Meet the team

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Meet the Mindset Practice team

Mindset Practice combines expertise from several disciplines to enable sustainable transformational change, including occupational psychologists, leadership
and development facilitators, executive coaches and corporate leaders.

Rich
Rich Cook CEO and Chief Psychologist

Imagine what we could achieve if everyone showed up more from a mindset of Growth rather than Survival? I believe everyone has the capability to do this and I see it as my and Mindset Practice’s mission to achieve this.

I’m often asked “what inspired me to start Mindset Practice”? Key to my answer is a 400m final I ran when I was 14. I was up against two boys who were the best at sport in my school year. I was winning, way ahead. As I entered the final 150m I felt fear. I looked around and screamed at the boys behind me to catch-up. I deliberately slowed down to come third.

I firmly believe nobody gets up in the morning intending to do a bad job. The challenge is we’re not usually taught how to identify and manage our Survival habits at school or at work. As Chief Psychologist at Mindset Practice I have been able to use my talent with applied humanistic psychology – and my own mission to be the best person I can be – to realise not only my ability to win races but to help others win theirs.

I feel inspired spending time with my wife, sons and daughter exploring new experiences and enjoying being together. I love music and spinning my vinyl records, often to 80s tunes. I’m also a Manchester United fanatic, though that has definitely tested my mindset practice in recent times!

I’m my best self in a mindset of Growth when I’m empowering others to step out of their comfort zone, transform their mindset and deliver accountable, practical and sustained change.

You will know I’m in Survival when you see me hide and retreat. It doesn’t happen that often anymore, but if you see it a helpful nudge is always welcome.

Jackie Grier
Jackie Grier Director of Partner Solutions

I love what I do and who I am at Mindset Practice. From my early days as a Nurse and Health Visitor there has been a golden thread in my career that has focused on enabling others to be their best selves at work and at home.

That is why I live and breathe the Mindset Practice mission of enabling others to show up from a Mindset of Growth rather than Survival.

This passion has led me to become highly competent in Mindset development and behaviour change. I deliver Mindset solutions globally and collaborate with organisations, teams and our licensed Practitioner community.

My quest to learn blended with a positive intent ensures I deliver mindful challenge to encourage people to step beyond the familiar, to explore more possibilities, to develop more clarity and promote a productive climate of Growth.

I choose to include physical and mental fitness as a key part of my life having participated in Tough Mudders and even a brief but hard-earned appearance on Ninja Warrior UK! More recently I have utilised my strength and intuition through slowing down and practicing Yoga.

I am more than proud to be a mum of two beautiful girls and am told I am an inspiration to them every day – as they are to me. I live near Oxford with my partner and love to travel and discover new adventures.

I am at my best in Growth when I am being playful and curious with clients and facilitating and observing those light bulb moments of clarity and inspiration that we are privileged to observe.

You will observe me in Survival becoming too fast and clipped when I feel less than competent or excluded from things I feel are important.

Ruari Mactaggart
Ruari Mactaggart Technical Director

I was involved with Mindset Practice from the very beginning and have played a big part in the platform becoming what it is today. When the chance to join the team on a permanent basis arose, it felt like the perfect fit for me and a great opportunity to take this project to even greater success.

As Technical Director I get great satisfaction from producing innovative digital products that are intuitive and enjoyable to use. A lot of what I do behind the scenes might be invisible, but I’m happy knowing that it all contributes to creating a robust tech environment that allows the rest of the team to deliver the programmes as effectively as possible.

I am slightly obsessed with data privacy and changing behaviour around sensitive data. Instilling strong data handling principles without interfering with productivity can be a challenge at times.

Outside of work, I am a keen homebrewer and enjoy sharing the results with family and friends. I have two sons and play 5-aside football every week.

I’m my best self when I have the time and space to organise projects for myself and my team and keep distractions at arm’s length.

I sometimes drag myself into survival by agreeing to more than I should at times. Being a people-pleaser leads me into saying ‘yes’ when I should probably be saying ‘not yet’.

Jade Bennett

Jade Bennett
Senior Psychologist

My mission is to help others to find their flow and realise their full potential. I believe that we’re all capable of achieving incredible things and performing at our best. However daily firefighting and reacting can often get in our way. Imagine being able to step away from habitual Survival response’s and step into a space of Growth, where you can connect more deeply with your intention and increase our awareness. We can all do this with conscious attention and purposeful work.

I deeply care about my work as a psychologist at Mindset Practice and feel fortunate to work for an organisation that shares my values around wanting to do good for people and our planet. I’m passionate about applying my expertise to support people and organisations using our award-winning psychometrics and programmes. Additionally my role is to further our research and thought leadership in the field of mindset. The interplay between mindset and topics such as women’s health, climate action and DE&I are of particular interest to me.

I love to keep myself physically and mentally fit by going to the gym, walking my dogs and getting a daily dose of nature, running, swimming, boxing, yoga and exploring beautiful places around the world. Family time is really important to me and something I prioritise, as well as seeing my wonderful friends.

When I’m in my flow and in a mindset of Growth, I’ll be working with clients helping them to understand and connect with themselves at a deeper level. I love being creative and developing innovative solutions that really make a difference.

I’ll know I’m in Survival when my negative self-talk starts to dial up and I notice myself becoming more closed off. A lack of fairness and inclusion can trigger me, as well as disorganisation.

Lisa Waugh

Lisa Waugh
Senior Psychologist

My passion is helping people thrive at work which is why I love what I do at Mindset Practice. In today’s busy and sometimes frantic work environments, getting into a pattern of being reactive and not having time to reflect on our reactions and intentions has a big impact on our working lives. Our work at Mindset Practice involves empowering people to make some really small but powerful changes to their mindset to address this which helps both professionally and personally.

I really enjoy using psychology and practical habit change techniques to give people the tools to help them be their best, most authentic selves at work. As a Psychologist at Mindset Practice I get to help people reach their potential at work, but also support their personal resilience, empowerment and wellbeing. It is especially important to me that my work impacts positively on wellbeing at work as this is another of my key drivers for being a business psychologist.

Outside of work I love doing things with friends and family – visiting new places, seeing plays, going out dancing, countryside walks and then some recharge time with a good book or some yoga is also very important to me.

I’m my best self in a mindset of Growth when I’m creating safe and comfortable spaces for people to empower them and share what’s true for them, and feeling safe and comfortable to share what’s true for me as well.

You will know I’m in a mindset of Survival when I’m much more quiet or subdued than usual. It’s not always easy but I’m learning to recognise the signals earlier on so I can take action when feelings of overwhelm or self-doubt begin to appear.

caroline

Caroline Drewery
Client Support Coordinator

My role of Client Support Coordinator is very diverse which is exactly how I like it to keep each day interesting. After a previous career in Hospitality, customer service is at the forefront of everything I do. I really enjoy engaging with our clients to build a rapport and be the first line of support to enable participants to get the best out of our programmes and materials. I also enjoy the challenge of problem solving and will inevitably spend time trying to figure something out myself before seeking assistance – usually by pestering the Tech team!

I enjoy activities and adventures and exploring new places, whether around the world or even just local walks. I play in a netball team and frequent boxercise, but equally enjoy chatting with friends and family, especially around a good board game.

I’m at my best and in a mindset of Growth when I have a to-do list of tasks that I am confident doing and can cruise from one to the other, feeling productive and valuable.

I slip into Survival when I feel overwhelmed or am not sure how to tackle a task, and inevitably procrastinate and allow the self-doubt mind talk enter my narrative.

simon

Simon Swales
Senior Consultant

Like an explorer, my motivation in life is to find new possibilities. I started out as an engineer working in the mobile phone industry when it moved from making simple voice calls to accessing the internet. My career went from being a university researcher exploring new technologies to growing successful businesses as a systems engineer, leader and manager in the hi-tech sector.

During this time, I realised that the biggest possibilities were through people rather than technology. It prompted a career change in 2008 to become an Organisation Development (OD) and Learning specialist. One of my first projects was working with Rich to develop systems skills in a UK Government research facility. He introduced me to emotional intelligence and so began a lifelong career discovering what enables people to thrive and achieve their full potential.

After returning to my old university to head up Academic Staff Development for nearly seven years, I jumped at the chance to branch out with Rich again and continue the exploration.
Outside of work, I love being with my wife and two children, who are in their twenties and leading me to new experiences. I am a recent convert to Yoga and can now touch my toes. I also love watching live performances, whether music on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury or musical theatre in the West End.

I am at my best in Growth when engaging with others to find creative ways to tackle their challenges in the messiness of the workplace.

You will know I am in Survival when bogged down in detail and avoiding people.

ayo

Ayo Jimi
Software Developer

With a passion for pushing boundaries in the digital world and over a decade of experience under my belt, I’ve honed my skills in crafting elegant and efficient code that powers innovative solutions.

Beyond the world of algorithms and logic, my interests are diverse. I find inspiration in the sleek lines of automobiles, an aficionado of interior design, and the ever-evolving world of fashion. In addition to digital and aesthetic hobbies, I value personal fitness and a balanced lifestyle to fuel both the mind and body.

These diverse interests fuel my creativity and provide a well-rounded perspective that I bring to my work and interactions. I embody the modern Renaissance man, seamlessly blending technology, style, and wellness into his daily life.

You’ll know I am in growth when I successfully lend a hand, make people laugh again and share love to people around me. Little tasks that take far longer than I expected pull me into survival.

amw

Anne-Marie Walby
Executive Coach and Associate Partner

Anne-Marie has an inspiring, caring yet challenging style enabling her clients to achieve results quickly and elegantly.

An experienced leader, coach and facilitator, Anne-Marie has supported individuals and organisations for over 20 years, leading change and engaging momentum at all levels. She specialises in helping high-performing leadership and teams.

Clients experience Anne-Marie’s coaching as insightful, optimistic and energising. Often described as a great listener, she creates a climate of trust and empathy enabling many clients to achieve greater insight than they expected.

Riley Ramone

Liz McGarvey
EMCC Accredited Executive 
and Business Coach

Liz is an experienced and highly skilled coach and facilitator. She is passionate about giving people the opportunity to change and grow through creating a safe environment where true challenge and support can take place. Liz specialises in coaching, leadership development, and emotional intelligence facilitation to revitalise and improve individuals, teams and organisations.

Liz draws on more than 20 years professional experience in the public sector. As a successful Executive Manager Liz led an operational business of over 500 staff, budgets in excess of £40m and worked with external partners dealing with major incidents. This considerable experience gives Liz insight and understanding in how to best support and when to challenge in order to enable people to flourish.

Liz is a warm and empathetic coach and builds trust quickly. She has coached an extensive number of leaders in areas such as confidence, change management, improved performance, personal impact and presence, making a huge impact on their effectiveness and personal satisfaction as leaders.

Matt Evans
Associate Partner

Matt has been a leadership
development coach and facilitator since 2003.  In that time, he has worked with leadership populations in over 60 different organisations – both in the UK and
around the World. 

A graduate of Aston Business School, Matt worked for 10 years in international marketing for international and global businesses including LG and Hitachi before coaching changed his own life and career path. It is valuable and inspiring to him that he knows the impact of coaching from 
his own experience.

From there, he went on to work with Occupational Psychologists, leadership development consultancies and as Leadership & Capability Development Manager for National Grid.

In addition to his work today as a Mindset Practice Practitioner, Matt is a Visiting Fellow of Cranfield University’s Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship and is also an Associate Faculty member at Cranfield’s School of Management.

Matt Evans
Dan Symonds

Dan Symonds
Associate Partner

For Dan life is all about people – connecting with them, developing and supporting them and helping them to become the best possible versions of themselves.

With over 20 years’ experience as a facilitator and coach, he has worked with and within a wide variety of regulatory and legislative organisations, as well as multi-national businesses within the retail and finance sector.

He loves nothing more than giving participants practical ‘tools’ to take back into their workplace to improve their relationship management skills. As a facilitator who works with a wide variety of clients, from new and early talent through to managers, he revels in raising self-belief, confidence and situational awareness to ensure positive outcomes for participants and those they manage.

He has spoken at a number of ISE and CIPD Learning and Development conferences, with a particular focus on the vulnerability of leadership and using open communication to build individual and organisational resilience.

Aleksandra Atman
Mindset & Executive Coach

Aleksandra has an MA in psychology, neuroscience and therapeutic qualifications, and commercial management experience with world leading firms, but those achievements aside, what her clients value most is her intuition which gets her to the very heart of what is holding her clients back, and it is what helps them unlock the potential and catalyse rapid, lasting transformation.

She specialises in working with consultants predominantly in the professional services sector, blending commercial credibility with the ability to get to the heart of the matter by doing deep, transformational work, drawing on over 15 years’ experience in corporate leadership at firms such as Deloitte, her psychology training and her coaching track record.

Aleks

Become a Mindset Practice Licensed Practitioner

Mindset Practice works with forward-thinking organisations and professionals,
who strive to make life. better for themselves, their teams and their clients

If you want to consciously create a climate where innovation can flourish, trust and openness
are valued and curiosity is celebrated, then we would love you to join our mission.