Based in Dublin, Ireland, Jane Downes is the Founder of Clearview Coaching Group, established in 2004. Through her work as an author and leader, Jane focuses on human potential and career performance strategies. Her professional path centers on supporting leaders, entrepreneurs, teams, and organizations as they navigate growth, transition, and transformation. Throughout her tenure, Jane has dedicated her practice to empowering people to gain clarity, build confidence, find direction, and manage their own career performance strategies.
A Foundation of Curiosity and The Path to Coaching
Jane describes the single word that best characterizes her as “curious”. This curiosity stems from a continuous desire to understand what helps people thrive and what holds them back in their professional lives. Her background combines a First Class Honours degree as a social scientist with practical experience in corporate hiring. She has invested in formal coaching, diplomas and certifications, leadership development programs, and ongoing business training to build her foundation.
According to Jane, building a company requires strategic thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and a continuous willingness to evolve. Every role she held prior to founding her business contributed to these capabilities and gave her the confidence to pursue entrepreneurship.
Influential Encounters
Jane attributes the primary influence on her professional life to the collective knowledge of the clients, mentors, colleagues, and leaders she has worked with throughout her career. Personally, she draws inspiration from individuals who demonstrate courage during uncertainty, embrace change, and overcome setbacks.
The coaching profession itself has shaped her by emphasizing the importance of listening deeply, asking meaningful questions, and trusting the capabilities of others. Family and friends have also served as a supportive sounding board.
The Decision to Pursue Coaching
Jane notes that she did not start with a specific plan to become a coach; rather, the profession found her naturally, as people often asked her for advice, perspective, and a non-judgmental environment, and once the decision was made, she didn’t look back and approached it with dogged persistence. Over time, she observed that she was even more interested in the individuals behind business challenges, along with the business problems themselves.
A key realization occurred when she noticed talented professionals operating below their potential due to a lack of clarity, confidence, or appropriate support systems, rather than a lack of ability. This observation led to her focus on the psychology of career management and the impact of mindset. These insights formed the basis for her book, “The Career Book-Help for the Restless Realist,” which was foreworded by Dr. Edward De Bono, the creator of lateral thinking.
The Vision Behind Clearview Coaching Group
Clearview Coaching Group was established on the principle that individuals achieve results when they gain clarity about their identity and goals while implementing mindset changes to self-drive their careers. The initial concept emerged from Jane’s desire to build a practice that combined professional standards with human connection.
The founding mission was to provide a space where clients could step back from daily pressures, gain perspective, and formulate practical strategies for forward momentum. The company currently works with leaders, teams, and organizations seeking performance improvement, sustainable growth, stronger cultures, and alignment between purpose and action.
Overcoming Early Hurdles
During the early stages of building Clearview Coaching Group, one of the primary challenges was the transition from being an expert to a business owner. This transition required balancing service delivery with marketing, operations, financial management, and strategic growth. Another hurdle was establishing credibility at a time when coaching was not widely recognized as a profession in Ireland or across much of Europe.
Jane focused on consistently delivering results, nurturing relationships, and maintaining high professional standards to establish her reputation. During periods of economic and organizational change, she learned the importance of adaptability, resilience, and staying focused on long-term goals rather than short-term obstacles. She also took on loss leader assignments to expand her industry knowledge.
Clearview’s Core Offerings
Clearview Coaching Group provides a comprehensive suite of coaching, leadership development, and personal growth solutions. The company’s services include executive coaching, leadership coaching, team development, organizational effectiveness programs, workshops, and strategic growth initiatives. The company avoids one-size-fits-all methodologies, focusing instead on customized solutions that address the distinct needs of each client.
Jane states that their work is differentiated by the integration of practical business acumen with a deep understanding of personal transformation. Today, the company’s impact has expanded to assist leaders and teams in seeking sustainable growth and stronger corporate cultures. Jane is also currently in the process of finalizing her second book
Driving Strategy and Culture
As Founder, Jane’s responsibilities cover leadership, strategy, innovation, client engagement, and organizational growth. She sets the company’s vision, ensuring that business operations align with its mission and values. Her role involves directly supporting clients, developing programs, building partnerships, and identifying growth opportunities. She also focuses on fostering a workplace culture of integrity, excellence, and continuous improvement.
Maintaining Balance Through Self-Awareness
Jane views work-life balance as an ongoing practice rather than a perfect destination. She prioritizes clear boundaries, planning, and regular reflection to sustain her personal well-being alongside running a business. Her routine includes physical activity, reading, spending time in nature, and engaging with family and friends.
Jane is an avid sea swimmer, and this activity helps clear her mind before starting the day or following an intense session of client work. Regular evaluation of where she invests her time and energy allows her to make necessary adjustments and remain resilient.
Navigating Challenges with Self-Trust
Jane identifies self-trust as an essential quality for women entrepreneurs, noting that trust in one’s vision and capabilities is necessary to navigate obstacles and uncertainty. She observes that women leaders face ongoing challenges, including unequal representation in senior leadership, unconscious bias, and access to investment and funding.
Furthermore, many face the pressure of balancing multiple roles, such as caring for aging parents or children. Jane advocates for supporting one another, championing diverse perspectives, and creating inclusive environments to accelerate progress and unlock opportunities for future generations.
Expanding Reach and Accessibility
Over the next two years, Jane anticipates Clearview Coaching Group expanding its reach, influence, and impact. The company plans to achieve this through innovative coaching programs, scalable learning solutions, strategic partnerships, and thought leadership initiatives. She notes that the future of leadership development will increasingly require flexibility, personalization, and accessibility.
Leadership in Action
For aspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs aiming to make an impact, Jane advises taking action before feeling completely ready, stating that growth occurs through action. She recommends being clear about purpose, using it to guide decisions, investing in development, and building meaningful relationships with mentors.
She emphasizes the value of resilience, framing challenges as lessons that strengthen leadership. Most importantly, Jane encourages leading authentically, bringing unique strengths, values, and perspectives to the table rather than attempting to fit predetermined molds of leadership.
Accolades and Recognition
Jane is not only the founder of Clearview Coaching Group. She is also an author and thought leader in coaching, leadership development, and professional growth. She has successfully coached and mentored leaders across diverse industries. She is a speaker, facilitator, and advocate for leadership excellence and women’s advancement in business.
Jane and her organization have received multiple industry recognitions, including:
- The MSN Top 10 Trailblazing Women 2026
- Great Companies by Women Story Media – Top Women Founders to Watch 2026
- Great Companies, 6th International Women Entrepreneur 2024 Awards – Winner of the Best Female Entrepreneur Coaching & Training Category.
- Top 10 Leadership Development Training/Coaching Companies in Europe 2023 – Manage HR Europe.
- Winner of Best in Ireland – Career Coaching Category 2023/2024.
- Winner of the EU BUSINESS Irish Enterprise Awards 2021 | Best Career & Performance Coaching Services 2021.
As the professional landscape continues to evolve, Jane Downes focuses on adapting Clearview Coaching Group to meet emerging needs for flexibility, personalization, and accessibility in leadership development. Her experiences underscore the value of leading with clarity and purpose.
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