Rolls-Royce

- Led transformation from a low-performing Scrum team to a highly collaborative, performing team using Kanban.
- Product Owner and Agile Coach of two Software teams developing a Data Platform for the business, initially focusing on maximising engine availability which has currently saved over £9 million for the customer. Created roadmaps and led stakeholder reviews to maintain alignment across teams.
- Coached the team to use a Minimum Viable Product approach in line with the Lean Startup methodology. This resulted in delivering a bespoke software solution in 4 months which saves £70k/year and reduces the manufacturing time of a component by 12%.
- Supporting the wider business adopt a more agile approach to product development, facilitating workshops, writing strategy documents and coaching teams in their transformation.
- Qualified Professional Scrum Master and trained SAFe Practitioner.

Agile Delivery Lead

- Technically lead three component teams through New Product Introduction - developing the component method of manufacture and managing the technical risk.
- Managing the programme management for those components, updating project plans (P6), technical risk burndown using PFMEAs and being accountable for delivery of the production technical packages.
- Specialised in Design for Manufacture - balancing the Design ideals against realistic Manufacturing considerations to meet delivery commitments.
- Responsible for building the team. Hiring, performance management, personal development and coaching.
- Built a culture of continuous improvement, hosting retrospectives to reflect and learn from mistakes before the components went into production. Applied Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles such as value stream mapping and statistical process control to reduce waste and variation within our manufacturing methods, improving quality and delivery.

Manufacturing Engineering Technical Lead

- Responsible for managing the existing components through manufacture including managing non-conformance and reworks to maintain Design intent.
- Co-ordinated and led major design improvements with stress, thermal and materials engineers as we re-introduced components into manufacture. Reduced non-conformance by over 50% through these improvements.
- Managed operations stakeholders as the primary contact for Engineering as we balanced the risk of progressing with manufacture vs performing detailed analysis on defects. Strong communicator.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Attained.

Mechanical Design Engineer

Blueprint Leadership Academy

- Coached clients of Small-Medium Enterprises on Transformational Change and business development. Specialised in getting the leaders to empower their teams to achieve ambitious outcomes.
- Focused on setting meaningful goals, using OKRs and aligning the team to collaborate together to achieve them. Supported the planning and execution of these goals through workshops and coaching.
- Devised a goal-setting planner, now available on Amazon.co.uk to help others set personal goals and track progress.

Leadership Consultant

BAE Systems

Spent 4 months on placement in Mechanical Engineering Support. This involved producing solutions to problems with the product. Skills used include; Problem Solving, Engineering Design, Mathematical Analysis and Report Writing.

My second placement on the GDF was in Cost Engineering began in January 2013 and involved working on the bid process for various projects and pricing the labour within the business.

GDF Engineer

Worked as a design engineer as part of the High Integrity Pressure Vessels team within the Nuclear Marine sector. Assisted in the design of a number of components, writing technical reports, working on the design and manufacture of the pressure vessel following ASME codes III and VIII. Techniques used included Design for Assembly/Manufacture, TRIZ and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. SC Security Clearance attained.

Over my time in the Engineering sector, I have witnessed many examples of both good and bad leadership. In 2021, I started working with clients to help improve their leadership, based on empowering team members with effective goal setting, determining where they decide to focus their efforts and developing a framework to support others to get higher performance.

My background, working in some of the best engineering firms in the world, has given me great exposure to "Operational Excellence" - which is what I can work with you to achieve. Operational excellence is the perfect balance of People, Process and Purpose. I have the tools to help you with all three!

People are at the heart of any good business, but you need to get the right ones, develop them and keep them around. I can help you preparing for interviewing new employees, empowering them to love their role and develop them so they can be at their best more often.

Process is often overlooked in leadership, but a great leader understands their outputs and helps their team by removing obstacles so they can deliver. Are your team bogged down or have inconsistent ways of working, with limited tangible results? I am experienced in Agile, Scrum, Lean, Six Sigma, Quality Management Systems and more to help you fix these problems.

Finally, purpose! Tell your team what you need to achieve and let them figure out how to get there. I can help with goal setting, planning for the future and delivering the mission to your team. Without understanding purpose, your team will never be able to reach high performance.

If your organisation is struggling to develop a high performing culture, get in touch and let me help you achieve your goals.

Dan Webb

Hi, I’m Sarah Markham, Founder of Calm In A Box.

At Calm In A Box, we help leaders and teams perform well through change at work because to do well, you need to be well.

I specialise in the design and delivery of executive coaching and development programmes for leaders going though transformation as well as providing consultancy and advisory to leaders to ensure they deliver their change programmes effectively, on time and within budget.

My background 

Following a 20 year corporate career in Human Resources coaching and advising senior leaders, developing people strategy and delivering complex international change programmes for global brands, I went on my own personal transformation journey which led to founding my business.

During a very difficult year in 2019 I nearly ended up paralysed, and with a very small child to look after, I had to take a very different approach to life and work.

As part of my learning journey, I started sending gift boxes to people to support them through difficult changes. Out of this came a passion project called Calm In A Box.

With the onset of the pandemic the following year, the project began to develop into a consultancy working with business leaders, teams and organisations on culture, change and wellbeing.

Ways to work with me

        ⁃       Consultancy and advisory for business leaders to deliver change and transformation programmes more effectively in a fast changing world of work
        ⁃       121 Coaching for leaders leading through change or going through transformation on mindset and performance
        ⁃       Team sessions to build and develop connection, change agility and resilience through change which maximise engagement, impact and performance at work

Ways to work with Calm In A Box

        ⁃       Access CALM bite sized learning resources and online events for leaders and teams via our digital CALM hub
        ⁃       Take part in our annual CALMfest, a week of online events on a range of topics to educate, engage and inspire teams to work on their own wellbeing and build resilience through change, raising funds for Mind during mental health awareness week

My philosophy

I believe that to be sustainably high performing as a leader and a team in a fast changing world of work, it’s important to learn how to slow down to go faster in a way which works for you by finding better balance between being and doing.

You can follow our CALM projects and my CALM learning journey here on LinkedIn.

Get in touch
sarah@calminabox.co.uk
Website and CALM hub - www.calminabox.co.uk

Sarah Markham

Family business 😊
She charged me £5.

Less than two weeks now until CALM in a box LIVE 💫

Thank you for all your help getting the final plans in place Bhavna Jain Keeley Tara Gibson Emma O'Brien Aqua Libra Matt Cullen DipPFS Caroline Hill Hands On At Work

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At home we’ve often talked about the wisdom of Aunt Lucy and the power of the hard stare over the years.

So many people have asked me how Paddington was. Of course, it was excellent.

There was even a whole song dedicated to the hard stare.

Every CALM toolkit needs one - especially if you’re a lover not a fighter 😊

Great to catch up with Tom Page, Director at Cerberus Nuclear on all things people and culture when you’re growing a business though changing times 🌱

Our bite size online sessions are deliberately short and aim to start conversations, plant a seed or switch on a lightbulb or two for you to take away.

Helping you design some CALM for more work/life brilliance.

Find out what else we’ve got coming up in 2026.

DM the word NETWORK for more details.

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The Battle

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