Catherine trained as an occupational psychologist, and worked in production and personnel management with Smiths Industries. She has taught in several UK business schools, has 20 years commercial experience leading executive development and research assignments in major programme and projects environments (Aerospace, Power, Pharmaceuticals, Telecommunications) and is a founder of a successful third sector business.

For a number of years she has led business growth in Cranfield's prestigious General Management programmes,and has for 10 years directed and grown Cranfield’s Advanced Development Programme for high potential senior managers. She is now Co - Director of the flagship Cranfield Business Leaders Programme. She also leads the GMP faculty programme of radical and distinctive practical business leadership research. Her interests focus on business leadership effectiveness in complex business environments; top team relationships and effectiveness; leveraging knowledge for organisational effectiveness; developing strategic thinking. She is author of a book and of numerous articles and reports on managerial and leadership performance, measurement and development.

With a keen interest in the increasing need for enhanced strategic thinking in leaders at all levels in today’s business environment , Catherine works as a consultant internationally to a wide range of organisations (from financial, technological, health, transport and professional service sectors) designing and delivering executive leadership development. She also acts as an executive coach for business leaders and strategy making teams.

Psychologically-based coaching in organisations allows people to better understand their behaviours and motivations – and self-imposed barriers - to make lasting changes that will support their success in organisational life. Coaching offers a forum for confidential discussion where the coach can offer observations, new thinking and a strategy for change for the client. It is also a great vehicle for teams – for better working relationships and bottom-line results. Coaching may include 360 feedback, work with other colleagues, or live observation in team interactions. After all, change does not happen in a vacuum.

Christa has been a leadership consultant and organisational coach for the past five years, with a business and financial background spanning 20 years. She has an MSc in Coaching Psychology and long-standing experience in personal development in an organisational context. Combining strong business experience with the psychology of change, Christa has worked as a leadership programme facilitator, strategic consultant with teams, and as a coach with individuals in mid-range and senior organisational roles. She has been involved in organisation-wide change interventions, marrying strategic initiatives with employee engagement. Clients include Microsoft, ABN Amro, BT, PwC, Salesforce, Akzo Nobel as well as organisations in the not-for-profit sector and smaller UK firms. She is enthusiastic, open and perceptive – and loves to help people create changes that transform their working and personal lives.

Product and price differentiation can quickly be copied and today’s demanding consumers expect something different. Businesses must connect emotionally with consumers through the experiences they provide in order to build and encourage loyalty and advocacy. Companies with strong capabilities and competencies for delivering customer experience excellence are out-performing their competitors. Julie is a customer experience expert. Whilst in the role of Customer Services Director at Virgin Atlantic Airways, it was Julie’s responsibility to direct a global team of managers and staff in the development and delivery of the branded customer experience that has been a key element of the Virgin Atlantic style and success.

In her 25 year corporate career Julie held a number of executive roles in customer services, operations, and transformation and planning within the travel and tourism, financial services and on-line gaming sectors, plus a non-executive director role at a logistics company. More recently Julie has been consulting and coaching across a wide range of industries, helping clients with strategic and revenue issues. Her recent work for an international train operator on the planning and implementation of a customer experience programme helped the client to win the HR Excellence Award for most successful change management programme.

Good business decisions are based on sound market intelligence. Whether you need data about competitors, customers or staff,  research can be a critical component of your OD toolkit. Jane Lyons has worked in the research industry for over 20 years, split fairly evenly between agency and client sides. With experience on both sides of the fence she has a sound commercial background. She has a good grasp of the client perspective, and has a wealth of experience in both customer and employee research.

Jane has carried out research for new product and service development purposes, ranging from people's reading habits to the design of aircraft seats. In the field of employee research she has designed and analysed annual staff surveys, including issues of culture, employer branding and staff advocacy and engagement. Her work has also involved research aimed at improving the efficacy of internal communications forums. On the service delivery side, Jane has carried out internal research with staff to determine service improvements, and and has trained customer facing staff in basic research skills. Jane takes pride in adding value to clients by giving proper time and consideration to their needs, and will always suggest alternative research approaches where there is benefit to be had. Over the years, Jane has acquired specialist knowledge in a number of areas of research, but has actively sought to remain a generalist as she enjoys the variety and the challenge of getting acquainted with new areas.

The capacity to understand and make sense of complex systems, and really listen to a diverse range of people, can be key to achieving dramatic change in an organisation. Paul has been consulting to major businesses around the world for twenty-five years. in the area of large system changes. He has extensive experience in managing and facilitating large real-time chnage initiatives; including new plant design and start-ups; new product development processes, and new service delivery models.

Paul is an expert in employee involvement and participative work systems, and he has extensive experience of working with unions and staff groups. He also has particular expertise in the design of organisations, applying socio-technical principles and Whole-Scale(tm) Approaches to the process of change in organizations. He is known across the globe as a pioneer in the development of Whole-Scale Approaches to change. Recently, Paul’s work has focused on accelerating the rate of change in organisations. He has pioneered the use of Large Group Interventions and whole system thinking in the process of creating and deploying strategy, designing new organisations and improving existing work process and structures. In many instances these involve continuous 24/7 process operations where the organization is simultaneously implementing new processes, management systems and team-work arrangements.

The use of narrative, story-telling and other arts-based techniques can be key to embedding values, culture and behaviour. Tig Land, founder and director of Random Acts Theatre Company has been working in the field of individual and organisational change for over fifteen years. She uses an experiential approach to enable people and organisations to learn, to become more self-aware and to fulfil their potential. She uses dramatic techniques to bring out the best in people, and to develop leadership capability. Tig has worked in both the private and not for profit sectors, and she is  skilled in uncovering the unspoken self-limiting beliefs which people often bring to the workplace. She works both at an individual and group level, often with dysfunctional teams.

Tig's clients have included Orange Mobile, The Body Shop, Ocean Software, H.M. Prison Service, the NHS, London Boroughs of Islington, Brent and Tower Hamlets, IFAL and Virgin Atlantic Airways.