Saiyyidah Zaidi
Saiyyidah Zaidi
Dr Saiyyidah (pronounced say-ee-dah) is uniquely positioned with one foot in academic research, and the other in coaching practice and leadership development. After qualifying as an Architect at the prestigious Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow she went on to have a successful career in local government where Saiyyidah led the procurement of regeneration projects with a value of up to £300m. She graduated in 2011 from Meyler Campbell’s Mastered programme and become a business coach, and has been coaching and facilitating leadership development in person and online since then.
A passionate and life long learner Saiyyidah has two Masters degrees (with distinctions) in Construction Economics and Management and Applied Positive Psychology. In 2014, she qualified as a Certified High Performance Coach with the High Performance Institute in America, and has studied advanced business NLP with Sue Knight. Saiyyidah spent eight years researching identity, intersectionality, and interculturality exploring the intersection of race, religion, and gender and is the first (and currently only) Muslim to receive a Doctorate in Practical Theology in Britain. A pioneer in the diversity and inclusion space, Saiyyidah’s approach of belonging and understanding, ‘contextual intersectionality,’ and experiential learning is impacting academic institutions, professional organisations, and individuals keen to explore inclusion, diversity, and belonging in coaching, facilitation, and beyond.
In addition to being an experienced and gifted coach, Saiyyidah is a qualified mediator and peacebuilder whose influence is both macro and micro. She works across sector and internationally – recently supporting leaders in the third sector, executive teams with business growth and mergers, and individuals transitioning to partner in professional service firms.
Saiyyidah has lived in 8 countries, and travelled the world with her husband and family before returning to live in her home city of London.
Saiyyidah is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management; a Trustee and Committee Member with the British and Irish Association of Practical Theology; and the Founding Convenor at the Centre for Belonging and Understanding.