POLLY McDONALD - Director

Prior to training as a coach Polly was award winning MD of Crucial Films, a TV Company chaired by Lenny Henry. This was the culmination of 15 years as a programme maker and executive. She worked all over the world on many different shows ranging from live sporting events to period dramas and situation comedies.

Before going into television Polly worked as a restaurant manager, broadcaster, secretary, lady’s companion, and saleswoman amongst other things. Her eclectic history, together with her broad interests and experience really enhance her coaching. Polly’s work has twice been featured in ‘Time Out’.

Polly has been a coach for 10 years and holds a Diploma in Coaching from OCR. She is a certified NLP Trainer and Master Practitioner and is also proficient in a new coaching method based on Clean Language and Emergent Knowledge. Polly also delivers Team Coaching Courses developed from her many years of working one-to-one with individuals and using a variety of the most effective tools and models. These courses are typically run over one year and combine the best of coaching, facilitation, teambuilding and consultancy. Polly is a member of the International Coach Federation and adheres to their Code of Ethics.

MICHAEL HOBBS - Associate

Having won an Evening Standard Scholarship, Michael received his MBA in Leadership and Strategy from Henley Management College in 2003. His thesis on charismatic leadership was subsequently published as a Henley Working Paper. Michael also obtained a BA (hons) in History from UEA.

As a Management Consultant Michael works with individuals and teams to analyse and resolve specific issues based around leadership style, personality and communication, and presentation techniques. He is a lecturer on the ‘Journalism Leadership’ MA at Lancashire Business School.

Michael has devised and led courses on a number of business related issues including Strategy Formulation, Assertiveness Training, How to Coach Effectively, Giving Good Appraisals, Fearless Presenting, Time Management and Charismatic Leadership. Michael focuses on actionable learning points, lively classroom debate and giving clear and positive feedback.

Prior to becoming a Management Consultant, Michael was an award winning BBC presenter (Words & Pictures), writer, producer and documentary maker. He also had a successful acting career appearing in Birds of a Feather, Lewis and Men Behaving Badly. He played Elrond and Treebeard in the West End run of ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Current clients include BP, BAT, IPA, Qinetiq, HM Treasury and the Foreign Office.

PETER KENT - Associate

Peter Kent is an Executive Coach. His vision is to help individuals access their true potential and to enhance personal and organisational performance. Often this involves working with people to create and align with their vision and to construct and implement plans to deliver their vision. He works with people to increase their choices and to learn from doing.

Peter has over 25 years’ Senior Management experience in commercial and operations roles. Graduating as a Chemical Engineer, he was fascinated by change processes.

After a three spell as an Organisation Development Consultant, Peter developed a passion for organisation and personal change into a wide variety of senior leadership roles in ICI.

Since focusing on realising his vision 5 years ago, Peter has been providing Executive Coaching and development programmes in major companies and in the public sector. He specialises in developing leaders in the dimensions of self management, relationship management and business management.

ED ROWLAND - Associate

Ed Rowland is an organisational consultant, group facilitator and senior executive coach with 10 years experience of working to develop healthy, innovative and socially responsible leaders and organisations. His approach to coaching clients - which draws on his understanding of 'content' and a range of creative learning methods - is to build a strong partnership and supportive setting in which clients can challenge themselves to become the leaders and professionals they ideally want to be, and find transformative ways of getting there.

Within the broad field of leadership and executive coaching, and helping people achieve their potential, Ed specialises in working with:

interpersonal effectiveness and team/systemic issues/strategic leadership and time management; and public impact coaching (inc. communication and presentation skills)

Ed is a Member of the ICF, CIPD & Bar Council

RANJIT SIDHU - Associate

Ranjit is an experienced coach, trainer and project management consultant, with 20 years business experience gained predominantly in the IT industry. Ranjit specialises in coaching individuals and teams to enable change and maximise personal performance. She focuses on her clients’ potential and adopts an inside-out approach to change; helping clients and teams to align their goals with core values and creating achievable plans which lead to lasting change.

Ranjit spent 12 years in project management followed by a further 5 years in consulting to develop organisational effectiveness. Having worked internationally on global projects spanning Europe, America and Africa, she is accustomed to working with a diverse range of cultures. Ranjit now combines her wide experience with the latest in coaching techniques. She is an assessor for the Association of Project Management’s Practitioner Qualification, a Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming and a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.