What's Your Background?

I'm an expert on transformative leadership, which simply means looking more deeply into the human aspects rather than the tools and frameworks.

I'm a former development economist and policy adviser. For over twenty years I’ve been an adviser to governments and international organisations around the world. I've lived and worked in Africa, where I've designed and led global anti-poverty initiatives. I set up a micro-lending fund for women, worked for a policy think tank, consulted for the World Bank, the European Union and other governments and international organisations along the way.

I’ve had senior positions in the public sector, working alongside heads of government, I've negotiated EU regulations, and headed up the strategic development of multi-billion-euro economic development funds. I'm also a highly-regarded trainer with over 24,000 students in my online training courses and I've been a tutor for the Guardian Masterclasses series, and I love to share my message with groups through talks and seminars.

I moved away from the world of large-scale change in 2009 to become the person behind the scenes who supports the leaders of today and tomorrow.

I can’t really explain why that shift happens. It was gradual until it wasn’t, I found myself more fascinated by the human dimension of leadership and change than the economic and social dimensions. There was a strong pull away from the ‘doing’ towards deeper, one-to-one, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul, mind-to-mind conversations.

I can create a rationale that change happens one person at a time, but when I’m being most honest, I don’t know why we do what we do. All I know is that I love it and I’ve spent the last twelve plus years deepening my competence in and understanding of this work of creating change one person at a time.

I have coaching qualifications, three of them actually, and I’m on a continuing journey of education and supervision; maybe heading towards mastery, but then, who am I to give myself that accolade.

This life-long journey started back in childhood, with parents who, humble as they were, also had a strong sense of equality and fairness, of knowing that our place in life should not be determined by where or to whom we are born.

And it strikes me this is what we today might call a shared humanity—perhaps especially visible in those of us who dedicate ourselves to public service rather than private return (although is anything ever one or the other?), international development, policy and politics, or mission-driven business, looking to make our own small contribution to solving economic, environmental and social challenges.

People often say I’ve done a lot but the truth is I’m just ‘older’.

I know it’s easy to read a website and think that another person is distant, or assume that they are made of pixels and words on a page, but we’re all human and I am as real as the next person!

Please do contact me for a conversation, or stay in touch and get to know me.

What is ‘the Work’?

Basically I talk to people.

Usually one-to-one, sometimes in teams or groups.

Sometimes that’s in an ongoing relationship that we call ‘coaching’, and sometimes it’s a single conversation, time freely spent talking to one human, someone just like you.

I want to help people understand they are more than their thoughts, that they have more potential than they realise, and that they can make a bigger difference than they can imagine. That they have a potential for genius that is, more than likely, untapped, or under-utilised.

And when the talking is done, I know that action will follow.

We can create a better world.

Beyond the Coaching?

I have a few, what I call, ‘hobby’ activities. Often in the arena of economic-related work, because that’s what a know and what continues to excite me, even it I don’t use it in my work these days. And sometimes related to leadership or coaching, empowering others with understanding and skills, even if we do not have a professional, paid, relationship.

I coordinate a network of coaches who offer pro bono support to mid-sized international development organisations, I recently stepped down as co-chair of the London Impact Circle, a gathering of impact investors passionate about tackling global poverty, and I co-lead the RSA coaching network, promoting coaching as a social contribution for 'a global community of proactive problem solvers'.

And the Personal?

People always love the personal; we’re naturally curious about other people, so I get it, but I’m completely normal, no different to you or anyone else. I love my family, I love the outdoors, I have the same ups and downs as you do.

We are none of us special—in a good way! I’ve lived in some countries, I’ve had a lot of ‘experience’ but that’s my life, not yours.

I learned to surf a couple of years ago, which is a great metaphor for life—crazy moments and definitely embarrassing for my teenagers. I spent a lot of time in the water, some of it unpleasant—just like life!

And the waves keep on coming whether we ride them or not—again, just like life.

Surfing, like so much that connects us with nature, comes with moments of the utmost joy, the kind of joy where there is a peace, a sense of being at one with everything in the world, a spiritual connection.

I think it’s the feeling most of us seek whether we know it or not, and all of us have experienced at some point.

In a nutshell, I want to gift you more of that.

With love,

Cathy

As I said, I don’t bite, I’m quite normal—like the middle-aged mum I am— and I love connecting with people and helping you if I can.

Let me know if you’d like to talk, or sign up for updates and get to know me over time.