The UK network of ActionCOACH has welcomed two new franchise partners whose early momentum is already translating into measurable growth. Kieran Harris and Vern Dercksen arrive from different professional backgrounds, yet both share a clear mission: helping business owners achieve sustainable progress through structured coaching and proven systems.
Dercksen’s journey to business coaching began far from the boardroom. Originally from South Africa, he built a varied career spanning theology, operations, and entrepreneurship after relocating to the United Kingdom in 2018. His leadership roles included overseeing multiple Costa Coffee locations before launching his own web development company. Along the way, he discovered that mentoring and developing people was the work that energized him most. “In every role I had, the part I loved most was helping people grow. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning,” he said.
After establishing an independent coaching practice in 2023, Dercksen sought a platform with greater structure and scale. That search led him to ActionCOACH. Following a discovery day with the franchise, he felt confident he had found the right environment to expand his impact. Today he leads a growing coaching firm serving Crawley, Horsham, Gatwick, and the wider Sussex region. Within months of launching, he secured his first five clients and is already working toward building a larger team of coaches across the region.
Harris, who is based in King’s Lynn, arrived at coaching through a different path shaped by two decades of leadership in logistics and team development. His interest in ActionCOACH began years earlier through a shared love of cricket with the company’s UK co founder, Ian Christelow. Although the idea of joining the franchise remained in the background for years, Harris waited until the timing aligned with his professional goals.
The decision quickly paid off. After completing training alongside Dercksen in early 2025, Harris hosted his first seminar and secured twelve clients across several coaching programs. He now plans to expand his reach through additional events and local business networks, with his wife, a marketing specialist, preparing to join the growing venture. Reflecting on the early progress, Harris noted that helping businesses develop and succeed has become a powerful motivator. Together, he and Dercksen illustrate how diverse careers can converge through a franchise system designed to turn experience into meaningful business growth.
