18 HR & Recruitment


17TH SEPTEMBER 2026


THE LONDON BUSINESS GUIDE AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE DISTRIBUTED WITH


PHOTO: FOUR SEASONS ASTIR PALACE ATHENS


PHOTO: RONNIE SCHMUTZ/UNSPLASH


Mayfair’s leadership training duo


Experts in charm and persuasion, John Baker and Rachel Cohen bring engaging communication workshops to London’s most prestigious fi ve-star hotels


Unorthodox John and Rachel’s style is a long way from the industry’s chartered courses and accreditations. Instead, their dynamic approach fl ows according to the unique needs of leaders and teams in hospitality. Being boutique isn’t a slogan — it’s how they earn trust and see each brief individually. Some of John and Rachel’s clients,


such as Claridge’s and the Connaught, have used them continuously for more than two decades. T eir signature three-hour workshops are dynamic and to the point. Small groups mean they can off er individual feedback that never feels superfi cial. T is unique approach has taken John and Rachel overseas to continental


Europe and beyond. Caruso, a Belmond hotel on the Amalfi Coast, and Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens are among some of the many loyal clients in the Mediterranean, while South America and the Emirates have also been added to Impact’s portfolio.


Against the current When John and Rachel train as a pair, even the heaviest topics are delivered in a light and pragmatic manner; humour and charm help them convey hard truths that land without breaking the recipient. In a niche still known for ‘death-by- PowerPoint’ and stacks of endless pre-training reading material, they prefer working with a purely practical approach relying heavily on realistic roleplays, their own experiences and honest feedback. In the luxury sector, leaders can’t aff ord to trade in mere pleasantries


with their teams. Genuine, direct performance feedback is crucial. A leader stuck in people-pleaser mode can’t take their team to its highest level and may even alienate their most committed team members. Kind, confi dent and sincere are key objectives for luxury leadership.


Intangible luxury What guests still pay for is a person who can read who they are, what they want and the cultural habits sitting underneath the reservation. As more of life moves onto screens and half- smart systems, that human read becomes the intangible element that a hotel can’t fake. T e commercial benefi ts then become just a natural consequence of those purposeful and personalised interactions.


Guiding those who lead Leaders who want to keep and attract strong people have to sharpen how they speak. Getting a team to adopt a new system, reconciling colleagues after a clash, standing in front of their fellow decision-makers — those moments turn on clarity, timing and the courage to be specifi c. John and Rachel’s mission is to


support leaders in communicating with a level of purpose and genuine enthusiasm that draws people to them, earns the trust of their teams and allows them to create greatness even in the simplest, most mundane moments. A leader can’t operate in grey,


serving a lukewarm soup of platitudes. If they want to be remembered, they speak with charming authority, hold their audience and say what


think. T ere’s nothing more forgettable than a suit that’s just a suit.


they


PHOTO: HUNTERS RACE/UNSPLASH


Contact John and Rachel directly to discuss your training needs. T: +44 776 237 3326 E: johnbaker@impactlondon.com rachel@impactlondon.com impactlondon.com


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