About Us.

We’re a development focused consultancy.

We have over 45 years of experience between us, working in corporate businesses, leading teams, developing leaders and challenging executive teams to think strategically about talent and development.

Jo Deadman

Director, London, United Kingdom

With more than 25 years in HR, and over 10 years working in the ‘future-focused’ area of Talent Management, Jo has a passion about talent and making a difference in every business she works with.

Jo has held a number of senior Talent Management positions in a variety of industries and for businesses such as Hasbro Inc. (makers of Monopoly® and PlayDoh®), British Gas, Camelot, and the airport retailer World Duty Free. Since starting her own Talent Management consultancy in 2013, she has continued to provide services to large multi-nationals, whilst also developing her interest in the SME community, working for example with architectural practices, charities, specialist recruitment agencies, and high street retailers.

As well as being a passionate coach and leadership development facilitator, and an MBTI Practitioner, Jo has a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from Middlesex University, a Combined Honours Business Degree from Plymouth University, whilst also being qualified in a number of other talent development/ assessment tools such as Predictive Index (PI), InsideOut Coaching, PDI’s 360 tool, Strengthscope, Lumina Spark Profiling, and Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II program.

Jo Deadman in a white jacket. She has shoulder length brown hair

Siân Mertens

Director, Sydney, Australia

Siân has a passion for making development matter by harnessing the untapped potential in those she works with. Her focus is on developing leaders to be personally more effective and their best selves.

Siân is a university educated coaching psychologist with eighteen years’ experience in Human Resources and Organisational Development roles across the industrial, manufacturing and FMCG sectors including businesses such as Kimberly-Clark, Hasbro and Thorn Lighting. Siân has strategic HR and change management expertise backed by solid business acumen. She has built high performance cultures, driven employee engagement, led organisational restructuring, designed and facilitated talent and leadership development programs and partnered with business leaders to drive change and develop and support business strategy. Siân is an experienced facilitator and coach, focussed on applying evidence-based practices based on applied psychology.

Siân has a Master of Science in Coaching Psychology from Sydney University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources from Deakin University, and a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology. She is accredited in various psychometric tools including MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and the MSCEIT Emotional Intelligence Test as well as an accredited facilitator of Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II program and InsideOut Coaching.

Sian Mertens in a blue jacket. She has shoulder length blonde hair

I had the pleasure of working with Jo at British Gas during a significant period of transformation. I found Jo to be an extremely knowledgeable and well-networked talent professional with the drive and capability to build a cohesive talent agenda. On a personal note I found Jo’s counsel, humour and tireless positivity invariably timely and energising. I look forward to our paths crossing in future.

Adrian Cook
Managing Director, React, Acting for Business

When I was first offered the opportunity to undertake coaching to help address over-working and burnout, I was honestly sceptical about what the results of working with Siân would be. I had always viewed training and development as acquiring or improving a tangible skill, and I didn’t think this qualified as something I could work on…how wrong I was! Taking the time to understand my strengths and values really helped to identify what’s important to me and what makes me happy. Working with Siân was incredibly rewarding; she’s able to find a great balance between challenging a person, supporting them and getting them to think about things in a new way. While I still consider myself a work in progress, the time spent with Siân has helped to create a permanent change and made the road ahead clearer.

Dennis Quinn
Logistics and Supply Chain

It is rare to get across a person that has the ability to open up even the hardest and toughest personalities. Jo has that very unique skill. She will force you to look into the mirror. Once you get out of denial, she will lead you into the right direction. You are about to become a better person and manager.
I would highly recommend Jo for those that need a group coaching, individual coaching or just a wake up call!
In a heartbeat I will work will Jo again.

Mark Hoijtink
President Europe, MENA and Asia Pacific

Having worked with Siân over a number of years, I’ve been impressed with her strong desire to develop an individual learning mindset to enhance organisational effectiveness. Constantly displaying an inventive approach, Siân acts as an instrumental business partner to carefully assess and diagnose current challenges in order to recommend, develop and facilitate impactful talent development solutions. She has implemented initiatives ranging from nurturing emerging leaders, enhancing personal leadership and enabling culture improvements to arming leaders with the necessary skills to confidently coach, a critical capability in today’s fast paced and changing business world. Her balanced perspective, thoughtful questions and an ability to tease out important self-reflections encourage immediate application and consistently result in positive participant feedback. There is no doubt Siân’s people development focus is a business growth enabler and the value of that can never be underestimated.

Samantha Lapthorne
Marketing Director | Growth Driver | Creator | Talent Builder

Jo was introduced to me via a mutual contact, and it proved to be a really valuable connection.

Initially I engaged Jo to help me with my own team, to help unpick some of the challenges we were having in personality clashes and behaviour, and to explain how we could turn these business-damaging issues around. My team had worked with me for a long time, but the value we all took from the tools Jo used with us were astronomical! We learned more from that experience than we had from the previous 2 years working together.

Since then, my business interests have expanded and I’ve had the opportunity to contract with Jo on some specific projects with my own client group. She has shown herself to be an incredibly rich and valuable resource, recognised for her insight as well as her experience, and continues to provide incredible advice and support. I believe any business that engages with Jo will never be disappointed – and in fact may get so much more than they thought possible.

Lynn Cannell
Director, LCA Associates

Sian recently facilitated a number of team focused workshops across our full team. Using MBTI as a framework to assist the teams understanding of our similarities and differences, strengths and blind-spots, Sian was able to improve overall team focus and morale. Additionally Sian used the workshops to create clarity around our team purpose and values to assist us to deliberately build our culture. We then were able to clearly identify the areas of our culture we wanted to "protect" as well as the areas for improvement. We gained real wins out of this process, resulting in a stronger on-boarding and induction process for new starters, and clarity on "moments that matter" to celebrate team members achievements and contributions. As a rapidly growing business where staff numbers have doubled in the last 18 months, these were important team exercises to ensure we continue to be successful at over-delivering on our results, without losing the positive culture we have created. Sian exceeded our expectations and the team is keen to continue to build on the milestones we generated as a result of the sessions.

Jacqui Webster
General Manager Australia/New Zealand at Spin Master Corp

I have worked with Jo the last 6-7 years when she has been coaching me and running several leadership training sessions I have attended. Jo is the perfect coach, super insightful and stubbornly pursuing the development of the person she is coaching. She never lets you off the hook until you have realized your true potential. Jo has been the mastermind and energy-driver of the global training program in Hasbro.

Nikolaj Hansen
Country Manager Benelux at Hasbro

It's rare that you get to work with great talent like Sian twice - first as colleagues and then as her client. I had the pleasure of working with Sian as colleagues at Hasbro where she was responsible for the Human Resources function. Some time after leaving Hasbro, Sian pursued her passion for learning and development and today using her mastery and deftness she centres her energy and time on coaching and development. More recently I've enjoyed being a client of Sian where she has worked with my team focusing on their development and fulfilment. Team feedback after these sessions has been terrific with everyone taking something away they learnt or new techniques they can use. I've always greatly admired Sian's ability to leave the other person in a more self aware state. No matter how challenging the situation, you can count on Sian to ask the tough questions balanced out with respect and lightness. Working with Sian is greatly rewarding in either a 1:1 session or a team session - you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.

Siobhann Langan
Finance and Operations Director at Hasbro

Jo was the most fantastic coach to me as I stepped into a new leadership role and took my team through change. I can honestly say she changed my life! Her honest, simple, no nonsense approach hugely increased my confidence almost instantaneously. I came away with so much more belief in my own ideas and thinking, and with a clearer sense of the kind of leader I aspire to be. I continue to miss our coaching sessions and her ability to never let me off the hook, but do it with such kindness and humour! She’s a fantastic, hugely intuitive coach and also challenging in all the right ways.

Kate Kellaway-Moore, Head of Talent and Resourcing

Siân worked with me on a front line leadership development program at Kimberly Clark’s Ingleburn mill. The program focused on people’s ability to positively influence others as well as a number of coaching for performance tools. The program ran for just over a year with step change results in employee engagement and operational KPI’s. Siân has an excellent grasp on leadership development tools and is very passionate on the topic. I would highly recommend her to others looking for help developing their people.

Andrew Haverfield
Technical Manager at Toll Group

Having had the pleasure of participating in several leadership and coaching courses led by Siân, I have really valued and benefited personally from her expertise, down to earth manner and her general concern for people. Siân consistently makes a positive impact on those around her, yet her real strength is helping and coaching others make their own positive impact.

David Hocking
Operations Manager at Kimberly Clark Australia & New Zealand

Jo, you were incredibly influential in my leadership style after our time together. Thanks for everything and your faith in my abilities.

Tony Paprek 
HASBRO North America

Jo is an extremely knowledgeable and well-networked talent professional with the drive and capability to build a cohesive talent agenda."

Adrian Cook
Managing Director, React, Acting for Business

I was honestly sceptical about what the results of working with Siân would be. I had always viewed training and development as acquiring or improving a tangible skill, and I didn’t think this qualified as something I could work on…how wrong I was!

Taking the time to understand my strengths and values really helped to identify what’s important to me and what makes me happy.

Dennis Quinn
Logistics and Supply Chain

It is rare to get across a person that has the ability to open up even the hardest and toughest personalities.

Jo has that very unique skill.

She will force you to look into the mirror. Once you get out of denial, she will lead you into the right direction. You are about to become a better person and manager.

Mark Hoijtink
President Europe, MENA and Asia Pacific

"...over a number of years, I’ve been impressed with Siân's strong desire to develop an individual learning mindset to enhance organisational effectiveness.

There is no doubt Siân’s people development focus is as a business growth enabler and the value of that can never be underestimated.

Samantha Lapthorne
Marketing Director | Growth Driver | Creator | Talent Builder

I engaged Jo to help me with my own team, to help unpick challenges we had with personality clashes and behaviour...

...the value we all took from the tools Jo used with us was astronomical! We learned more from that experience than we had from the previous 2 years working together.

I believe any business that engages with Jo will never be disappointed – and in fact, may get so much more than they thought possible.

Lynn Cannell
Director, LCA Associates

Sian facilitated team-focused workshops across our full team... to improve overall team focus and morale.

Sian created clarity around our team's purpose and values to assist us to deliberately build our culture.

As a rapidly growing business ... these important team exercises ensured we continue to be successful, without losing the positive culture we have created.

Sian exceeded our expectations.

Jacqui Webster
General Manager Australia/New Zealand at Spin Master Corp

Jo is the perfect coach, super insightful and stubbornly pursuing the development of the person she is coaching.

She never lets you off the hook until you have realized your true potential. Jo has been the mastermind and energy-driver of the global training program in Hasbro.

Nikolaj Hansen
Country Manager Benelux at Hasbro

Sian pursued her passion for learning and development and today, using her mastery and deftness, she centres her energy and time on coaching and development.

I've always greatly admired Sian's ability to leave the other person in a more self-aware state...you can count on Sian to ask the tough questions balanced out with respect and lightness. Working with Sian is greatly rewarding - you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.

Siobhann Langan
Finance and Operations Director at Hasbro

Jo was the most fantastic coach to me as I stepped into a new leadership role and took my team through change. I can honestly say she changed my life!

Her honest, simple, no-nonsense approach hugely increased my confidence almost instantaneously. I came away with so much more belief in my own ideas and thinking, and with a clearer sense of the kind of leader, I aspire to be.

She’s a fantastic, hugely intuitive coach and also challenging in all the right ways.

Kate Kellaway-Moore, Head of Talent and Resourcing

Siân worked with me on a front line leadership development program at Kimberly Clark’s Ingleburn mill.

The program focused on people’s ability to positively influence others... The program resulted in step-change results in employee engagement and operational KPI’s.

Siân has an excellent grasp of leadership development tools and is very passionate about the topic. I would highly recommend her to others looking for help developing their people.

Andrew Haverfield
Technical Manager at Toll Group

I have really valued and benefited personally from Siân's expertise, down-to-earth manner, and her general concern for people.

Siân consistently makes a positive impact on those around her, yet her real strength is helping and coaching others make their own positive impact.

David Hocking
Operations Manager at Kimberly Clark Australia & New Zealand

Jo, you were incredibly influential in my leadership style after our time together. Thanks for everything and your faith in my abilities.

Tony Paprek 
HASBRO North America