ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business coaching franchise, has just supercharged its UK network with the addition of two standout franchise partners. Kieran Harris and Vern Dercksen may hail from very different backgrounds, but they’re united by one clear mission: to help business owners achieve sustainable, measurable growth.
Armed with decades of leadership experience, a passion for transformation and the full force of ActionCOACH’s proven sytems, Kieran and Vern are off to a strong start, with early seminars and launch activity already converting into new clients.
Originally from South Africa, Vern’s career has spanned theology, sales, operations and entrepreneurship. After relocating to the UK in 2018, Vern has taken on a number of senior leadership roles, from overseeing multiple Costa Coffee stores to launching his own web development business, and through that, Vern found his real passion in coaching and mentoring.
Now it was time for him to turn his calling into a career: “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.”
After starting his own coaching practice in 2023, Vern quickly realised he wanted more structure and a bigger platform – which led him to ActionCOACH. “The discovery day blew me away. Everything aligned – the culture, the systems, the community – I knew I’d found my home.”
He joined the network in January 2025 and now leads a growing firm across Crawley, Horsham, Gatwick and the wider Sussex region. “My launch event was vital in putting myself out there. Pretty quickly I secured 5 clients – providing the foundations to help me to continue to grow.
“I didn’t join ActionCOACH to be a solo act,” Vern added. “I’m here to build a firm. The vision is to build a team of coaches who can impact even more businesses across the region.”
Kieran Harris, based in King’s Lynn, completed initial training at ActionCOACH training with Vern in early 2025. With a background in teaching and a 20-year leadership career in logistics and operations, Kieran has always been driven by developing teams.
“I’ve always been super passionate about helping people become successful. I’ve played and coached sport, mentored corporate teams and taught in classrooms, so coaching a diverse range of people has always been a constant,” said Kieran.
A connection through the love of cricket with ActionCOACH UK co-founder Ian Christelow 15 years ago sparked Kieran’s initial interest in the franchise but he waited until the time was right to invest. “From minute one, I could see the training was industry leading. It also provided the opportunity for me to combine my skills with ActionCOACH’s systems, which are proven to set you up for success and that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve for my community. ”
After a triumphant debut seminar – a vital cog in ActionCOACH’s support for their new franchise partners Kieran quickly won his first clients he managed to welcome an impressive 12 new clients across various ActionCOACH product offerings. He’s now preparing for his second event in November, hoping to make the same impact.
His wife, a marketing specialist, is also set to join the business as they continue to expand through BNI networks and other local events. “It’s incredibly rewarding to help local businesses grow. I knew the ActionCOACH model was proven but the speed of growth since my launch seminar has been really positive for my own business,” added Kieran.
“It’s great to work with new clients it’s a real motivation for me to help them develop and be successful,” concluded Kieran. “And for anyone joining ActionCOACH, my advice is: work hard, go all in and never stop learning.”
With their shared values, diverse experience and strong early momentum, Vern and Kieran are already proving the power of the ActionCOACH system in transforming not just businesses – but lives.
ActionCOACH UK co-founder Ian Christelow also praised the duo’s early impact. “Vern and Kieran are the perfect examples of how very different career paths can lead to the same destination helping others succeed.”