Jonathan Passmore
Jonathan Passmore | |
|---|---|
| Born | Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England |
| Education | Sheffield Hallam University Open University University of East London |
| Occupations | Psychologist, academic, author |
| Employer(s) | Henley Business School, University of Reading |
| Known for | Coaching psychology; digital coaching; coaching ethics; artificial intelligence in coaching |
| Website | jonathanpassmore |
Jonathan Passmore is a British psychologist and Professor of Coaching and Behavioural Change at Henley Business School, University of Reading.[1] He was the inaugural Chair of the British Psychological Society's Division of Coaching Psychology (2020–2021), having previously co-founded the BPS Coaching Psychology Special Interest Group in 2001.[2][3]
Passmore has published more than 50 books and 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, making him one of the most prolific and widely cited scholars in coaching psychology.[1][4] His work has been recognised with awards from the Association for Coaching, the British Psychological Society, and Thinkers50, which inducted him into its Coaching Legends in 2025.[1][5]
In addition to his academic work, Passmore has held senior executive positions at two digital coaching platforms: CoachHub and EZRA (part of the Adecco Group).[6][7] He has also collaborated with professional bodies including the International Coaching Federation and EMCC Global on more than 20 technical reports.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Passmore was born in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. He attended Cranbourne School, Potters Bar, and St Audrey's Secondary School in Hatfield (later merged to become Onslow St Audrey's School).[1] He holds five degrees from Sheffield Hallam University, the Open University, the University of Hertfordshire, and the University of East London, where he completed a doctorate in occupational psychology.[1][8]
Early career
[edit]Passmore spent his early career in management consulting, working for PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM, and OPM on large-scale transformation projects in the UK and EU.[1]
He was an active member of the British Psychological Society. Along with Stephen Palmer, Alison Whybrow, and others, he was involved in the formation of the BPS Coaching Psychology network, which became the Special Interest Group (SIG) in Coaching Psychology. The group hosted the first BPS coaching psychology conference in 2001 at IBM London.[2][3] Passmore continued as a committee member of the SIG and led its transition to full BPS Divisional status in 2021, becoming the inaugural chair of the new Division of Coaching Psychology.[3]
Academic career
[edit]Passmore moved to the University of East London to undertake his doctorate and established the UK's first coaching psychology master's programme in 2007.[1] After a period running his own consulting company, he returned to academia at Henley Business School, University of Reading, to lead the Henley Centre for Coaching.[1]
He was promoted to Professor of Coaching and Behavioural Change in 2021. At Henley, he developed new programmes in team coaching and coaching supervision and secured triple accreditation for the Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching from the Association for Coaching, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, and the International Coaching Federation.[1]
His research spans the processes and outcomes of coaching as a method for human learning and change, including work on digital coaching, race and diversity in coaching, mindfulness, coaching ethics, and the historical development of coaching as a practice. He has argued that coaching, while often described as a product of the late twentieth century, likely has roots in much older traditions of guided learning in hunter-gatherer societies.[1][9]
Technology and coaching
[edit]Passmore has been active in integrating technology with coaching practice. He served as Senior Vice President at CoachHub, a digital coaching platform that raised $330 million in funding, and later as Senior Vice President at EZRA, part of the Adecco Group.[6][7] His 2024 paper in the Journal of Work Applied Management, co-authored with David Tee, assessed the capabilities of artificial intelligence in coaching conversations and knowledge synthesis, contributing to the growing literature on AI's role in the field.[9]
Ecological and nature-based coaching
[edit]Passmore has advocated for nature-based and outdoor coaching, exploring how engagement with natural environments can deepen individuals' connection to the natural world. With Ellie Lloyd-Jones, he led the Source to Sea project (2025–2026), a long-distance walk from the source of the River Thames to the sea, which promoted the development of nature-based coaching at Henley Business School.[1]
Awards and honours
[edit]• 2010: Association for Coaching — Global Impact Award[1]
• 2012: British Psychological Society — Coaching Research Award[1]
• 2015: Association of Business Psychologists — Chair's Award for Excellence[1]
• 2017: British Psychological Society — Distinguished Contribution to Coaching Psychology[1]
• 2018: BPS Division of Occupational Psychology — Academic Contribution to Practice Award[1]
• 2025: Thinkers50 Coaching Legend Award[5]
Selected publications
[edit]Passmore has published more than 50 books, 25 industry reports and 150 peer-reviewed journal articles. Representative works include:
• Passmore, J. (2007). An integrative model for executive coaching. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(1), 68–78.[10]
• Passmore, J., & Tee, D. (2024). The library of Babel: assessing the powers of artificial intelligence in coaching conversations and knowledge synthesis. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 16(1), 4–18.[9]
• Passmore, J., & Gibbes, C. (2007). The state of executive coaching research. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2(2), 116–128.
• Grant, A. M., Passmore, J., Cavanagh, M., & Parker, H. (2010). The state of play in coaching. International Review of Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 25, 125–168.
• Passmore, J., Peterson, D., & Freire, T. (2013). The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Coaching and Mentoring. Wiley-Blackwell.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Professor Jonathan Passmore". henley ac uk.
- 1 2 "Division of Coaching Psychology". bps org uk.
- 1 2 3 "Asking the provocative questions is the real value we add". bps org uk.
- ↑ "Jonathan Passmore". scholar google.
- 1 2 "Thinkers50 Announces Coaching Legends 2025 in partnership with 100 Coaches and BetterUp". thinkers 50 com.
- 1 2 "Professor Jonathan Passmore joins CoachHub as Senior VP of Coaching". coach hub.
- 1 2 "Renowned Psychologist and Professional Coach Jonathan Passmore Joins EZRA". hello ezra.
- ↑ "081: When the Science of Coaching Meets Technology with Jonathan Passmore". association for coaching.
- 1 2 3 "The library of Babel: assessing the powers of artificial intelligence in knowledge synthesis, learning and development and coaching". emerald.
- ↑ "An integrative model for executive coaching". psycnet apa.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Jonathan Passmore profile at Henley Business School
- Jonathan Passmore on Google Scholar