pembi.net consulting services

Specialist Coaching for New Managers.

I help experienced engineers become confident, humane leaders, with a safe place to think aloud and the habits to grow great software teams.

Book a free conversation Explore services

35+ years leading engineering teams: coaching built on lived experience, not theory.

A person climbing a set of steps toward an open horizon, with a coach a step behind, gesturing forward in support
Specialist coachingHelping new managers build confidence, clarity, and a practice that actually works.

“A fantastic sounding board for my development as a new manager... he treads the line of guiding and coaching fantastically. Helping me get to multiple options, then come to the right conclusion through guidance rather than being told, is the real skill.”

W.P. · Head of Production

Management is not a promotion into certainty. It is a system of attention: noticing constraints, supporting people, and designing the conditions where good work can happen.

People are not resourcesManagement is learned in contextCulture is designed in daily choicesProcess should reduce friction, not add ceremony
What the work feels like

Calm, direct support for people learning to lead without losing themselves.

“Thank you for the incredible support over the past six months. I especially appreciate how you listen thoughtfully and ask insightful questions, guiding me to discover the right answers on my own.”

O.V. · Senior Machine Learning Engineer

“Ken provided invaluable mentorship during a challenging time when I was grappling with self-inflicted pressure and imposter syndrome... his leadership style is characterised by genuine empathy.”

M.J. · Senior AI Full Stack Engineer

“Ken has been a true mentor and guide, helping me navigate self-worth issues and stay focused on achievable objectives.”

L.A.F. · Coaching mentee
Book a free conversation Or send me a message
Services

Support for the moments engineering teams outgrow instinct.

I shape every engagement around the person and the context. No boilerplate philosophy: just careful diagnosis, candid coaching, and habits that stick.

For new engineering managers

The most common place to begin, and the one I recommend starting with.

Two figures in a one-to-one coaching conversation
Start here
01 / Coaching for new managers

Step into management with a practice that fits.

Build confidence in the everyday work of leading people: the one-to-one, delegation, feedback and the decisions nobody warned you about.

Available as a focused sprint, an ongoing rhythm, or a single advisory session. See the formats.

Useful outcomeA way of leading that fits you, not a template.
  • A way of leading built from your real situations, not borrowed from a playbook
  • A safe, confidential place to say the uncomfortable version out loud
  • Small experiments between sessions, reviewed together, so new habits stick

Becoming a manager is one of the hardest transitions in engineering, and nobody expects you to have it worked out. You bring the real situations you are facing; I help you find answers that are your own. If you are new to leading people, or about to be leading them, this is the place to start.

For teams and organisations

When the challenge sits with a whole team or the way it works, rather than one manager.

Building blocks stacking into a stable structure
02 / Spin up a new team

Build a new team around clarity from day one.

Shape the roles, early agreements, and working rhythms that let a new group begin with shared purpose rather than inherited ambiguity.

Useful outcomeClear role shapes, candidate criteria, and the rituals that keep a new team aligned from day one.
A flowing network path connecting nodes at speed
03 / Optimise team performance

Unblock delivery without overworking people.

Find the conditions slowing a team down, then run practical experiments that create clearer ownership, communication, and momentum.

Useful outcomeA clear diagnosis of what's slowing the team, and experiments that improve delivery without burning people out.
A clean, right-angled decision pathway between nodes
04 / Process creation / rationalisation

Make the process lighter, clearer and more useful.

Replace unnecessary ceremony with just-enough structure that helps people make decisions, coordinate work, and keep moving.

Useful outcomeCleaner decision pathways and lighter rituals that support people instead of managing them.

Responsible for a team or budget? See how I can help your organisation.

See detailed coaching offers
Book a free conversation Or send me a message
Ken, an engineering leadership coach
About me

Hello, I'm Ken.

I have spent more than 35 years leading and building engineering teams, and coaching & mentoring leaders (and aspiring leaders). Forty people have recommended me on LinkedIn, and the way I work is simple: listen carefully, ask good questions, and help you find your own answers.

More about meRead the recommendationsLinkedIn
Field notes

Short essays on interviews, culture, wellbeing, leadership, and the language teams live inside.

My writing archive is full of people-first management prompts, presented as a modern knowledge base for leaders who want to build healthier engineering cultures.

Visit the blog
Team reviewing field notes and diagrams together after a workshop
What does a coach actually do? Stop Trying to Be a Good Manager The hidden agendas of interview questions Mind the Gap! I’m having a bad day. And that’s OK. Cultural Fit? Why?
Book a free conversation Or send me a message

Need a steadier way to grow an engineering team?

Bring the messy context: the new manager, the growing team, the process that no longer fits, or the culture question nobody has named clearly yet.

Book a free conversation Send me a message

What you and I discuss stays between us.