phillipa coan

Dr. Phillipa Coan: The Chartered Psychologist Pioneering Corporate Sustainability And Behavioural Change

phillipa coan

Dr. Phillipa Coan is a name that has captured public attention, not only as the wife of renowned actor Jude Law but, more significantly, as an award-winning Chartered Psychologist and a leading expert in the critical field of workplace environmental behaviour change. As of December 12, 2025, Coan continues her influential work, seamlessly blending the rigorous discipline of business psychology with a commitment to global sustainability, positioning herself as a powerful force in modern corporate responsibility. Her professional journey moves far beyond the public spotlight of her marriage, establishing her as a serious academic and a sought-after consultant. Coan's expertise lies in unlocking the human element of corporate sustainability, using psychological principles to drive genuine, long-term pro-environmental behaviour among employees and within major organisations. This deep dive explores her definitive biography, her groundbreaking research, the success of her company STRIDE, and her private life updates.

The Definitive Biography and Profile of Dr. Phillipa Coan

Dr. Phillipa Mary Coan, often referred to simply as Phillipa Coan, maintains a professional and relatively private profile, though her academic and business achievements are widely recognised within her field. She has deliberately carved out a career based on merit and expertise, distinct from the celebrity status of her husband.

  • Full Name: Phillipa Mary Coan (Dr. Phillipa Coan)
  • Date of Birth: Circa 1986/1987
  • Age (as of 2025): Approximately 38 years old
  • Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
  • Nationality: British
  • Occupation: Chartered Psychologist, Business Psychologist, Behaviour Change Specialist, Business Coach, Entrepreneur
  • Education: PhD in Occupational Psychology (University of Leeds/City University London), MSc, BSc
  • Company: Founder of STRIDE (Stride Coaching Behavioural / STRIDE GROUP LTD)
  • Spouse: Jude Law (Married 2019)
  • Children: Two children with Jude Law (The actor has seven children in total)
  • Professional Affiliations: Chartered Member of The British Psychological Society (BPS), Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP), Visiting Research Fellow at Leeds University Business School.
  • Key Expertise: Workplace Environmental Behaviour Change, Corporate Sustainability, Employee Engagement, Energy Management (ISO 50001).

Coan's background is rooted in rigorous academic study. She holds a PhD, which contributed significantly to her winning the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology’s first prize for student research in 2015. This early accolade highlighted her potential to bridge the gap between psychological theory and real-world corporate application.

STRIDE: Pioneering Behavioural Change and Corporate Sustainability

The foundation of Phillipa Coan’s professional success rests heavily on her company, STRIDE. Founded as a business consultancy, STRIDE Coaching Behavioural leverages expertise in both psychology and sustainability to advise organisations on how to embed pro-environmental behaviour into their corporate culture.

The STRIDE Methodology: Psychology Meets CSR

STRIDE's core mission is to move beyond simple corporate social responsibility (CSR) statements and implement genuine, measurable behaviour change. Dr. Coan and her team utilise the principles of behavioural psychology to understand why employees—and companies as a whole—often fail to act on their environmental intentions.

The company's consultancy approach focuses on several key areas:

  • Employee Engagement: Developing bespoke programs to foster a "Green Psychological Climate" within the workplace.
  • Energy Management: Advising companies on behaviour change strategies essential for successful implementation of standards like ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems).
  • Systemic Team Coaching: Applying her certification from the Academy of Executive Coaching to ensure behavioural shifts are sustained across entire teams and departments.
  • HRM Practices: Consulting on Human Resource Management (HRM) practices that effectively promote and reward pro-environmental psychological capital.

By identifying and modifying the underlying psychological factors—such as motivation, perceived control, and social norms—STRIDE helps businesses achieve significant, measurable reductions in their environmental footprint. This work demonstrates a powerful commercial application for occupational psychology.

The Groundbreaking Research: Environmental Psychology and the Employee

Dr. Coan's status as a Visiting Research Fellow at the prestigious Leeds University Business School is a testament to her ongoing commitment to academic rigour. Her doctoral research and subsequent publications have had a notable impact on the field of environmental psychology.

The Virtuous Cycle of Green Companies

Her PhD thesis explored a "virtuous cycle," investigating how environmentally certified companies—or "green companies"—can effectively cultivate "green employees." This research was a pivotal step in linking corporate environmental strategy directly to individual employee behaviour. She demonstrated that organisational greening can, in fact, drive pro-environmental behaviour through a mediating role of corporate strategy and psychological climate.

Key areas of her published research include:

  • HRM Practices for Sustainability: Co-authoring papers on the specific HRM practices that are most effective in promoting pro-environmental behaviour in the workplace.
  • Situational Judgement Tests: Researching the use of Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) to assess non-cognitive skills relevant to environmental responsibility.
  • The Role of Self-Interest: Investigating the antecedents of hotel employees’ environmental behaviour, examining whether "self-discipline or self-interest" plays the dominant role.

This body of work solidifies Dr. Coan's reputation as a leading intellectual in the area of behaviour change, particularly where it intersects with corporate responsibility and the urgent need for environmental sustainability. Her work provides a crucial framework for companies like 2EA and Enerit, who focus on energy management and behaviour.

Life Beyond Academia: Marriage to Jude Law and Family

While her professional life is focused on data and psychological models, Dr. Phillipa Coan’s private life has attracted considerable media attention due to her marriage to celebrated British actor Jude Law. The couple began dating in 2015 and married in a low-key, intimate ceremony in 2019.

Their relationship is often characterised by its privacy, with Coan rarely accompanying Law on the red carpet, preferring to focus on her career as a Business Psychologist. However, in recent updates, the couple has been seen together at high-profile events, such as the Venice International Film Festival, sharing rare public displays of affection (PDA).

The couple has expanded their family, welcoming two children together. Law casually confirmed the birth of their second child in recent years, making him a father of seven. Their decision to keep their family life, particularly their children, out of the public eye reflects Dr. Coan’s preference for a life grounded in her professional achievements rather than celebrity fanfare. This balance of a high-powered career and a private family life with a major celebrity is a defining characteristic of her public persona.

The Continuing Influence of a Behavioural Specialist

Dr. Phillipa Coan’s journey from PhD student to award-winning Chartered Psychologist and founder of STRIDE is a compelling narrative of professional excellence. Her work in environmental psychology is not just academic; it is a practical, scalable solution for organisations facing the complex challenge of climate change and corporate sustainability. By focusing on the powerful levers of human behaviour and motivation, Coan is helping to shape a more environmentally conscious corporate world. Her influence, both as a business leader and a researcher, is set to grow as the demand for genuine, measurable corporate environmental change continues to soar in the mid-2020s and beyond.

phillipa coan
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phillipa coan
phillipa coan

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