Sinead Sharkey-Steenson's biography
International Women's Day
- Psychologist, ICF Accredited leadership coach, and NLP master practitioner
- Perimenopause and menopause leadership and talent retention specialist
- Co-founder of the Impact Players leadership conference
Sinead Sharkey-Steenson is a leadership and menopause coach dedicated to enabling women to thrive in senior roles while helping organisations retain valued talent through supportive workplace cultures. With over two decades of corporate experience in leadership development, cultural transformation, and business improvement, Sinead has worked with global companies such as Deloitte, Citi, Bombardier Aerospace, Oracle, and Lean In.
Having navigated her own career challenges and the impact of menopause, Sinead brings empathy, insight, and practical strategies to the women and organisations she supports. She has helped thousands of women step into leadership positions, secure promotions, and strengthen their influence without sacrificing their wellbeing.
Sinead’s extensive corporate career includes senior roles in human resources and organisational change, transforming culture and leadership practices. She holds a BA Hons in Psychology, MSc qualifications in Computing and Information Systems and Human Resource Management, and is an NLP Master Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, ICF accredited coach, and PQ Coach.
A committed advocate for equality in the workplace, Sinead co-founded Impact Players, an international leadership movement for women in business and sport. Her TEDx talk, Menopause: Smashing the Last Glass Ceiling, has furthered conversations on shifting the focus from symptoms to solutions, ensuring midlife women can continue to contribute at the highest levels.
Whether addressing senior leadership teams or facilitating peer learning groups, Sinead focuses on building confidence, clarity, and energy in leadership – helping women lead with impact while creating environments where they can thrive at every stage of their career.
Sinead's showreel and videos
Topics, sessions and talks
How To Stop The Menopause Talent Drain
For companies committed to valuing and supporting their female workforce, this session is a must. In this talk, Sinead Sharkey-Steenson will teach you how to retain your workforce through life changes. You’ll understand what your employees are experiencing during menopause and learn how to offer meaningful support to ensure your workplace remains a place where women thrive.
Supporting Women Through Menopause At Work
Menopause symptoms can manifest uniquely in the workplace. In this awareness session, Sinead Sharkey-Steenson goes beyond the medical symptoms to show their impact on work life. You’ll learn practical techniques to support your team effectively through these changes.
Thriving In Your Career During Perimenopause And Menopause
Aimed at women navigating their careers during peri/menopause, this talk is filled with practical tools and proven tips. Sinead Sharkey-Steenson will share the strategies to maintain and elevate your career, even on the toughest days.
Maximising Mental Fitness To Handle Stress And Change
Good mental health is key to managing stress and life changes. In this session, Sinead Sharkey-Steenson will show you how to get your brain in top condition, so you can handle stress like a pro and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Navigating Leadership During Menopause
In this session, Sinead Sharkey-Steenson teaches you how to reduce your stress and continue to make purposeful impact as a leader experiencing menopause. Sinead offers strategies to manage your responsibilities and hormonal changes while maintaining your impact and easing stress.
Why we recommend booking Sinead
Book Sinead Sharkey-Steenson to empower your team with insights on leadership and menopause. Her expertise transforms workplace cultures, ensuring women thrive in top roles. With a proven track record and a compelling message, she inspires change and fosters inclusivity, making her a must-have speaker for your organisation.
Sinead is authentic, knowledgeable, funny and inspiring – and I know that she really does change women's lives for the better. Thank-you Sinead.
Claire Nixon
Women InTech Belfast
I was delighted when Sinead agreed to speak at our IWD session. She shared her valuable insights in such an authentic, humourous and impactful way. The questions then flowed as everyone felt safe and relaxed to ask them. Sinead has a persuasive, positive and empowering style which inspires and motivates the whole audience.
Denise Black
Director of Learning, WiB
Thank you to Sinead for sharing her inspirational messages with our group at Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) Belfast. Sinead was not only so giving of her time and expertise, the feedback that we received from the event was exceptional. Authentic, full of personality, engaging, thought provoking were just some of the words used by our attendees to describe Sinead. As organisers of the event, it was great to work with a professional with a clear vision of what they want to discuss and the skills to deliver that in a way that speaks to everyone attending. Thank you for your support of WIBF and all that you do to raise women up. Look forward to working with you again.
