Karen Meager

FOUNDER

Life Motto: ‘It’s the small things that make a big difference’

First Job: At 15 I got my first weekend job in Woolworths which I loved but hated the frumpy tunics we had to wear as uniforms. I worked really hard to get promoted to Supervisor in three months as they had much nicer uniforms. All the best careers have humble beginnings!

Best Boss: Michael who showed me that you could be calm, consistent and dynamic as a Leader. He wasn’t afraid of the difficult people stuff which meant working in his team you felt safe to take risks. He taught me to stand up for myself in an appropriate way, he was one my inspirations for writing Real Leaders for the Real World.

Loves: Renovating properties and exploring the arts world, in particular music, dance and drama.

Experience & Qualifications: Prior to starting Monkey Puzzle in 2007, I worked in fund management and retail doing various leadership, technical, and people development roles. I have an MBA, an MSc in Psychology and am a UKCP and PSA registered psychotherapist, supervisor, and organisational psychologist. In addition to being an INLPTA accredited Master Trainer, a member of the International NLP Leadership Summit, and a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS). I am currently working towards a PhD in Organisational Health and Wellbeing at Lancaster University. My psychological training, interest, and experience are broad and I am a particular fan of the values work and theories developed by Clare Graves and Ken Wilber. In my organisational work and private practice I integrate methods and interventions from a wide spectrum of approaches including CBT, Transactional Analysis (TA), Solution Focused approaches, and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and I have also trained as a Pilates Teacher.

John McLachlan

FOUNDER

Life Motto: ‘‘Always look for the light and the space’’

First Job: At 14 I got my first weekend job as a coffee boy at what was then a very fancy restaurant in my village. I remember arriving for my interview in an ill fitting jacket shirt and incongruent tie. I was very shy and this job really helped me overcome some of that. This job gave me my love of food and was where I first learned to cook - cooking steak diane stroganoff and the like for guests at their table. I also did a stint as the wine waiter which was fun. French wine was it then!

Best Boss: Karen!  Apart from her, Mike who helped me see the benefit in taking time to gather and consider data, how to present it back to others in a way that they could understand and process. He was calm, thought long term and did not get involved in the day to day dramas and gossip of the office. He taught me patience, strategic thinking and how to conduct myself and maintain my dignity when others were shouting and trying to point score. 

Loves: Fresh air and open spaces, eating and cooking food. Travelling, music, learning new things and laughing.

Experience & Qualifications: Before Monkey Puzzle I spent over 20 years in a variety of senior finance leadership roles including a Group FD role in industry and a Partner for a Professional CA Practice. In addition to being CA qualified, I’m an organisational psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist (PSA registered) and I have an MSc in Psychology with a specialisation in Business. I’ve trained across disciplines in various psychological methods including CBT, Transactional Analysis (TA), hypnosis, and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). This is not exhaustive as I’m always on the look out for new leading edge research on organisations, technology, and psychology to inform and develop my skills and knowledge. In my work with organisations I have a focus on organisational development, effective and efficient strategy design, and developing leaders. I’m also an INLPTA certified Master Trainer, a member of the International NLP Leadership Summit, and a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS). I am currently working towards a PhD in Organisational Health and Wellbeing at Lancaster University.

Becky Westwood

Director Programmes and Coaching

Life Motto: ‘Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire’

First Job: Working after school at a toy retailer at Christmas. I was responsible for the Lego section and this is what started my love of Lego, I collect it to this day! It reminds me that I’m still a big kid!

Best Boss: John who was one of my first managers. He was passionate about what he did, fair and happy to roll his sleeves up and get involved when needed. He showed me how to be a great leader and supported me at the start of my journey to become a trainer. Most importantly I learned very early in my career that working hard and having fun are not mutually exclusive.

Loves: : I love cooking, especially baking, landscape photography, travelling, being by the ocean and spending time outdoors.

Experience & Qualifications: Following my early experience in the retail industry as a trainer, I later moved to France and worked for a large aerospace company, where I developed training programmes and facilitated sessions across Europe. I then returned to the UK to take up a similar role in the companies space division. It’s given me a huge diversity of experience, working across cultures, language barriers and expectations.

I am an INLPTA accredited NLP Trainer and qualified Coach Practitioner and now running my own coaching practice in Bristol where I specialise in working with people with anxiety.

Pia Bloom

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Life Motto: ‘Be kind to yourself and others’

First Job: I was 15 years old, working in a large hospital, cutting the grass and weeding the flower beds over the summer. I was then promoted to deliver and handle all the internal and external mail. This became a regular school and college holiday job. Timekeeping, attention to detail and fitness became a life habit (there was a lot of walking involved).

Best Boss: Karen and John of course! Before then it was Julie who was my team leader in a financial services call centre. She really wanted to get the best out of me and helped with my career progression. She was always very approachable, kind and fair.

Loves: Spending time with my 2 boys, anything to do with fitness and taking my golden retriever Benny for long walks in the woods.

Experience & Qualifications: After finishing business college and then leaving by birth country Finland, I have had many years of experience working within the financial services sector and gained several financial qualifications. These roles ranged from call centre work to financial advising and giving presentations on pensions. I am an NLP Master Practitioner and an ASA Level 2 qualified swimming teacher.

Jennie Backshell

Senior Manager Programmes and Coaching

Life Motto: ‘Make time for fun and create special memories’

First Job: When I was 10 I helped my sister with her paper round for a little extra pocket money, my first experience of work really.  My first proper paid job was working in Woolworths.  I really enjoyed chatting to the regulars who’d come in to by their Saturday morning Pick n Mix.  Stacking shelves, not so much.

Best Boss:  Tim who was the Managing Director in my first part-time job straight out of school.  He was focused, sharing his ideas and plans clearly with his employees.  He knew what was going on throughout his company and some of the more sneaky salesmen could never get one passed him. I appreciated that he treated everyone with respect, regardless of age or position and was always very approachable.

Loves:  Holidays and days out with the children.  I enjoy jogging round the local park and dog walks with my new puppy. I love organising events and am very involved with the school PTA.

Experience & Qualifications: I spent 10 years working in EMEA Emerging Markets for a large Video Games Publisher.  It gave me lots of opportunity to travel and learn about different cultures which I am so pleased to have been able to do.  I gained a lot of experience in Sales, Marketing, Distribution and Customer Service. I trained with Monkey Puzzle in my spare time and qualified as an NLP Master Practitioner and INLPTA certified NLP Trainer in 2010. I joined Karen and John when my children were little to help with a bit of admin, it’s been many great years of growth and learning since.

Lara Cullen

CONSULTANT

Life Motto: ‘Be Kind. Be Brave. Be Brilliant’

First Job: My first job was as a babysitter, I ran a very successful little business in the local area and was generally booked up for weekend nights at least a year in advance. Among my “clients” was a nice young lad who has now turned out to be a very successful Irish rockstar.

Best Boss: My two best bosses were very different but shared similar traits. They saw the person I could become rather than the person I presented myself as and they treated me as if I was already her. They gave me freedom, trust, encouragement, and support. They allowed me to make mistakes and tried to help me never make them more than once. They gave me the difficult messages as well as the easy ones and I always felt they liked and cared about me as a person and real human being.

Loves: Music, Travel, Photography, Diving, Cooking, Yoga and trying new things.

Experience & Qualifications:  Before I joined Monkey Puzzle as a consultant I had a career in HR working across fashion, retail and FMCG industries where I held several leadership positions, most latterly a Global HR Director role for an iconic menswear fashion brand. Over 15 years in those roles I led, coached and mentored a large number of people from shop-floor to Board levels and designed, ran and developed a variety of in house training and leadership development programmes. I have a 1st class degree in Business with Languages, a postgraduate diploma in Strategic HR Management and am a fully qualified Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, and NLP Trainer. I am also a mental health first aider, a trained workplace mediator and am qualified in various psychometric tools such as Insights Discovery, Predictive Index and SHL OPQ. I also run my own coaching and training consultancy based in London and especially love supporting creative, dynamic and purpose-led organisations and leaders (emerging and experienced) who genuinely care about their people and their customers. 

Mike Evans

CONSULTANT

Life Motto: ‘Be curious… expect the unexpected…’

First Job: A clerical job working in London. It was during the daily commute to London with my father, that he said “so, what are you really going to do…” Shortly afterward “I ran away to sea” and had a brilliant time!

Best Boss: Two consecutive bosses were my best. These guys displayed qualities of leadership that I still admire to this day. On starting one of my first senior roles, one of them offered “sometimes, the best decision, is no decision” and used appropriately, it is still good to this day! … Thank you both.

Loves: Spending time with my family and being there for them. I enjoy travel and I have extensive travel plans going forward. I enjoy making stuff and fixing stuff. Since formally retiring from “Engineering”, I have become really passionate about Coaching. Coaching allows me to help make a difference for people in a way that they want and integrate my interest in lifelong learning to further my knowledge. I love how different my “working life” is now compared to how it used be!!

Experience & Qualifications: : I originally trained as a Marine Engineer Officer, working on cruise ships, academically qualifying as a Chief Engineer. After leaving the ”sea” I joined an international heavy engineering company working on the construction and maintenance of Nuclear and Conventional power stations, Oil Refineries etc in many different roles in different locations.

I have engaged in much post graduate work. My later roles included running a large self-contained business with all the associated responsibilities and then latterly as a Strategic Director in the Nuclear New Build business.

I am an accredited INLPTA NLP Trainer and have completed additional training in Coaching and Hypnosis. My belief is that good coaching enables, what I call, “unlocking the unexpected” i.e. discovering emergent solutions that were not previously considered or even thought about, that delivers both lasting change and honours my coachees at the same time.

I also have a current private client coaching practice in Bristol.

Sarah Andrews

CONSULTANT

Life Motto: ‘Live a heart-led life, doing what you love and loving what you do’

First Job: When I was 15, I was a teaching assistant at a Speech and Drama school on a Saturday. I taught the 5-6 year olds and helped them prepare for poetry competitions and junior drama exams. It was great fun to spend my Saturday mornings with the youngsters and I really loved helping them find their voice and confidence.

Best Boss: I met my best boss at the start of my project management career. She taught me about the kind of leader I wanted to be and has been an amazing champion throughout my career. She also taught me how to set effective boundaries in my life and this has served me well as a project manager and as a coach and trainer.

Loves: I love the theatre and I usually go on stage at least once a year with my local Amateur Dramatics group. Also running and walking by the rivers where I live – my peaceful sanctuary and creative space. My other big passion is skiing – although I’m not a black run fanatic, I enjoy the peace of the mountains and gentle swish of the skis when I’m in flow.

Experience & Qualifications: For most of my working life I have been a Project and Portfolio Manager delivering IT and business change. I’ve worked in global corporates across a variety of sectors including High-tech, Telecoms, Charity, Financial Services and Retail. I’ve managed project teams, coached and mentored Project Managers, developed and run training for a variety of projects and managed multi-million dollar portfolios of change. Over the years I have learnt the importance of being flexible in my approach to different situations and how to appreciate the exquisite uniqueness of each person I meet.

I am now an INLPTA accredited NLP trainer, a certified coach and a hypnotherapist. I have my own practice in Winchester as a transformational coach and NLP trainer. I also run bespoke Wellbeing workshops for several corporates. I particularly love helping people get unstuck from negative stories and limiting beliefs that are holding them back so they can step into their light and shine.