Ivan Schofield
I started my career in consumer goods with Unilever, then after a wonderful year doing an MBA at INSEAD in Fontainebleau I spent three years in strategy consulting with LEK and then joined Yum Brands where I become MD / CEO of KFC’s French and European business, based in France for 12 years. The business grew from $50m sales to $1.5bn sales over that time and I experienced many thrills and spills of leading and building a team and organisation in a role which step-changed in scale every two years. During this time, I had the privilege of working with and learning from many great leaders to whom I feel very grateful and indebted.
While Kate was winning proper awards for her achievements in the UK, the Figaro dubbed me “le roi du poulet frit et de la pizza en France”.
Developing leaders became a deeply held passion for me during my executive career and this led me to qualify as a professional coach in 2015. In parallel to my coaching practice, I am an active board member and advisor to private equity investors and consider this to be an important part of my coaching proposition and competence. It keeps the coaching work “real” and relevant both for me and my clients, offering a perspective from “the other side of the boardroom table”.
“My coaching approach is grounded in my own practical experience of leadership ... a point of view on what makes effective leaders coupled with a deep affinity with the personal and professional challenges of the role”
My coaching approach is grounded in my own practical experience of leadership ... a point of view on what makes effective leaders coupled with a deep affinity with the personal and professional challenges of the role. I help clients to develop their skills and effectiveness as a leader ... building on their innate strengths, adapted to the context in which they operate as well as helping them develop ways of coping with the many pressures of the role.
Aside from conventional coaching techniques I have a particular interest, and extensive training in various applications of cognitive behavioural therapy; performance under pressure in sports; positive psychology; mindfulness and working with energy and the outdoors.
I am also a supervisor to individual coaches and to organisations with internal coaching and mentoring programs.
Former rugby player, these days a golfer and more sedate pursuits such as gym, yoga, pilates and art. 12 years living in France gave me a passion for French wine and a sizeable collection.
Coaching Accreditations
Meyler Campbell Mastered (2015)
Human Synergistics Life Styles Inventory (2017)
Transformational Presence For Leaders and Coaches (2017-2018)
BPS Level 1 Accredited CBT Practitioner Foundation Stage (2019)
Positive psychology and positive interventions UPenn (2019)
Red2Blue Performance under pressure coach (2019)
Hogan Assessments Certified Practitioner (2021)
Diploma in Advanced Gestalt coaching and relational organisational Gestalt (2023)
Transactional Analysis TA101 and TA 202 (2025)
Diploma in Supervision (CSTD Bath) (2020)
Master Accredited Coach (APECS) 2025
Executive Career Summary
Unilever Plc (1989-1994)
LEK Consulting (1996-1999)
Yum Brands Inc. (1999- 2015). CFO UK / Europe, MD France, CEO Western Europe
itsu (2016 - 2017) CEO
Non-Executive Board Roles
Hollywood Bowl Group Plc NED
Thunderbird Fried Chicken Chairman, NED
Buffalo Grill SAS (France) Chairman, NED
Energie Fitness, NED
Education
BSC Economics with Econometrics
University of Bath (1986-1989)
MBA, INSEAD (1995-96)
English (mother tongue); French (fluent)