Noble Manhattan Coaching
One of the world's longest-established coaching schools, founded 1993 by Gerard O'Donovan; UK-based; accredited by ICF (CCE), IAPC&M, IOL, and IRCM; 10,000–15,000 coaches trained globally.
- Type
- Coach Training Organization
- Founded
- 1993
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
About
Noble Manhattan Coaching is one of the longest-established coach training organizations in the world, founded in 1993 by Gerard O'Donovan in the United Kingdom. Operating globally across multiple markets, Noble Manhattan specializes in life coaching, executive coaching, and corporate coaching education, with a particular presence in the UK and European coaching markets.
The organization's longevity (over three decades of continuous operation) positions it alongside the founding generation of professional coaching schools. It predates most of the current ICF-accredited coach training market and has trained coaches who went on to build practices across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Noble Manhattan's primary offering is the Practitioner Coach Diploma, an ICF CCE-accredited program. As a CCE (Continuing Coach Education) program, it is designed for credential renewal and continuing professional development rather than initial ICF credentialing. Coaches who want to use Noble Manhattan training toward an initial ICF credential (ACC or PCC) should confirm the current ICF Portfolio pathway options, as CCE hours are applied differently than Level 1 or Level 2 program hours.
Beyond its ICF CCE accreditation, Noble Manhattan holds accreditation or registration with three further bodies: the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring (IAPC&M), the Institute of Leadership (IOL) — formerly the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) — and the International Regulator for Coaching and Mentoring (IRCM). These bodies apply their own independent standards rather than ICF's competency framework, and none offers a credentialing pathway equivalent to ICF's ACC/PCC/MCC system. They're best understood as separate marks of institutional standing — particularly recognized in UK and European coaching and leadership-development contexts — rather than as interchangeable with an ICF credential.
At a glance
Founded — 1993, United Kingdom
Founder — Gerard O'Donovan
Type — Coach Training Organisation (CTO)
Headquarters — United Kingdom; international operations
Website — noble-manhattan.com
Coaches trained — 10,000–15,000 globally
Accreditations — ICF (CCE), IAPC&M, IOL (formerly ILM), IRCM
History
Noble Manhattan was founded in 1993 by Gerard O'Donovan, at a point when professional coaching was still in its earliest institutional phase. The International Coaching Federation itself was not founded until 1995. Noble Manhattan therefore pre-dates the profession's main credentialing body, positioning it as a genuinely founding-generation coaching school in the UK and European context.
Over three decades, Noble Manhattan has trained coaches across multiple cohorts and markets, building a particular presence in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. The organization has evolved its curriculum and delivery formats to remain current with professional standards, while maintaining the depth of curriculum built over three decades of practitioner experience.
Programs and offerings
Practitioner Coach Diploma. Noble Manhattan's flagship coach training program. ICF CCE-accredited (Continuing Coach Education), with additional accreditation from IAPC&M, IOL, and IRCM. Equips practitioners with life coaching, executive coaching, and applied NLP skills. Suited for coaches seeking continuing education credits and professional development rather than initial ICF credential pathways.
Advanced Diploma. An extended program that includes the Classic diploma content plus additional supervised Masterclass modules (typically 10 monthly sessions), providing deeper applied competency training, coaching supervision, and mentoring. Earns additional ICF CCE units.
Corporate and organizational coaching. Coaching programs designed for organizational deployment, helping companies build coaching capability across leadership and management teams.
What makes Noble Manhattan distinctive
Noble Manhattan's most significant differentiator is its 30+ years of continuous operation in the UK market. For coaches working in or entering the UK and European coaching ecosystem, an organization with this depth of track record carries a specific kind of institutional credibility. The alumni network, built across decades and multiple continents, provides connections that newer schools cannot offer.
The inclusion of applied NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) as a core component of the curriculum alongside coaching distinguishes Noble Manhattan from programs that draw only on the ICF competency framework. This combination gives graduates an integrated toolkit that is particularly valued in UK and European coaching contexts where NLP has a longer and more established practitioner history.
Noble Manhattan's four-body accreditation profile (ICF, IAPC&M, IOL, IRCM) is broader than many peer coaching schools, though holding accreditation from multiple bodies is not unique to Noble Manhattan in the coaching industry — other schools pursue comparable multi-body accreditation (for example, dual ICF/EMCC accreditation is a recognized pattern elsewhere in the market).
Great coaching is a way of being, developed over years of practice, supervision, and honest self-examination.
1 Noble Manhattan Coaching training programs
Questions about Noble Manhattan Coaching
Q.01What ICF accreditation does Noble Manhattan hold?
What ICF accreditation does Noble Manhattan hold?
Noble Manhattan's Practitioner Coach Diploma is accredited by the ICF as a CCE (Continuing Coach Education) program. This means it earns credits toward ICF credential renewal (for existing ACC, PCC, or MCC holders) and can be used via the Portfolio path for initial credentials. It is not an ICF Level 1 or Level 2 initial program accreditation. Coaches seeking to earn their first ICF credential should confirm the current ICF Portfolio pathway requirements.
Q.02What is the difference between ICF CCE and Level 1/Level 2 accreditation?
What is the difference between ICF CCE and Level 1/Level 2 accreditation?
ICF CCE (Continuing Coach Education) programs provide hours that credentialed coaches can use for credential renewal. They can also be used via the ICF Portfolio application path for initial credentials, but this path differs from the direct Level 1 or Level 2 application path. If your primary goal is earning a first ICF credential (ACC or PCC), an ICF Level 1 or Level 2 accredited program offers a more direct route.
Q.03Which accreditation bodies recognize Noble Manhattan?
Which accreditation bodies recognize Noble Manhattan?
Four bodies: the ICF (Continuing Coach Education/CCE — not Level 1 or Level 2), the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring (IAPC&M), the Institute of Leadership (IOL, formerly ILM), and the International Regulator for Coaching and Mentoring (IRCM). Each applies different standards for different purposes. None of the three non-ICF bodies grants a credential equivalent to ICF's ACC, PCC, or MCC.
Q.04What is Noble Manhattan's history?
What is Noble Manhattan's history?
Noble Manhattan was founded in 1993 by Gerard O'Donovan, two years before the ICF itself was founded. It is one of the longest-established coaching schools in the world, with more than three decades of continuous operation and 10,000–15,000 coaches trained globally.
Q.05What programs does Noble Manhattan offer?
What programs does Noble Manhattan offer?
The Practitioner Coach Diploma is Noble Manhattan's flagship program, covering life coaching, executive coaching, and applied NLP skills. The Advanced Diploma extends this with additional Masterclass modules (10 monthly supervised sessions) providing applied competency training, coaching supervision, and mentoring, earning additional ICF CCE units. Noble Manhattan also delivers corporate and organisational coaching programs designed to build coaching capability across leadership and management teams.
Q.06How is NLP integrated into the curriculum?
How is NLP integrated into the curriculum?
Applied NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is integrated into the core curriculum alongside coaching skills. NLP practitioners and coaches work together in the training, providing a dual toolkit that is particularly relevant in UK and European coaching contexts where NLP has a long practitioner history.
Q.07How much does the Practitioner Coach Diploma cost?
How much does the Practitioner Coach Diploma cost?
Contact Noble Manhattan directly at noble-manhattan.com for current pricing and programme formats, as fees vary by market and delivery format.
Q.08Who founded Noble Manhattan and what is his background?
Who founded Noble Manhattan and what is his background?
Gerard O'Donovan founded Noble Manhattan in 1993, making him one of the earliest figures in the professional coaching industry in the United Kingdom. He built the school from its earliest days into one of the internationally recognised UK coaching brands, with operations across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. His career spans more than three decades of coach training, practitioner development, and the building of coaching business infrastructure. He is based in the United Kingdom and remains the principal voice of the Noble Manhattan brand.
Q.09Who typically attends Noble Manhattan programmes?
Who typically attends Noble Manhattan programmes?
Noble Manhattan attracts a broad mix: career changers entering coaching for the first time, existing coaches seeking ICF CCE units for credential renewal, HR and organisational development professionals adding coaching skills to their toolkit, and leaders within organisations looking to build a coaching style of management. The inclusion of NLP alongside coaching makes it particularly appealing to practitioners already in personal development, therapy-adjacent, or behavioural change fields. The UK and European client base is the strongest, though Noble Manhattan trains coaches internationally.
Q.10What does a Noble Manhattan Practitioner Coach Diploma tell me about a coach?
What does a Noble Manhattan Practitioner Coach Diploma tell me about a coach?
It tells you the coach trained at one of the UK's oldest coaching schools, established in 1993 and pre-dating the ICF, and completed a programme combining life coaching, executive coaching, and applied NLP. The diploma carries accreditation from ICF (CCE), IAPC&M, IOL, and IRCM, meaning it meets each body's respective standards. It does not confirm whether the coach holds an independent ICF credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC) — that is a separate, individually earned credential distinct from any of these program-level accreditations. Ask separately whether they hold an ICF credential and, if so, at what level.
Q.11What should I ask a Noble Manhattan-trained coach before hiring them?
What should I ask a Noble Manhattan-trained coach before hiring them?
Start by asking whether they hold the Practitioner Coach Diploma, the Advanced Diploma, or both. The Advanced Diploma includes substantially more supervised practice and mentoring. Ask whether they hold a separate ICF credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC), since the Noble Manhattan diploma is CCE-accredited rather than a Level 1 or Level 2 initial credential pathway. Ask how they integrate NLP into their coaching work, and whether you are comfortable with NLP as part of the approach. Views on NLP vary significantly among coaches and clients. Ask how many years they have been practising and what kinds of clients they typically work with, since Noble Manhattan trains coaches across life coaching, executive coaching, and corporate contexts.