Student Coaches
Profile: Saheed Adekunle Adegbite – Student Coach and Management Consultant
After an extremely successful career spanning 15 years as a Management Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Oracle, GE and independently working for numerous blue chip fortune 500 clients both in the public and private sector, Saheed knew it was time for a new challenge.
His natural personable nature, listening, communication and diplomatic skills led him to begin a career in Life Coaching. His vast experience working at board level within multifaceted organizations made Executive Coaching an obvious path to follow. He has since been working in various areas such as Leadership, Career Change, Organizational Change and Work-Life Balance amongst others.
Saheed has a strong passion for using his skills in coaching, project management, change management and information technology in empowering businesses, nations and individuals and gets a real buzz from watching the ‘impossible’ happen.
As an executive corporate and business coach, he works with
- middle management and senior executives improving performance by working on areas such as strategic planning, budgeting, establishing direction, aligning people, team development, motivating, inspiring, promoting change etc
- teams within organizations by coaching for change
- individuals one to one on numerous personal and life challenges like decision making, communication,risk taking, building relationships etc which directly or indirectly influence their career and business aspirations
- entrepreneurial individuals starting new businesses
His work has given clients an improved sense of direction, self awareness, ability to influence, motivation, personal effectiveness, resourcefulness and resilience to name a few!
Sylvia’s career has been varied, predominantly in higher education management, and she has lived and worked in several countries, including Australia, France, Germany and the United States. She has worked in large and small organisations, both public and private sector, and currently runs her own antiques business. She has also taught French and English to adult learners for many years, and been a technical translator and an estate manager.
Soon after starting her training it became apparent to Sylvia that she had actually been coaching for years, long before coaching became a buzz word! Particularly when she was director of a post-secondary college she coordinated several departments and sections, with an overview of strategic planning, financial management and staff appointments. Her approach was to lead by example, be available for consultation, but then to leave staff to their own devices. Most times it worked! She was particularly keen to help junior staff to get promotion and in staff training and motivation.
Sylvia has a Master’s degree (French) and qualifications in teaching English as a Foreign Language and translating and interpreting. She has also undertaken studies in Management, Law, and Distance Education and has an ongoing interest in learning languages.
Sylvia has enjoyed her training with Catalyst and coaching on a wide range of issues for her case studies and practical assessment. She will be equally happy to coach on individual/personal development issues or on career/job related ones.
‘My sister asked me the secret of my complete turnaround in a matter of weeks – now she wants coaching too, please!’ -Marta
‘I feel like the part of me that has been dormant for years has suddenly had some life pumped into it, all thanks to our coaching sessions’. -Ian
‘Through meeting you I have learned how to think things through when faced with difficult challenges, observe how others work, and use various communication techniques to get my desired results. By making small changes I have noticed big results. I don’t feel as stressed as I did a month ago, I’m enjoying coming in to work every day and I feel more confident in my abilities’. -Leeanne
It is a cliché that we all have just one life and that we should make the most of it. Like all clichés, this statement is born form an obvious truth yet a quick look around will show that most people delay making the choices that matter to them and stay in a comfortable place of inaction. It is my passion to help people realise their greater potential in all aspects of their life through understanding what they really want and taking the decision and actions that get them there.
My own background is varied. Having achieved a first class degree in Philosophy (yes, one of those useful degrees so beloved of newspapers!) I strangely ended up a bank manager. To say this was a wrong turn would be an understatement yet it offered me the chance to develop skills which would prove invaluable in later life. The difference in how I felt studying something I loved compared to doing a job I was not truly interested in clearly showed me at a young age, however, that in life there are things you are passionate about and others which we do with little joy. I, for one, was determined to find the first of these again. From there I became a financial advisor before, having been poached by one of my clients, I embarked on the work that led to my own company. I have now run my own company researching and organising conferences on social policy for the last eight years. My latest projects will see me develop my coaching work to enhance what I have always looked upon as a natural aspect of my character and also start a new company which will combine travel with life-change for groups of clients.
Whilst I have always felt the strong desire to make the life I want happen, I would say that in reality this began to take shape once I started my own company and as such I have a special interest in helping realise their ambition to work for themselves. My interest in helping people achieve the life they want, however, is not focused on any one issue and I have worked with people who wish to expand their business, find a partner, develop a more active social life, gain new interests and skills; indeed, the range is endless as is the choices we can make in life if we choose to take control of our own destiny.
Having worked in the financial industry for 17 years, The Royal Bank of Scotland for 8 and Man Group Plc for 9, I decided I needed a change but didn’t know what. I knew I wanted to help people and wanted a rewarding career but I couldn’t see how to make the transition. It was then that I heard about life coaching and Catalyst and everything fell into place.
I have now been studying hard since June and having had four practise clients have learned a great deal about life coaching and it’s dynamics. It has also proved that this is the direction I wish to take and that by coaching clients, I can help them live their dream and achieve their goals. By doing that I am achieving mine!
Testimonial
The fact that Heidi was impartial was of great importance, as I felt I could discuss any matter with her and she wouldn't judge me. She was always supportive and extremely happy for me as I achieved what I wanted. In terms of what I wanted, Heidi helped me realise these things, gave me realistic and achievable targets and talked me through each step. I came into contact with Heidi at a difficult time, having just left university I had 'the whole world at my feet' but rather than being exciting this turned out to be more daunting than I expected and Heidi helped me find direction and realise what I wanted. As well as coaching me, Heidi helped me emotionally and more than anything listened to all my worries and helped by responding positively. Without Heidi's help I’m not sure I would have reached my goal of finding my dream job. I would probably still be in the student mode plodding along in life rather than focusing my energy on my future!
Helen Barrett (coachee)