About Sheila

As Managing Director of an Organisational Development Company I have provided successful interventions to top teams all over the country on transformation, leadership and creative change management across all sectors and with partnerships and collaborations. My work has supported them to improve their governance, develop their leadership and create ethical cultures. My interventions combine creativity with boundaries creating a robust structure which provides a safe and trusting environment where people can experiment, make mistakes and grow. The benefits include seminal events which enter the culture of the organisation subtly bringing about attitudinal change which lead to inspiration, lasting results and transformation. In the process I have mentored key leaders often advising them on strategies to deal with sensitive situations and intractable underperformance

A published author, my book “The Ethics of Work” is available in digital and print format on Amazon. I have written on many other topics and some position papers can be downloaded free from this website

A member of the Institute of Directors, I sit on the North East Regional Board and I provide facilitated working lunches for female members of the IOD as part of the “Women on Board” initiative to attract more women to sit on the boards of organisations

For 11 years I was a non-executive director of an NHS trust and sat on the Audit and Remuneration Committees. My contribution included offering a business perspective, expertise on an integrated approach to health and social care, acting as ambassador, challenging the executive, acting as critical friend on organisational development strategies and bringing a wider strategic partnership perspective to the table. I am now Vice Chair of Zendeh, an award-winning national touring theatre company based in the UK who use eclectic cross art form productions inspired by true socio-political events and a board member of 20,000 Voices, an organisation with a successful 20 year history of promoting, supporting and developing participation in singing across the north east of the UK

I have worked in partnership with the Council of Europe and have advised the International Centre for Crime Prevention in Montreal on the development of an international leadership programme offering a particular perspective on the involvement of the private sector in urban renewal and regeneration.

A strategic consultant and adviser to central and local government with many years’ experience I have delivered successful assignments in all major cities of the UK. A humanities graduate, I qualified as a probation officer at Bristol University subsequently became a chief officer, had training at the Tavistock Institute and at University of Cambridge Institute of Criminology. My extensive experience of working in the courts and managing a team in a prison offering long term therapeutic work with life sentence prisoners has contributed to my success in the development of staff and leadership potential.

My speaking career goes back some 20 years. I have spoken throughout Europe and the UK, in Australia, and Canada on issues such as: Growing your Business; Strategy and Focus; Developing Strong Boards; Leading Winning Teams; The Role of the Non-Executive Director; Social Enterprise; Strategic Alliances and Partnerships; Women Leaders. For the private sector; for the Institute of directors, and for chief executives, municipal leaders, politicians and elected members.

A classically trained singer, I have performed a wide range of music as a soloist over many years. My paper on the innovative use of music in organisation development entitled “All That Jazz” was presented to the European Mentoring & Coaching Council’s Annual Conference.