but I followed my values, worked towards my goals and founded Siskin Coaching.

Now, after my own career transition to founder and coach, I am here to enable and empower you to grow, to rise up beyond what you thought was possible, and to understand yourself and what you want.

Dawn Murden

I’m Dawn — an Executive Coach and former SaaS leader with 16+ years’ experience across media, tech, and start-ups.

My career began in journalism, writing features for a national women’s weekly magazine before moving into business journalism as an Editor, covering entrepreneurship, leadership, and board-level strategy.

From there, I transitioned into tech, joining a SaaS scale-up where I eventually led Customer Success as Director and VP. During my tenure, we grew within $0-10M ARR, scaled headcount from 15 to 50+, and the customer base from ~150 to 1,000+. I secured our first six-figure deal and worked closely with C-suite stakeholders to deliver product value at board level.

I know first-hand the pressure of leadership in fast-paced, complex environments, and just how powerful coaching can be in navigating it. Especially for customer-facing roles, revenue teams, and deadline intensive media companies.

Today, I run my own business, specialising in executive coaching, mentoring, and leadership development. I combine real-world leadership experience with proven coaching training to help clients navigate complexity and create meaningful impact.

In addition to my coaching practice, I’m an Expert By Experience for Buckinghamshire Mind and the NHS Buckinghamshire Recovery College, and a Board Trustee at Age UK Ealing, Phoenix Enterprises Swindon, and Mud Station Pottery in Edinburgh.