Our February 2026 monthly member spotlight is on one of our entrepreneur members – Araceli Canedo Bebbington. After 25 years in global banking, she chose purpose over title and now helps leaders embrace change with confidence and courage. Her work is all about turning growth into lasting impact.
Read on to find out more.
What made you decide it was time to switch lanes and focus more deeply on coaching?
After 25 years in banking, including leading global transformation teams as a Managing Director, I reached a point where everything looked successful on paper, but something felt off, internally.
Two things had always driven me: people and change. I enjoyed shaping strategy and leading large programmes, but what truly energised me was supporting individuals through those shifts, mentoring talent, developing leaders, and being a sounding board.
Over time, my definition of success changed. Titles and recognition no longer felt enough. I was looking for impact over hierarchy, purpose over position.
Leaving banking meant facing fears around identity and security, but it was one of the most aligned decisions I’ve made. Coaching brought my two passions together in a way that feels deeply meaningful.
What’s a change in your own life that surprised you in a good way?
Leaving banking to coach felt clear. Becoming an entrepreneur did not.
Building a business from scratch was new territory. The learning curve was steep: branding, marketing, partnerships, and the discipline required to keep going.
What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the ownership of it. The freedom to shape my work, the creativity to build something from the ground up, and the ability to align everything with my values.
It has humbled me and stretched me. It’s rewarding and demanding in equal measure, and that tension is what makes it transformative.
What do you enjoy most about working with leaders from different cultures?
Global leadership has always been part of my life. In my corporate career, I led teams of up to 400 people across countries and cultures, and that experience shaped how I see leadership.
Today, through coaching and my Board role, I continue working with leaders across more than 30 countries.
What I value most is the constant learning. Different cultural lenses challenge assumptions and expand perspective. I learn as much as I contribute, and that keeps me curious and evolving.
When someone feels stuck, what’s one simple reminder you share?
“Comfort is the enemy of growth.”
When people feel stuck, it’s often because they’re holding onto what feels safe, even if it no longer serves them. Growth usually requires stepping into discomfort, having the difficult conversation, making the bold decision, entering uncertainty.
On the other side of that discomfort is expansion. More confidence. More clarity. More possibility.
When you were a child, what did you dream of becoming?
As a child, I was curious and determined. I grew up between Spain and Switzerland, two very different environments, and that shaped my openness early on.
I didn’t have one fixed dream job. I just knew I wanted to keep learning and discover the world.
That curiosity is still with me. It shows up in my global work, in my love of development, and in the way I connect across cultures.
My family likes to say I took that curiosity very far, I ended up marrying someone from Tasmania. I suppose I really did want to see the world.
What is the core mission driving your work today?
I help leaders navigate change with clarity, confidence, and courage.
When leaders grow, the ripple effect is real. It impacts teams, organisations, families, and beyond.
Whether I work with corporate leaders or entrepreneurs, the goal is the same: supporting people to lead and live in a way that feels aligned and sustainable.