About Orla McKeon
Executive Coach and
Business Consultant
Orla is an Executive Coach and Business Consultant with extensive experience in Senior Leadership roles working for prestigious Global brands driving business performance and successfully leading, supporting, and developing leaders and teams.
About Orla
As an Executive Coach, Orla combines emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and proven business expertise to help clients overcome professional challenges and embrace new opportunities.
Through her consultancy work, she supports business leaders in developing strategies, improving performance, and aligning commercial goals with people development to drive sustainable growth.
Orla also designs and delivers Leadership Development workshops, helping individuals enhance their skills and become more effective leaders.
She is a long-standing mentor for the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Global Leadership Programme and serves as a Non-Executive Director in both the Education and Arts sectors.
My Story
Who am I
Professional Background
I am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) (ICF), Psychometrics Practitioner (HOGAN, MBTI I & II, TalentPredix), a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA), and hold a Master of Accounting degree (MAcc) from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, & Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from Ulster University at Coleraine.
A Career Built Around Clients
Throughout my career, being client-centric has been an obsession. My initial professional experience as a Chartered Accountant in Ireland and later in Luxembourg gave me the opportunity to build fulfilling client relationships in an international context, while gaining valuable operational and strategic business insights.
International Corporate Experience
From Luxembourg I spent 20 years in London in luxury retail, working for the LVMH Group and in the tech sector working for Apple.
During this time I held senior executive & director roles at both regional & headquarters level for various LVMH brands, including Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer and LVMH House. At Apple I was strategic lead for the implementation of their staffing strategy in their key markets in IMMEA.
A Unique Perspective
My expertise in business development, finance, and operations acquired through various functional roles combined with a passion for people development, gives me a unique perspective as both a business consultant and executive coach.
Founding Celtic Advice
Relocating back to Dublin in 2021 and reflecting on how best to leverage my experience, I established Celtic Advice – an executive coaching & business consultancy.
Our mission has two key aims:
- To enable organisations to accelerate business growth by enhancing leadership effectiveness.
- To empower individuals to overcome professional challenges and achieve career fulfilment.
My Why
Professional Fulfilment & Working with Purpose
Having spent the majority of my career in corporate, results-driven environments, I learned that authentic, values based leadership is key to building collaborative work environments, fostering motivation & driving sustainable business growth.
Reflecting on personal experience, I’ve consistently sought to champion this style of leadership—one that empowers teams to thrive under pressure and deliver on strategic goals, whilst also nurturing individuals strengths & self-belief to help them realise their full potential.
Combining this philosophy with a deep passion for retail, I am able to bring purpose and impact to my work.
Whether through executive coaching or retail consulting, my mission at Celtic Advice is to equip clients with the tools, strategies, and mindset needed to thrive—delivering meaningful results in business and fulfilment in life.
What Challenges Can I Support You With
Executive Coaching
Whether you are currently in career transition, considering a new professional path or work environment, newly promoted in your first leadership role and experiencing imposter syndrome, or working with a micro-managing boss, coaching offers you an opportunity within a supportive, confidential space to develop strategies and action plans to navigate and overcome barriers to your success.
Through self-reflection and coaching techniques, I will work with you to uncover potential blind spots and empower you to harness your strengths and self-belief to take the actions you need to be successful.
Luxury & Retail Consulting
Maybe you need support in transforming your organisation’s service culture to a ‘luxury mindset’.
Perhaps your ambition is to expand your retail footprint or to optimise current store operations to accelerate growth.
I will help you identify quick-wins to drive meaningful results & support you in implementing your vision & long term business development strategy.
Who I Work With
As an Executive Coach, I work with a wide range of executive profiles, with a particular passion for supporting:
Leaders in Transition
- Recently advanced to the C-Suite
- New to Managing others
- High Potentials preparing for leadership progression
Early-career professionals
- Helping them develop strategies for success
- Navigating career progression
Luxury & Retail
With my Consulting work I especially enjoy partnering with Retail clients to help them:
- Optimise business performance
- Align their commercial & people development strategies
Testimonials
“Orla’s coaching has been transformative. Her ability to guide me to solutions through insightful questioning was particularly impactful, fostering a new way of thinking that extends beyond my professional life. I deeply valued her genuine nature, vast knowledge, and generous commitment to my development. Working with Orla was an exceptional experience, and the lessons I’ve learned are ones I will carry with me throughout my career.”
“Working with Orla during my first year as a manager has been truly transformative. Her coaching created a space for deep reflection, growth, and practical action. She guided me to reframe challenges, strengthen my leadership presence, and make decisions with more clarity and confidence. Orla doesn’t give you the answers—she helps you find your own, and that’s what makes the process so powerful. I’m incredibly grateful for the insight and support she’s given me during this pivotal time.”
“Orla challenged me to think strategically and longer term about my career when considering my first role post graduating from UCD Smurfit Business School.
She encouraged me to reflect more broadly on the kind of role, culture, and environment that best match my strengths together with my personal values and career aspirations.We explored alternative pathways & opportunities to those I was initially considering which focused more on skill building & developing new competencies which would enhance my overall profile.
Orla gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and go after roles that build on my strengths, develop new skills, and really stretch me. I’m genuinely enjoying the challenge with my new role, and this has already opened doors to new opportunities I hadn’t considered before.”
“Working with Orla last year was incredibly beneficial as I navigated my professional journey. She expertly guided me in developing a concrete action plan for my career progression and provided invaluable support in discussing development opportunities for my senior team members. Orla’s executive coaching style isn’t about providing answers but empowering you to find them yourself in an authentic way. I highly recommend Orla to anyone seeking to step into their power, make strategic decisions, and deliver exceptional results for their team and business.”
“Before I met Orla, I was really struggling with my work and I just felt a bit lost. I had two very young children and I had somehow lost my confidence and my purpose. Orla and I instantly clicked and her coaching brought an opportunity to reframe my thinking resulting in me finding my confidence and my smile again. It was such a relief to have Orla by my side to help me navigate my way through a really difficult time. I am exceptionally grateful to her.”
“Orla helped me to develop further as VP Sales in my company. I had to step up into leading a new market, with more complex customers. Her coaching style prompted me to gain insights that allowed me to achieve great results. In particular, Orla helped me to have a strategic perspective and take decisions that impacted the short and middle term of my organisation. I am more than happy to recommend Orla if you want to achieve new heights of performance!”
“Coaching has significantly improved my confidence and management skills. I found the role-playing exercises and structured approach to daily challenges, such as difficult conversations and delivering feedback, particularly effective. Orla’s support, through clear action plans and invaluable emotional guidance during this initial phase of my managerial career, has been outstanding. Overall, coaching has been extremely beneficial, fostering my growth and confidence. I highly recommend her services.”
“As a HR professional, I can confidently recommend Orla for her excellent coaching and training services. Her professionalism, subject matter expertise, and dedication to achieving results were evident throughout the engagement. Orla not only imparted valuable knowledge and skills like collaboration & creating a positive feedback culture, but also inspired our team to embrace continuous learning and improvement. I have no hesitation in recommending Orla to any organization looking to enhance its team’s performance.”
FAQ's
What is executive coaching?
Executive coaching is a collaborative, thought-provoking process that empowers professionals to unlock their potential, enhance performance, and achieve both personal & professional goals.
How will executive coaching support my career development?
Executive coaching supports career development by helping you clarify your direction, build confidence, and develop the skills and mindset needed to navigate change, take on new challenges, and achieve your professional goals.
What level of personal commitment will be required from me?
Personal commitment is critical to achieving successful coaching outcomes. Consider approaching coaching with openness, curiosity & genuine willingness to action & you will truly experience the full value of this investment.
What kind of consulting do you offer?
We support leaders to develop strategies to improve business performance, and align their commercial goals with people development strategies to drive sustainable growth.
