Businesses Who Use GENIE…
Thrive!
Obtain a new baseline
Create a measurement tool to demonstrate progress and ROI
Gain insights into what’s working and what’s not working, and for whom, where and why?
Can utilise the insights to create a business case for new initiatives and investment. Establishing the what?
Identify the initiatives that will immediately help to drive sustainable change and in what order of priority.
Provide feedback for leaders and managers by function/team/location/market
What GENIE Enables You To Do
Understand the attitudinal dynamics to diversity and inclusion and compare these against company ambitions, highlighting strengths and gaps at all levels.
Identify a scientific baseline on which to build.
Provide comparator data year on year.
Establish the evidence base for creating impactful communications and initiatives that are more targeted, cost efficient and effective.
Demonstrate leadership commitment to making a difference in the area of inclusion and belonging.
Underpin organisational engagement and helping remove barriers to performance and development.
Genie Outcomes
Identifying an accurate baseline on which to build.
Providing comparator data year on year and over time.
Establishing the evidence base for focusing more specifically on leadership development and creating impactful communications that are more targeted, cost efficient and effective.
Demonstrating leadership commitment to making a difference in the area of inclusions and belonging.
Our diagnostic dashboard gives you real time insights and analysis
Our Team
Karen Blackett OBE
Non-Executive Director & Personal Brand Expert; UK Country Manager, WPP
Karen Blackett has been in media for 22 years and is currently Country Manager of WPP, the largest UK media agency with billings over £1 billion. Prior to this, Karen was CEO for 5 years where she was instrumental in MediaCom’s success and in championing diversity across their industry.
In 2012, Karen launched the first ever Government backed Apprentice Scheme for the sector, where the apprentices qualify for an NVQ in Marketing and Communications. In June 2014, she received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours. Karen has won the Women in Marketing (WIM) Outstanding Contribution to Marketing Award, featured 5 times in the Power List of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Black People (heading the list in 2015, the first business woman to do so), and has appeared in the Woman’s Hour Power List of Top 10 Influencers, and Marie Claire’s Women At The Top Awards.
Most recently, Karen has been appointed as one of four external advisors to help diversify the Civil Service, and as a UKTI Business Ambassador for No 10. In March 2016, Karen became the President of NABS, the advertising industry charity which focuses on health and wellbeing in the workplace and presenting the business case for Diversity.
Lynn Blades
Executive Coach & Leadership Summit Facilitator
Prior to becoming a full-time executive coach, Lynn spent almost 20 years in the media industry as an award-winning (Emmy, National Press Club and Peter Lisagor Award for Investigative Journalism) television journalist, writer, producer, and on-air presenter/contributor in the USA and UK. Her excellent communication skills and distinctive can-do spirit were honed in professional posts with top international networks including BBC, ITV 1, CNN, CBS, CNBC, GMTV, Fox Health Network, E! Entertainment, BET and Showtime, where she developed and presented hard news as well as entertainment programming.
Lynn is known for her no-nonsense yet non-judgmental approach to coaching, upheld with total commitment to empowering her clients. She insists that measurable results can be obtained when time is valued as a commodity used to achieve leadership growth. Lynn inspires courage, humility and discipline in her clients and consistently coaches leaders to uncover their hidden potential for success.
Professor Chris Bones
Non-Executive Director & Academic Advisor
Professor Chris Bones is Dean Emeritus at Henley Management School, Professor of Creativity and Leadership at Manchester Business School and Visiting Professor at the University of Aberdeen. He advises on the academic content of The Pipeline programmes.
Professor Bones is an organisation and change strategist who is consistently ranked by his peers as one of the most influential thinkers of his generation. He has written extensively for professional journals and major newspapers.
He published his first book, ‘The Self-Reliant Manager’ in 1994 and contributed to the republished works of Peter Drucker. His latest book ‘The Cult of Leadership’ addresses the reasons behind the malaise in leadership and what can be done to restore trust in business. It won the 2012 Management Book of the Year Prize – the first UK winner. Before entering the world of academia Professor Bones had a successful career in industry spanning 30 years. He has also advised the current and previous Governments on M&A and pay.
Alison Byrom
Sales Operation Manager
Alison Byrom is The Pipeline’s Sales Operations Manager. She is responsible for liaising with organisations as the first point of contact to help answer queries around our open or bespoke programmes and match you to the right solution. Once programme places are booked, Alison provides all delegates and their managers with vital pre-programme information to ensure participants and organisations maximise results.
Michele Carr
Executive Coach
A keen walker and believer in the power of exercise and the outdoors, she has been director of her own company Walking the Talk Ltd since 2015, offering her clients the opportunity to walk outdoors during their coaching sessions.
Billy Christie
Programme Coordinator
As the Programme Coordinator for The Pipeline, Billy is responsible for organising all of our Leadership Summit programmes, and liaising with clients, participants, line-managers and HR departments. Having previously worked in politics, and in the tourism sector, he has excellent event-management and client-liaison skills. After working with politicians, business-owners and other stakeholders, he is very comfortable building relationships with a wide variety of people, and is a friendly and approachable voice at the end of a phone.
Nell Cundle
Senior Programme Coordinator
Nell is an experienced events manager across the private and public sectors. She anticipates the needs of participants before they themselves realise them. Her talent for delivering great customer service comes from working in the retail industry when she helped her dad on his flower stall at a very young age.
William Devine
Head of Coaching
William Devine is a Senior Executive Coach working with leaders and teams across all sectors of the UK and Internationally, and is the head of The Pipeline’s coaching practice.
William is also an expert in supporting organisations to recover, restore resilience and grow through traumatic events. He works with organisations nationally and internationally.
William runs his own boutique business providing psychological services to organisations in the UK and beyond to support the wellbeing and resilience of their people.
He has qualifications in Psychotraumatology and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy having practiced with individuals, groups and organisations for over 20 years. He is a member of various professional bodies in Coaching, Psychotherapy and Trauma e.g. AOC, BACP, BACP Coaching Division, FPC, UKPTS, ESTSS.
Margaret Edge
Director of Consultancy Services
Margaret joined The Pipeline to lead our Consultancy Services. Prior to this she spent 10 years with Norman Broadbent Executive Search and played a leading role within the HR Practice, working with both large and small clients to help them build capability within their HR functions.
Michelle Emmerson
Associate Director
Michelle is an experienced CEO, Management Consultant and Non-Executive Director.
Michelle has worked at CEO and Board level with established businesses, SME’s and Start-ups to develop strategies for growth, change, people and business transformation, often as an advisor to the CEO.
In her early career, working as HR Director at EMI Music UK & Ireland for 8 years, she was one of the team supporting the launch of The BRIT School and its Music Business course and work experience programme. Today she is the Director of BRIT for Business which she launched to share the creative expertise and ethos of the world-renowned BRIT School with businesses in search of creativity and inclusivity, with all profits being returned as a charitable donation to the school.
Michelle became SVP HR for EMI Music working with the global HQ for 2 years before leaving to become Global HR Director at BBC Worldwide. Having diversified out of core HR into areas of strategy and business development at BBC Worldwide, she left and joined the start-up pure-play fashion Etailer ASOS.com as Group Services Director, with a remit across Customer, People, Studios, Production, CSR and Business Transformation. After almost 3 years at ASOS, Michelle became CEO at Walpole, an industry body established to promote, protect and develop British Luxury Brands. As a unique alliance of c.250 British Luxury brands, Michelle established Walpole as the voice of the sector, developing initiatives and events, working with the GREAT campaign and UK Government, media partners, business sponsors and member organisations. Through her own business consultancy, Michelle has worked with many different clients.
With extensive experience in digital high growth environments and global operations across industry sectors, Michelle’s experience spans businesses that are UK listed, public sector, not-for-profit, private equity and pure play Etailing at Board level.
Lorna Fitzsimons
Co-Founder
Lorna is co-founder of The Pipeline and is a trusted advisor to big cap companies and Whitehall on gender and developing executive female talent. She is also a Board member of the UK Fashion Textiles Association, UKFT, Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership and a trustee of the education charity, SHINE. Lorna is deeply committed to unlocking women’s potential at the top of corporate Britain as well as realising growth in the Northern Powerhouse.
Previously, Lorna was the founder and Director of The Alliance Project, a £150m public-private partnership to bring back textile manufacturing to the UK and CEO at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM). She turned BICOM into an internationally renowned centre of excellence. She was also a visiting Fellow at the Defence Academy’s Advanced Research and Assessment Group and former Member of Parliament for Rochdale.
Genelle Aldred
Head of Communications
Genelle Aldred is a former newsreader and journalist for BBC, ITN and ITV, she now runs GA\C a communications consultancy helping people, brands and organisations with their communications. She is currently writing her first book about Communication and Social Justice Genelle previously worked as Head of Digital Strategy for Tearfund and was the Channel Manager for TBN UK, she is also part of the Ethical Storytelling collective and holds an MA in Broadcast Journalism.
Jackie Gittins
Executive Coach
In her role as coach, Jackie works alongside CEO’s and senior leaders of global organisations helping them to do the tough work of change. She equips leaders to direct with their head as well as their heart, always seeing the leadership and people dynamic in the context of their business and commercial imperatives.
Jackie is known for moving leaders and their teams to the next level of performance. Organisations want to work with her as she brings a mix of business acumen with creativity, challenge and support.
Jackie’s work is shaped by the belief that the answers to most questions and dilemmas lie within the minds of leaders and their teams within organisations. Her approach focuses on enabling and surfacing the crucial questions that lead to new opportunities and growth in the current dynamic economy.
Simon Gulliford
Non-Executive Director
Initially, Simon began his career as a lawyer, however, he changed career direction in the mid-1980s when he returned to University to study for an MBA. He joined the academic staff at Ashridge Management College and was soon promoted to head of the Marketing Faculty.
In 1992, he left academia and set up his own consulting business. Simon then became the Marketing Director of Sears, helping to relaunch and subsequently demerge Selfridges. From there he was appointed Marketing Development Director of EMAP plc and helped launch and develop magazines such as FHM, Red and Heat, as well as working closely with all EMAP music and entertainment interests.
Until August 2004, Simon was the Group Marketing Director for Barclays plc, where he instigated significant change and built Barclays into a world- class marketing organisation.
Until March 2011, Simon was the Chief Marketing Officer for Standard Life plc where he instituted a major re-structuring and re-positioning programme. He has also recently carried out major pieces of strategy work for easyJet, BAA, Harper Collins, Cannes Lions & BDO.
Simon has a strong practical approach, backed by a thorough appreciation of latest analytical techniques. He is a lively and compelling speaker in constant demand on the international conference circuit and European business schools.
Kay Buckingham
Executive Assistant to Lorna Fitzsimons
Kay is an experienced Executive Assistant, having supported C-Suite Executives across the Technology and Charity sectors over the last ten years. Kay is passionate about diversity & inclusion, has sat on D&I committees, and was responsible for creating and implementing D&I initiatives across all business layers.
A Fellow member of the Executive & Personal Assistants Association (EPAA), Kay champions the role of business support professionals, attends CPD events and mentors other administrative professionals.
As a lifelong learner, Kay has a degree in Psychology completed through the Open University and is due to commence her MSc in Organizational Psychology in 2021.
Sue Leeson
Executive Coach
Sue has 30 years corporate experience culminating in 15 years at board-level. Her career started in advertising working on leading accounts, then in media during the transition to digital and finally in retail with a global brief.
As a professional executive coach, Sue coaches across a breadth of industries at a senior level. Her wealth of corporate experience enables fast comprehension of client challenges and helps her to work with each client to develop realistic strategies for success.
Sue has both experienced herself and coached others around the following: working in a male-dominated environment, navigating conflicting priorities of daily growth vs. long-term strategy, the complexities of working in a global matrix structure, balancing demanding work and personal schedules and more.
Sue’s clients say her coaching is insightful, challenging, supportive and effective.
Karen Mackley
Leadership Summit Facilitator
Karen has over 25 years experience of working in design and project management of leadership development programmes for a diverse range of clients in the UK and globally. She is a specialist in experiential learning and have delivered “immersion programmes” for clients in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has her own consulting business offering coaching and development expertise for clients in the UK.
Jayne MacLennan
Executive Coach
Jayne has a wealth of FTSE 300 board level and non-executive director experience. Her career started as a chartered surveyor and property consultant and then progressed to corporate life in the UK and North America where she was involved in several large-scale mergers and acquisitions. She is a subject matter expert but also an experienced all-round business woman.
Michele is a person-centred coach who believes strongly in each individual’s uniqueness and ability to identify how to reach their full potential and achieve their personal and professional ambitions. She became a qualified coach after she encountered first-hand the huge positive impact of professional coaching. She has in-depth experience of helping executives shape their professional future and providing wellbeing coaching focusing on personal ambitions and relationships. As a practiced problem solver she has the skills, personality and ability to see connections others do not see, to deliver outstanding results.
Margaret McDonagh
Co-Founder
Margaret McDonagh is a dynamic business woman and member of the House of Lords. She read an article by Alice Thompson in 2012 that explained corporate UK had lost 40% senior female executives in the previous decade and thus co-founded The Pipeline. Its purpose is to increase the number of women at the most senior levels of large organisations.
Margaret passionately believes such organisations are more successful over the long term and therefore looks at this gap as an economic rather than an equality issue. The Pipeline achieves its aim by working with both organisations and individual female executives because if women could do this on their own it would already have happened.
Margaret herself has had a successful corporate career serving as a NED for both Standard Life and Spanish based infrastructure company Abertis – TBI (global airports). Margaret was also the founding Chairperson of Smart Energy GB. She actively supports several charities including serving as trustee of AFC Wimbledon Foundation and is the Chairperson of the Orthopaedic Research & Education Fund, which uses big data to improve outcomes for patients.
By profession, Margaret is a global expert in leading ‘big campaigns’. Margaret ran Labour’s 1997 and 2001 General Election campaigns, which produced the most successful results for any party in Britain’s history. Margaret was also the first female and youngest General Secretary of the Labour Party.
Sue O’Brien OBE
Non-Executive Director
Sue joined Ridgeway Partners as a partner in 2015 to lead the Retail and HR practice and work with the Board practice team. Previously Chief Executive, and a board member of a listed search firm, she has over 17 years as a practitioner in board advisory services.
Her work within the search industry has focused on board and non-executive appointments in FTSE and AIM listed businesses. With an early career in retail, she was a managing director of a leisure business in the early nineties. She moved into executive search in 1998. In addition to her role at Ridgeway Partners, Sue is a board member of Walpole British Luxury, a founder member of The Women’s Business Council and a Trustee for KidsOut children’s charity. She was awarded an OBE for services to charity and for promoting equality in the workplace, has a role on the board of the Chartered Management Institute and she is also a member of the International Women’s Federation.
Jennifer Powell
Executive Coach
Jennifer brings over 15 years experience as a communication and change strategist, and as a Partner in a global management consultancy, to her Executive coaching. She has worked at executive levels with, and in, a number of FTSE 100 companies in many sectors – finance, oil and gas, law, services. She works effectively in an environment of turbulent or substantial change.
She firmly believes that if people are resourceful enough to articulate issues, they are resourceful enough to find solutions. Her role is to use questioning, challenge and feedback to help clients uncover helpful insights quicker. She often helps clients to shine in their personal diversity and to lead inclusively so that diversity is welcomed, encouraged and celebrated in organisational life.
Alice Streatfeild
Head of Research and Insight
Alice joined The Pipeline as Head of Research and Insights from the ENGINE group and has over 14 years of experience in the field of employee research. She has worked in partnership with leading employers to ensure they understand the challenges and opportunities their employees face, empowering both employers and employees to realise their respective potential.
Alice’s research has identified unintended barriers within promotion criteria within a leading UK University, illustrated pervasive and gendered narratives within a major police service, and inspired an International Media business to address the stark differences of experiences between male and female employees. Alice has been a judge at industry employee experience awards and has spoken at conferences including the Global Equality and Diversity Conference.
Lisa Wilcox
Finance Manager
Lisa has joined The Pipeline to look after all things finance. She holds a Business (Accounting) degree from Sydney, Australia and was a member of CPA Australia for 20 years. Lisa has worked in the public sector, for large corporates as well as SME’s, across a broad range of industries, has worked in Australia, New Zealand and now lives and works in London.
Pauline Wiseman
Executive Coach
Pauline has held a number of senior leadership roles in the European and UK motor industry. In addition she has supported several charities in a non-executive role, drawing on her broad commercial experience as a Finance Director, Learning and Development specialist and International Human Resources Director.
Pauline is now engaged in providing consultancy support to organisations aiming to create positive commercial change while bringing out the potential excellence within their people.
Working with senior leaders to examine their strategic direction, company structure and culture, Pauline supports positive change through organisation design, leadership development and executive coaching. Recent clients include Jaguar Land Rover, Ultra Engineering, Children with Cancer UK and MacIntyre.
As an executive coach, Pauline is focused particularly on supporting senior female leaders to bring out their most authentic personal leadership in challenging environments. Feedback from those Pauline has worked with attributes her with enabling them to leverage their personal impact and influence more effectively and so drive the success of their organisations.
To discuss your individual needs, please call Michelle Emmerson on 020 7636 9002 or email michelle@execpipeline.com
