Sustainable High Performance Programmes
Structured strategies that build stronger results, resilience and engagement into your culture, designed around your organisation's goals and reviewed against measurable outcomes.
Learn moreSustainable High Performance Coach
High Performance That Lasts, Not One That Burns Out
Sarah Stannard helps organisations build sustainable high performance by equipping leaders and teams with the habits, behaviours and resilience needed to deliver results without burnout. Evidence based programmes delivered in person across the UK or virtually to organisations anywhere in the world.
20 years
of corporate leadership behind every programme
Trusted by the teams at
- Xerox
- River Island
- QVC
- Network Rail
- L3Harris
- Datasite
- DMH Stallard
- 1 Crown Office Row
- Active Surrey
- Foxhills
- Northwest Healthcare Properties
As featured in
- The Daily Telegraph
- OK
- Bella
- Best
- Chat
- Global Women's Magazine
- BBC Radio
- Podcasts
Why it matters
Your people are under pressure. The cost is measurable.
Poor mental health now costs UK employers an estimated 51 billion pounds every year in lost productivity, absenteeism and staff turnover. Behind that number are real people: managers running on empty, high performers quietly burning out, and HR teams absorbing a pressure that no benefits package was designed to absorb alone.
The organisations that move first, treating sustainable high performance as a strategic priority rather than a compliance checkbox, retain better people, see fewer crisis interventions, and build cultures that genuinely attract talent. The question is no longer whether to act, but how to do it in a way that actually works.
What we stand for
Four things this work always comes back to
01
Performance that lasts.
02
Results without burnout.
03
Confident, empowered teams.
04
Practical strategies grounded in real leadership experience.
What Sarah does
Three ways to support your people
Group Workshops and Training
Practical, evidence based sessions on stress reduction, resilience, confidence, energy management and sustainable performance. Designed for teams and leaders who need usable tools, not a lecture.
Learn more1:1 Employee Coaching
Confidential, structured coaching for individuals at any level. Ideal for high performers under sustained pressure, or anyone returning to full effectiveness after a period of burnout or absence.
Learn moreHuman sustainability
Human sustainability, made practical
Many organisations are now talking about human sustainability. It is the recognition that people, like any other asset, need to be renewed rather than depleted. Sarah's work sits directly under that umbrella.
- Stress reduction and resilience
- Confidence and mindset
- Nutrition and energy management
- Leadership capability
- Sustainable performance cultures
- Recovery and sleep
The Sarah Stannard difference
A coach who has sat on both sides of the table
Sarah Stannard spent 20 years as a Director of Sales and Marketing before retraining and spending the last 5 years as a UKIHCA registered health coach. She holds certifications from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Yale (Science of Well-Being), Rice University (Mindfulness), Emory University (Weight Management), IAHC, and the Association for Coaching. She is a trained Mental Health First Aider and a professional speaker with the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). She brings the commercial rigour of a former corporate director to every client engagement.
How it works
A clear path from first conversation to measurable change
- 01
Discovery meeting
We start by understanding your organisation, your people, and the specific challenges you are navigating right now.
- 02
Tailored proposal
Sarah designs the right intervention for you, whether that is a workshop, a talk, a webinar or a longer programme, built around your culture and your measurable goals rather than an off the shelf package.
- 03
Delivery and review
Programmes are delivered on-site or remotely, anywhere in the world, with a structured review built in so you can see the impact and build on it.
The case for action
The numbers behind sustainable high performance
£51bn
Annual cost of poor mental health to UK employers
63%
Of employees reporting at least one characteristic of burnout, including exhaustion, disengagement or reduced performance
70%
Of workers who say greater investment in human sustainability would improve productivity and performance (Deloitte)
Source: Deloitte UK workplace mental health research.
In their words
Impactful sessions that teams remember
We really loved Sarah's session. Her six week promise gave our team a level of accountability that is not normally found with speakers, helping to turn inspiration into meaningful action.
Network Rail
Genuinely energising and practical. It gave us real, usable techniques instead of vague motivational talk, and the interactive format kept the whole room involved. It was the most useful team session we have had.
L3Harris
We thoroughly enjoyed Sarah's engaging keynote for our Women in Deal Making event.
Datasite
The tips and ideas shared and the new approach to resilience was really refreshing. A great session for everyone.
River Island
Nicely delivered and informative, well received by all.
Xerox
Lots of great and practical points and plenty of positive small ideas to take away.
QVC
Questions
Frequently asked questions
A starting point for the most common questions. For anything specific to your organisation, a discovery meeting is the fastest way to a clear answer.
A sustainable high performance coach works with organisations to help leaders and teams deliver stronger results without burning out. The work sits under the umbrella of human sustainability and covers stress reduction and resilience, confidence and mindset, nutrition and energy management, leadership capability, sustainable performance cultures, and recovery and sleep. Sarah Stannard brings 20 years of senior sales and marketing leadership to this work, so recommendations are grounded in commercial reality as well as evidence based health science.
Investing in sustainable high performance reduces sickness absence, lowers staff turnover and improves discretionary effort, all of which directly affect your bottom line. Deloitte reports that 70 per cent of workers say greater investment in human sustainability would improve productivity and performance. Sarah has delivered measurable results for clients including Xerox, River Island, QVC, Network Rail, L3Harris and Datasite, demonstrating impact across corporate, retail, rail and defence environments.
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a reactive, arms-length service that employees access in crisis, typically via a telephone helpline or brief counselling. A sustainable high performance coach works proactively and in person, building the habits, behaviours and resilience that sustain results before problems escalate. Sarah provides bespoke programmes tailored to your culture rather than a generic platform, and your leadership team has direct access to a single, experienced practitioner throughout.
Yes. Sarah regularly delivers on-site talks, workshops and coaching sessions at client offices across London, Surrey and the wider UK. On-site delivery increases engagement and signals genuine organisational commitment. Virtually delivered sessions, webinars and keynotes are also available for hybrid, multi-site and international teams, including in the US.
Sarah works with organisations of all sizes, from founder-led businesses with a small core team through to large corporates with hundreds of employees. The programme scope and format are tailored to the size and structure of your business. Previous clients range from global brands such as Xerox to growing professional services firms such as DMH Stallard.
There is no fixed length. Corporate programmes are entirely bespoke. A client may bring Sarah in for a single talk, or for a series of talks and workshops delivered across the year. Where the goal is to put a larger population through a programme, delivery is usually organised in line with team numbers. For example, 100 managers might move through five cohorts of 20, with each cohort attending a half day workshop, so the full programme runs over a few weeks. The right shape is agreed with you at the outset.
Yes. Sarah offers a range of pre-designed talks and workshops, and can also create fully bespoke talks and workshops for any length of time, from a two hour session to a half day or longer. Many clients begin with a single session and then commission a broader programme once they have seen the quality and impact of the delivery. Contact Sarah to discuss topic, group size and format.
Yes. Sarah is based in Windlesham, Surrey, and delivers on-site work as standard across London, Surrey and the wider South East, including Ascot, Camberley, Guildford and Woking. For organisations elsewhere, Sarah delivers workshops, keynotes and coaching virtually to teams anywhere in the world, including webinars for staff based in the US. International in-person travel is considered on request.
Sarah is a registered health coach with the UK and International Health Coaches Association (UKIHCA, ID 545), a trained Mental Health First Aider, and a professional speaker with the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). She holds certifications from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Yale (The Science of Well-Being), Rice University (Mindfulness) and Emory University, and is a member of the International Association of Health Coaches (IAHC) and the Association for Coaching. These credentials sit alongside 20 years of senior leadership experience at Director level.
The first step is an initial conversation about your organisation, your people, and the outcomes you want to achieve. From there Sarah will propose a programme structure and provide a bespoke quote. You can start the conversation by calling 07702 000771 or by using the contact form on this website.
Ready to build a sustainable high performance culture?
Arrange an initial conversation to discuss your priorities, challenges, and the outcomes you want to achieve across your organisation, wherever in the world your people are based.