Shaun Russell,
Product Leadership Coach

I help product organisations keep momentum while their leader is away on maternity, paternity, or sabbatical.

I focus on your long-term needs with my expertise as coach and consultant, as an alternative to a short-term interim hire.

That means upskilling teams, teaching resilience, and helping others to steer the ship: I deliver continuity by strengthening your organisation from within.

1

Before the leader departs

I help the Product Leader prepare a watertight handover and set clear expectations for their time away.

I get to know the organisation I’ll be working with and develop a plan for our work together.

2

While they’re away

I provide hands-on product coaching to Product Managers, helping them grow in their role and take more responsibility.

I provide leadership consulting to the organisation, so they can continue to steer the ship in the right direction.

3

On their return

I provide coaching to the returning leader, to help them fine-tune their leadership and pick up where they left off.

I have a final session with each Product Manager, to reflect on their progress and learnings, and look ahead to what’s next.

I’ve served clients as a Product Leadership Coach since 2018, with a diverse roster of clients including some of Europe’s biggest enterprises and most pioneering startups.

In 2022 I provided coaching cover for Withlocals. It was then I first recognised the huge potential in maternity & paternity cover, and I have been developing Continuity ever since.

I’ve been working in product officially since 2012 – honing my product craft in the London and Berlin tech scenes at Lyst, Adthena and Outfittery – and unofficially since 2005, when I co-founded Audiobubble, an early predecessor to Bandcamp.

My past clients include:

“Shaun worked with our Product Management team for nearly 18 months, providing structured, thoughtful, and highly tailored coaching. He evolved our career development framework and worked with PMs and their managers to benchmark their skills, identify meaningful growth areas, and build development plans they could actually use in their day-to-day work.

He was particularly effective at coaching new PMs—many from non-traditional paths, including clinical backgrounds—to become confident, highly effective product managers. His ability to move between individual coaching and broader organizational insight made him an invaluable partner.

Shaun also brings the steadiness and perspective of a seasoned product leader. I’d highly recommend him not only as a coach but also when teams are in transition and need calm, credible guidance. I highly recommend Shaun to any organization serious about investing in its Product talent and culture.”

– Chad Jennings, Chief Product and Design Officer at AMBOSS