Strategic and adaptable leader who helps teams thrive through change.
Hi, I’m Amy — part strategist, part coach, and the one who brings order to chaos.
I help leaders and teams navigate transformation with clarity, composure, and confidence.
Because when everything is changing fast, even the most capable leaders can lose sight of themselves.
You start reacting instead of leading. Working harder instead of smarter. Trying to hold it all together instead of asking what really needs to shift.
That’s where I come in.
I hold up the mirror so you can see what’s actually driving your results — the habits, assumptions, and blind spots that subtly shape how you show up. Together, we identify the small but critical shifts that create exponential impact: clearer decisions, calmer teams, and stronger performance under pressure.
If you want an upleveled outcome, you can’t rely on the same ways of leading that got you here.
The next version of your success requires new awareness — and the courage to lead from it.
Whether you’re seeking greater joy in your life or growth in your career, transformation always begins within.
We make sure your evolution is a win–win: meaningful results for the organization, and deeper fulfillment for you. Because sustainable leadership isn’t just about what you deliver — it’s about who you become in the process.
The Career Story
My career hasn’t followed a straight ladder — it’s been a journey through nearly every corner of business.
I’ve built products, led sales teams, run operations, launched my own company, and now lead within a Fortune 500. Each chapter has taught me something different about how transformation really works — and what it takes to create it from the inside out.
Early in my career at Lucent Technologies, I helped redesign professional services into a fee-for-service model — my first real lesson in transformation, negotiation, and resilience. From there, I spent a decade in telecommunications and technology, taking on roles in product management, sales, and general management. I led customer engagement for a SaaS company through rapid growth and multiple startup acquisitions, including one that became part of Verint Systems.
I’ve also experienced the other side of the equation — building and running my own business. Entrepreneurship taught me what it means to make every decision count, to adapt fast, and to carry the full weight of leadership responsibility.
Now, in the financial industry, I guide large-scale digital transformations and lead high-performing teams through complexity. I know the pressure of executive change firsthand — the politics, the pivots, the competing priorities. And I know how to find calm, clarity, and results inside all of it.
These experiences give me what I call “Swiss Army knife” perspective — the ability to see across functions, translate between disciplines, and understand how to move people forward in any environment. Whether it’s a startup in chaos or a corporate system in transition, I know how to navigate the human side of change and help others do the same.
The throughline of my work remains simple:
I help high-performing professionals stay grounded, think clearly, and lead effectively when the stakes are high.
What drives me
I’m driven by a simple belief: transformation done well changes more than outcomes — it changes people.
I’ve seen what happens when leaders reconnect to purpose and teams align around a shared vision. The ripple effect of that clarity — on culture, performance, and fulfillment — is what keeps me doing this work after two decades of leading change.
I’m credentialed as an ICF-ACC Certified Coach, Prosci Change Management Practitioner, and EQ-i 2.0/360 Certified Coach, and I’m also a Navigating Challenging Dialogues Facilitator.
Those credentials matter, but what my clients value most is how I combine structured thinking with emotional intelligence — bringing calm, clarity, and direction to the moments that matter most.
When I’m not leading or coaching, I write and speak about the inner work of leadership — how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and energy alignment drive real transformation.
My coaching practice, Guided, blends two decades of executive experience with a deep understanding of human behavior to help leaders elevate how they think, lead, and live — while delivering results that last.
If you’re leading through change — or becoming the kind of leader who can — let’s talk.
“Every transformation begins twice — first within the leader, then within the organization.”
- Amy Burford, MBA, Founder and CEO of Guided
Leadership Development
You only show up as who you are. Get to know Amy’s perspective a bit more and her journey as a mentor and mentee.
Listen to Amy’s story of finding her strengths to overcome challenges, acquire new skills, and cultivate resilience for both her personal and professional life.