The first fully connected coaching experience pairs a dedicated ICF-accredited coach and Cai, an AI partner that remembers conversations, priorities and organizational context, so enterprises can develop their most critical performance layer: managers
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 26, 2026 / EZRA, the enterprise coaching company, today launched Loop, a first-of-its-kind connected coaching experience that pairs the scale of AI with the power of human coaching to give every manager a coach.
"Managers today are expected to lead through AI-driven change, navigate tough conversations, and develop their people, often with little support beyond a one-time training," said Nick Goldberg, CEO of EZRA. "They don't need an AI chatbot to help them work through challenges. They need a real, human coach who can help them navigate high-stakes moments with honest feedback and strong judgement. That's why Loop is a game changer, combining human coaching with AI that connects context and drives continuous development between sessions."
Teams led by coached managers resolved customer problems 18% faster in a study of EZRA's customers. As middle managers emerge as a critical layer in AI transformation initiatives, the need for widespread coaching has never been greater-yet most organizations continue to ration coaching only to top executives. With Loop, businesses can now give every manager an always-on AI development partner who knows exactly when to loop in their dedicated human coach, who is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
To develop Loop, EZRA studied more than a million coaching sessions with 200,000 people across its customers, including companies like Microsoft, Spotify, Mastercard, HSBC, Eli Lilly, KPMG and Service Now. It noticed that AI support outperformed human coaches on task skills such as prioritization and goal setting, while human coaching outperformed on interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence and executive presence. Together, they beat either alone, driving a 37% increased chance of behavioral changes.
How EZRA's Loop Connected Coaching Works
Loop runs for 12 months, with six coaching sessions per employee and an always-on AI development partner called Cai that understands the employee's coaching goals, provides behavioral nudges that help them achieve them, and hands that context back to their coach for the next one-on-one meeting.
"I used to spend the first 15 minutes of every session catching up," said Anusha Parshotam, ICF-accredited EZRA coach. "Now, I walk in knowing about the conversation she already rehearsed, feedback she's been avoiding and the moment she nearly gave up. We start where it matters, and it makes coaching much more impactful."
Cai remembers both coaching conversations and organizational context. It integrates into workplace tools like Slack and Teams and detects signals that imply someone might need a coach-such as a moment of inertia or intensity-and proactively recommends a session. The coach arrives fully briefed, and session insights feed back into the AI loop, creating a compounding continuous development cycle.
"AI coaching can't replace the accountability, honest challenge and deep judgement that human coaches provide," said Goldberg. "EZRA coaches step in for high-stakes conversations, while AI provides consistent momentum and engagement between those sessions. Together, they create a continuous development loop that prepares managers with the curiosity, judgement, humility and connection to lead through uncertainty and ambiguity."
Loop is in preview with select organizations now and will be available to EZRA customers in Q1 2027. To learn more, visit www.helloezra.com.
About EZRA
EZRA is the connected coaching company that gives every manager a coach. Founded in 2019 as the coaching arm of LHH, part of The Adecco Group, EZRA has delivered more than a million coaching sessions to over 200,000 people in 120 countries and 75 languages. EZRA combines behavioral science with [4,500] ICF-accredited human coaches and Cai, its AI development partner, to deliver coaching that drives behavior changes, leadership development and better performance. Companies like Microsoft, Spotify, Mastercard, HSBC, Eli Lilly, KPMG and ServiceNow rely on EZRA coaching.
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SOURCE: EZRA
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https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/ezra-launches-loop-to-give-every-manager-a-coach-and-an-ai-that-k-1240567
