Sophie is an experienced policy analyst and consultant specialising in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Her work encompasses policy and strategy development, capacity building and change management, and reviews and evaluations. Sophie has a particular interest in equality and diversity and public sector accountability. She has conducted research on global governance and accountability issues for the London School of Economics.

Sophie has a background in academic publishing. In her last role as senior editor of Polity Press, she was responsible for strengthening Polity's presence in social policy, politics and international relations. In addition to her commissioning responsibilities, she played a major role in building the business and developing the firm's North American strategy.

Specific experience

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM): Evaluating the impact of Local Public Service Agreements and Local Area Agreements as part of the overall evaluation of the local government modernisation agenda
• East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA): Advising EMRA on its structures and operating procedures
• ODPM: Authoring a major research report on equality and diversity in local government
• Scottish Higher Education Funding Council: Managing a review of the race equality policies and plans of Scottish higher education institutions and further education colleges to ensure compliance with the Race Relations Amendment Act (RRAA)
• Higher Education Funding Council for England: Reviewing race equality policies and plans of English higher education institutions and assessing progress in implementing requirements under the RRRA
• Home Office: Developing a capacity building and infrastructure framework to strengthen the voluntary and community sector in England over the next ten years, involving a major national consultation and ministerial-level engagement
• Home Office: Managing a review of a major national voluntary sector organisation in receipt of strategic funding from the Active Community Unit (ACU).

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences, Cambridge University
Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced International Studies with Italian, The Johns Hopkins University Center, Bologna

Helen has substantial experience of personal, management and organisational development across the public and voluntary sectors. Since 1991 her work has focused on developing leadership effectiveness with senior managers, building organisational capacity for change and strategy formation. She is an experienced executive coach and directs OPM's suite of national leadership programmes.

Helen's early career was spent working in community education and development and higher education, including at Warwick University Business School where she taught undergraduate and MBA programmes and researched leadership in 'flat' organisational structures. She was closely involved with the early days of the Management Charter initiative and other national initiatives in education and training.

Helen is a trustee of the Health Advisory Service and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Specific experience

The integration of strategy formation and personal leadership for chief executives is an important part of Helen's work. Current clients span all parts of the public and not-for-profit sector, including health, local government, higher education, police and the prison service. She has a particular interest in gender, race equality and diversity.

My approach to coaching

My approach draws on:

• a well-informed understanding of the pressures and dilemmas that face senior public service managers
• an ability to help managers 'stand back' from the day to day, develop new insights and perspectives and gain the confidence to work in different ways
• a thorough knowledge of frameworks, theories and approaches which can support individual and organisational learning.

I prefer to be flexible in relation to individuals' needs and wants; I use psychometric and other assessment tools where these are helpful.

People I work with describe me as focused, rigorous and fun to work with. I enjoy helping people make connections between where they have been and where they are going, and to take appropriate risks to achieve their goals and work towards social outcomes.'

Qualifications

Helen holds a BA from the University of Manchester and a PhD in Leadership from the University of Warwick. She is a licensed user of a range of psychometric tools and personality inventories.

Lesley has substantial experience of personal, management and organisational development work across the public sector, particularly local government and education. Since joining OPM in 1998, her work has focused on developing leadership effectiveness both within organisations and in partnership arrangements. Lesley is an experienced coach, tutor and action-learning set facilitator.  

General development experience

• designing and delivering bespoke leadership and management development for public service organisations
• directing national leadership and management development programmes commissioned by clients such as the NHS, the Youth Justice Board and ODPM (now the Department for Communities and Local Government), HMPS
• facilitating multi-agency and corporate action learning sets
• designing and delivering open development programmes for women managers and for senior black and ethnic minority officers in local government
• team, partnership and board development events
• individual coaching.

Recent coaching experience includes:

• Tutor, assessor and supervisor on ILM Diploma/Certificate in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring
• Supervision of executive coaches
• Coaching for all members of a local government strategic management board
• Chief probation officers
• Prison governors and senior managers within the prison service
• Senior managers within several universities
• Senior managers from local government

My approach as an executive coach

• to agree appropriate outcomes for the coaching intervention
• to work with individual strengths and needs
• to encourage realistic goal setting
• to provide a safe environment and to encourage appropriate risk
• to facilitate dialogue and reflection
• to apply frameworks and models (such as psychometric instruments) to the realities of individual’s experiences
• to attend carefully to clients
• to enable senior managers to feel valued
• to challenge established patterns and ways of thinking
• to encourage an evidence base for interpreting and changing behaviour
• to act as a critical friend when requested.

Qualifications

BSc (Biochemistry) Sussex University 1976
PGCE (Science education) University of London 1977 MSc (Health education) King’s College London 1983 ILM diploma in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring
Member of the Institute of Health Education
Member of British Psychological Society
Licensed user of a range of psychometric tests and personality inventories
Foundation module in coaching supervision (Bath Consultancy Group)

Paul Lloyd is a specialist in organisational communication and organisation development. He works with clients helping them to improve performance and deliver customer-focused services by engaging staff, service users, partners and other stakeholders. He has experience in designing and implementing initiatives to develop personal skills and competencies, as well as strengthen organisational capacity to achieve these ends. He has worked on a wide variety of assignments in all parts of public services, focused on involving managers and staff in decision making, promoting partnership working and engaging communities to help them contribute to service improvement.

Before joining OPM in 1992, Paul was a director of a management consultancy specialising in organisational communication. Prior to that he worked in local government as a communication manager and held posts at a number of university business schools and management centres where he undertook research into communication and employee relations issues.

Specific experience

• Working with senior and middle managers in groups and one-to-one examining their leadership abilities and personal styles
• Designing and running in-house leadership and management development programmes in health, higher education, local government and the courts service
• Helping managers focus on their communication practice and management style
• Designing and running assessment centres and development centres
• Supporting and coaching individual managers work through specific performance challenges

My approach to coaching

I am keen to develop a relationship with all my coaching clients that allows them to feel that:

• this provides a safe and valued breathing space that gives them time to reflect and to look at things differently;
• they will get my undivided, patient attention, sympathetic understanding and enthusiastic support;
• from time to time they will have their comfort zones stretched and will be constructively challenged;
• they will be encouraged to view things from differing standpoints and perspectives and find new possibilities and solutions;
• they are encouraged to take responsibility and strive to improve things;
• they can gain a clearer perspective on challenges faced and ways of prioritising and addressing these;
• being coached is a worthwhile experience that allows them to develop and grow.

Qualifications

Paul has a BSc in Economics from the University of Hull and an MA from Warwick University . He is a licensed user of the Myers Briggs Type indicator and has a post-graduate diploma in mentoring and executive coaching from the Institute of Leadership and Management

David has substantial experience of personal, leadership and management development in a range of public sector organisations. He is also manages organisational development projects, including work in the school and post-16 education sectors. Since joining OPM in 2000 David has designed and led a number of major leadership and management development programmes. He is a member of the team which delivers OPM's NHS Leaders programme for top managers from the health service and has managed long-running management development contracts with local authorities such as the London Boroughs of Croydon and Enfield. Currently, David is a core member of the team delivering the DfES Learning Academy "Managing and Improving Performance" programme.

Before joining OPM David worked in further education for many years as a teacher and as a manager. His most recent role involved senior management responsibility for the community-based provision of a large London college.

Specific experience

David is particularly interested in the place of learning in improving personal impact and performance, as well as how organisational cultures can be shaped to ensure that individual and team learning contributes to creativity and innovation in service provision. In addition to working on coaching programmes, David is involved in one-to-one coaching sessions as part of OPM's leadership development programmes (e.g. NHS Leaders). He is also involved in enhancing the coaching capabilities of managers within OPM's development programmes.

My approach to coaching

David's approach draws on:

• first-hand experience of the challenges facing public sector managers;
• experience from OPM project work of the opportunities and difficulties faced by senior and middle managers in the education, health and local government fields;
• a commitment to helping managers become 'reflective practitioners' so they can develop their confidence to perform more effectively, be innovative and take risks;
• a deep understanding of the learning process, including the methods and tools that can be used to stimulate and enhance personal development;
• an ability to respond flexibly to the diverse needs of individual coaches, providing an appropriate balance of support and challenge;
• a commitment to equality - both in ways of working with individuals and in helping managers to develop effective approaches for progressing diversity outcomes in their work.

Qualifications

David holds a B.Ed. from the Polytechnic of North London and an MBA from the Open University. He is a licensed user of a range of psychometric tools and personality inventories.

Ann specialises in education and issues relating to young people, and works with schools, universities, colleges and education managers. She supports the planning and implementation of new projects; develops strategy and resolves the operational implications of change; delivers learning and development programmes; and evaluates major initiatives.

Ann joined OPM from the Department for Education and Skills. She is an experienced policy maker who has held a wide range of employment posts, including developing performance targets for the former Employment Service and for Jobseeker's Allowance, and managing a local office. She also implemented important parts of the standards agenda for schools and worked in financial management, organisational development and a private office. Ann is Chair of the curriculum committee in a London primary school.

Qualifications

Currently studying for an MBA with Henley Management College
BA Byzantine Studies and Politics, Queen's University Belfast, 1989

Jonathan is an experienced coach who draws on his understanding of human behaviour and of senior management to help executives deepen their self awareness, develop their leadership skills and enhance their emotional intelligence. He is a regular speaker at coaching conferences on and has written widely, including six books on public policy and management issues. He is a contributor to the forthcoming Handbook of Coaching Psychology and is the author of Excellence in Coaching: The industry Guide. He leads OPM's coaching training, which includes the ILM diploma in Leadership Mentoring and Executive Coaching.

Specific experience

Jonathan has direct experience of working with senior managers to improve performance. He believes that people play a critical role in organisational success. He is particularly interested in enhancing personal performance through self development and goal setting, using cognitive coaching techniques to overcome thinking that is inhibiting performance and to create work-life balance. Jonathan is accustomed to working across the public and private sectors with directors and chief executives, and has experience of coaching leaders in the prison service, central government, local government, the NHS and not-for-profit organisations.

Jonathan is also qualified in a range of psychometric instruments including MBTI, OPQ32 and EQi emotional intelligence questionnaire, and is able to offer these as part of the coaching process, to individuals or to the executive team.

My approach as an executive coach

My approach draws on:

• A good understanding of the social policy environment, organisational pressures and the challenges that face senior managers in the public sector
• An insider's perspective of the dynamics of boards, the chair/chief executive relationship and working across organisational boundaries at the policy/political level
• An ability to challenge in a constructive and supportive way, to enable chief executives to think through their strategies and their practical implementation
• A good knowledge of the theories and frameworks that can support senior-level development and enable chief executives to move forward with confidence
• An integrative coaching model using behavioural, cognitive and motivational interviewing models to facilitate skills development, develop self awareness and enhance motivation.

Qualifications

Jonathan is a chartered occupational psychologist, trained coach and a registered member of the Association for Coaching (the UK independent coaching accreditation body). He holds an MSc in occupational psychology and an MBA, and is currently undertaking doctoral research into coaching and leadership. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Judith joined OPM after eight years as an independent consultant and facilitator, working with the NHS and local and regional government on strategy, consultation, neighbourhood regeneration, leadership development and change management, including integrating children's services at all levels. She is an NRU-approved Neighbourhood Regeneration Advisor. Her areas of expertise include: strategy and planning, governance, integrated commissioning, developing inter-agency teams, change management, performance management, board development and community involvement. Judith started her career as a town planner, then worked in housing management and development. She also spent a year in North Carolina USA as Harkness Fellow, where she studied managed healthcare, mental health and social housing. Judith was a Non-Executive Director of Southampton and South West Hampshire Health Authority from 1992 to 1998, and Chair of Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Health Authority from 1998 to 2001. As Chair she led a new inter-agency approach to health improvement, while supporting the board through major changes in hospital configuration and management, the transition to primary care groups and merger with the Isle of Wight.

Specific experience

Judith is an experienced coach and mentor who has been working successfully with clients at all stages of their careers for over ten years. She is particularly skilled at working with Chairs and non-executives in the public and voluntary sector, and with Directors and senior managers from the NHS and local and national government. However, Judith has also mentored a number of young people or older job seekers, supporting them into work and through their early careers.

My approach to coaching

Judith's coaching style is eclectic and tailor-made to the presenting needs of the client and their appetite for self development, but is generally:

• Reliable and mature
• Safe and confidential
• Informed by in-depth experience
• Facilitative
• Challenging when necessary
• Shifts perceptions and patterns
• Builds self confidence and self awareness
• Job and task focused, highly practical, based in reality
• Uses a broad range of different approaches to meet individual needs
• Supportive and often fun.

Qualifications

MA Geography, University of Oxford, 1973
M Phil Town and Country Planning, University of London, 1975
MBA, University of Portsmouth, 1993
Member of Royal Town Planning Institute since 1984
Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Housing since 1992

Paul leads OPM's work with local, regional and national government. He manages large-scale organisational change projects, particularly focusing on performance management and culture change; designs and delivers management and leadership development programmes for a wide range of clients; carries out senior team development; supports government bodies implementing policy or project initiatives; and provides executive coaching for clients from across the public sector. Before joining OPM, Paul held posts in large private companies as head of human resources and as training and development manager. Earlier in his career, Paul was both a lecturer and a manager in further education and worked for BTEC, where he led the evaluation and redesign of the national curriculum in business and management.

Specific experience

• Designing and delivering in-house and open leadership and management development programmes. He is the director of OPM's Leadership in Local Governance programme, designed to enable top managers across local government and related agencies to respond to the complex challenges they face
• Designing and delivering elected member development for individual local authorities and through the IDeA Leadership Academy
• Facilitating senior team away days and team building activities
• Leading major organisational change projects
• Providing post inspection support to local authorities, specialising in performance management and strategic planning issues
• Evaluating the impact of government policy on local government
• Conducting individual coaching and counselling.

Areas of special interest

Helping individuals and groups identify and overcome blocks to effective working. Building connections between different aspects of organisational design and behaviour, e.g. structures, accountabilities, communication and culture. Working with senior managers to help them identify the personal as well as the organisational changes needed to improve performance.

Current and recent coaching clients include senior managers in a range of local authorities, government departments and agencies.

My approach to coaching

I am particularly interested in helping people to improve their self awareness and increase their ability to make choices about what they will do and how they will behave in different situations. This will probably involve reflecting on personal style as well as working with ideas. Specific features of my approach are:

• listening to what the client is saying and helping them to clarify what they want to from coaching
• asking questions to help them reflect on what they are experiencing
• helping people use external information and, if necessary, to gather more data through self assessment, personality inventories and feedback
• creating a safe place to 'dump' thoughts and feelings and providing opportunities to try out new mental models and behaviours
• helping the client to understand the choices he or she has
• encouraging people to try something
• signposting other resources people can use

Qualifications

MSc in Organisation Behaviour
BSc (Econ)
Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Licensed user of a range of psychometric tests and personality inventories

Hilary is OPM’s chief executive. She has wide experience of organisational development, leadership and management in public services. She specialises in helping individuals, organisations and partnerships to develop strategies, build their capacity and implement new approaches effectively.

She has had practical experience of working at a senior level in a local education authority, as a consultant to central government and as a senior manager in the civil service.

Specific experience

Recent assignments include: support for the DfES in policy development and implementation, strategic reviews and organisational development work with a number of councils, facilitation of top team events for national bodies, support for localities in developing integrated services for children and young people, the development of approaches to commissioning from the third sector, and development programmes for elected members and top managers in local government and other agencies.

Qualifications

• BSc (Mathematics) London University 1975
• PhD London University 1978
• MBA Open University 1992
• ILM qualified leadership mentoring and executive coach 2006

My approach as a coach:

My approach draws on:

• an understanding of the pressures and dilemmas that face senior leaders and managers in public services
• an ability to help managers analyse the pressures and factors they face, both personally and organisationally
• a wide knowledge of frameworks and approaches which can support individual learning and organisational change.