Who We Are

How our journey began…

Wise Goose began, as many ventures do, as a conversation over coffee between Helen Sieroda and a coaching colleague. This was in 2012 after the dramatic breakdown in corporate governance that led to the financial crisis. They were trying to answer the question “In uncertain times, what kind of coaches does the world need?” The question grew into  “What would a professional, purposeful, values-led, pro-business and pro-future coach training look like?” And finally –  “Why aren’t we stepping up to create it?”

After over twenty years building a training institute in Scandinavia, Helen knew a thing or two about developing and delivering training programmes.  She had also completed an a Masters in ‘Responsibility in Business Practice’ that challenged traditional ideas about where leadership and responsibility begins and ends and so, from small beginnings Wise Goose was born.

Since then, Helen has secured Institute of Leadership and Management approval and Association for Coaching  accreditation for the programmes, assembled a world class team, expanded from Devon into London and Scotland and created a range of ‘custom-made’ in-house coaching courses for organisations alongside her work as a coach and coaching supervisor.

The Wise Goose Team

Our training is delivered by a skilled, enthusiastic team who bring a curious, wondering, mindful presence to the work of bringing out the best in others. With unique strengths and diverse styles, they all work with a range of clients and organisations in the real world.

Wise Goose is a member of the Association for Coaching and can guarantee that any employee, associate or anyone else acting on our behalf as a coach or mentor is subject to and has agreed to abide by the AC  Global Code of Ethics.

Helen Sieroda (Director)  is an APECS (Association of Professional Executive Coaches and Supervisors) accredited Master Executive coach. Coaching and mentoring at senior levels has been a core element of her work for over 25 years. She has worked in management and undertaken a number of training and consulting roles in Sweden and the UK.  She trained in psychosynthesis in the 1980s and for over 20 years was a U.K. Council for Psychotherapy registered integrative psychotherapist. Helen holds an MSc in Responsibility in Business Practice, and is a partner of  Gameshift listed as one of the Financial Times  U.K. Leading Management Consultants. She is core trainer at Wise Goose supported by other members of team.

‘The idea of serving worthwhile purposes is central to my work.  Yes, creating individual success for clients is vitally important and to be celebrated, but holding this in a wider context and redefining success takes the work to a whole new level and deepens its relevance: A vision of coaching as serving something far deeper and wider in organisations, communities and society’ — Helen Sieroda

Sybille Schiffmann  comes from a creative arts background and as well as trainer, she supports Wise Goose in the role of critical friend/ Chair of Wise Goose Advisory Board. She is founder and managing director of  leadership consultancy Deostara Ltd.  Previously she has worked Plymouth University as a Director of Executive Education and at national Government level. She has extensive experience as a facilitator in leadership coaching programmes.  Sybille is also a doctoral researcher exploring the field of relational leadership.

“What really attracted me to Wise Goose was their ethos and the operating principles.   This is a company that really cares deeply about effectively supporting and facilitating the growth and development of others, be they coaches, individuals, or professionals seeking develop their coaching capability to work more effectively as leaders, or within teams etc.  The positive impact they have on others is enormous and so this is a great privilege for me to be involved in its continued success.”

Josie Sutcliffe is an entrepreneur, ILM accredited executive coach and Leadership Mentor, has an MA in theatre studies and former Head of the Theatre Department at Dartington College of Arts.  As a director, performer and lecturer, her theatre career has taken her across Europe and to the USA. Convinced that theatre and business are a great partnership she is currently a director of Theatre 4 Business and director of two Open Programmes at Cranfield University School of Management.

“I have been working with Helen Sieroda and the Wise Goose School of Coaching for 7 years now and I feel so supported by them in my role as a visiting trainer. I have increased my own learning enormously through the culture of care and enquiry that Helen fosters and I have delighted in working with each cohort of emerging coaches.  I feel their confidence grow as they progress through the courses and I see them fly as new coaches after they qualify.  This really is a great learning environment for us all.”

DianaWhitmore

Diana Whitmore has been involved in the field of coaching since the early days, has created innovative coaching and mentoring programmes and teaches coaching to MSc level.  She trained in Psychosynthesis with Dr Roberto Assagioli and has worked in the field of Transformative Psychology for over 35 years teaching and training internationally. She is president and co-chair of the Psychosynthesis Trust and Founder of award winning charity Teens and Toddlers and Scottish charity Growing2gether.  An inspiring trainer and speaker, Diana co-leads with Helen on the Foundations Module.

“I am beyond delighted to be working with Wise Goose. Few coaching programmes include this deeper level of meaning and purpose and its value for coaches – to go beyond the transactional – into areas that bring greater fulfilment , deeper self understanding and includes coaching practice with the practical skills to address them. Transformational coaching is a word that implies that our values can be expressed and that well being and fulfilment are possible within the world of work, whatever we are doing as well as in our personal lives, in fact bringing them together into expression of who we essential know ourselves to be.”— Diana Whitmore

Diane Pitt   (in house ethicist) undDiane-150x150ertook nurse training in the mid 1980’s followed by and MSc in Health Ethics. She has been teaching Medical Ethics at postgraduate level for over ten years and has held research posts at the University of Hull in Philosophy and Bioethicswhile working on PhD research. She has also completed training in coaching  and brings breadth and depth of experience to Wise Goose. Along with Sybille, Diane supports Wise Goose in the role of critical friend/ member of Wise Goose Advisory Board helping to  prioritise our purpose, ensure we show respect for the ecosystem in which we operate, commit to equity, and sustainable and ethical practice.

Plus ‘occasional’ visiting trainers’  these friends of Wise Goose have included  Carole Bond brings her expertise in systemic thinking to Wise Goose. She is an environmental scientist, sustainability practitioner, marketing professional, and coach with more than 30 years’ experience working in and with businesses and organisations of all sizes and across many sectors in the UK and across Europe. Lucy Weldon brings expertise in ‘Career Coaching’ to our London training. Her international experience has given her a good understanding of different cultures and of working in different contexts and organisations.  Lucy has worked for large blue chip multi-nationals as well as for ‘not for profit’ and community organisations. She is a member of the Career Development Institute, and specialises in creating  ‘sustainable careers’, how to take charge of a career and manage a career over the longer term. Simon Western Director of Analytic-Network Coaching Ltd  author of ‘Coaching & Mentoring a Critical Text’ and ‘Leadership a Critical Text’; Charles Wookey CEO and Soulla Kyriacou COO  for A Blueprint for Better Business, an independent charity which works as a catalyst to help businesses be guided and inspired by a purpose that benefits society. “We challenge core assumptions about the purpose of business and what motivates people and help businesses see that they can operate in a way that benefits both business and society.”