About

Ellie Hearne

Ellie Hearne helps leaders turn moments of change into progress. As the founder of Pencil or Ink, she partners with leaders and organizations to make culture and strategy work together, delivering practical support grounded in academic rigor and real-world insight.

The Work

Ellie brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership coaching, facilitation, and strategy consulting. She works with founders, executives, and senior leaders across industries — from fast-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies — helping them navigate complexity, build influence, and lead with clarity.

Her approach is always practical: proven tools, clear frameworks, and actionable steps forward. Her warm, engaging style leaves leaders not just with insight, but with the confidence to act.

Expertise & Credentials

Ellie teaches AI, innovation, and executive strategy at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, where she leads the teaching team for the Oxford AI-Driven Business Transformation Executive Programme. She previously led the Oxford Strategic Innovation Programme.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations (with first-class honors) from the University of St Andrews and a postgraduate diploma in Organisational Leadership (with Distinction) from Oxford. Accredited in Insights Discovery for over a decade, she brings behavioral insight to her coaching and facilitation work.

Ellie serves as a trustee of the University of St Andrews American Foundation and is a GlobalScot business ambassador for the Scottish Government. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Fast Company, and Business Insider, and profiled by Nasdaq.

Experience

Ellie has partnered with leaders at Apple, Bergdorf Goodman, Bustle Digital Group, Bread Finance, Chroma Medicine, Cockroach Labs, Google, Kickstarter, Lincoln Center, Marriott International, Mastercard, Morgan Stanley, Oracle, Pfizer, Societe Generale, Spotify, and numerous organizations across tech, finance, fashion, healthcare, and beyond.

Background

Born in Ireland and raised in Scotland, Ellie lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.