In my diverse 35-year career I have focused on Talent Management, linking executive assessment, development and coaching to organisational strategy. Working across both the public and private sectors I have been instrumental in helping Organisations and their leaders gain clarity around their strategic and personal goals. As a catalyst of change I help leaders to put into place philosophies and behaviours that enable Executives to become exceptional leaders. The work that I undertake is based on ensuring that organizations have executives in place who can meet the critical business challenges that face them both now and in the foreseeable future. Often regarded as innovator and a thought leader in the field, an early publication to which I contributed to in the 1980’s (Selection & Assessment : A New Appraisal, Pitman 1989) predicted the increasing use of Assessment Centre technology to identify and develop executive talent.As a Leadership Coach working around the globe I have served virtually every industry in Europe, the USA, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. My clients include Roche, Saudi Electricity, Kuwait Airways, Charter, Ford, Shell, BP, Xstrata, Cable & Wireless, Anglo American, Kellogg’s, IPF, ING, ABF, UK Sport, Halliburton, the UN, and many others.As part of my own management responsibilities I have been instrumental in steering my employers to regular double digit growth underpinned by sustainable profit. Throughout my career I have maintained an interest in thought leadership and the development of my technical discipline. Over the years my vision of coaching has changed. From an emphasis on behavioural competencies and personality traits at the beginning of my career I am now more focused on the impact of Neuroscience (e.g. SCARF) and a deeper understanding of the forces in all our lives that drive coping behaviours. I am increasingly convinced that an understanding of these coping (or defensive) behaviours is a necessary pre-requisite of freeing our minds so that we can live our lives in a more meaningful and joyful way.