Meet the team

Our talented and experienced facilitators, coaches and trainers can help your organisation meet the demands of a complex, challenging and changing world. 

Girda Niles

Carol Conway

Emily Ahmed

 

Scott Hay

 
 

Fiona Scrase

“I enjoy seeing people have those lightbulb moments and insights, when they experience a quantum shift in their thinking or realising they’ve been operating from unhelpful beliefs. I love it when the Set reflects on how it works together and begins to take ownership for its own process, gaining a self-awareness of their style of questioning, rewording closed questions without anyone saying anything.”
— Fiona Scrase

Professional qualifications:

  • Certified Professional Co-active Coach (CPCC)

  • Organisation & Relationship Systems Certified Coach (ORSCC)

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and Development

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • Action Learning Training

  • Coaching

  • Team coaching

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Janie Wilson

“I love that Action Learning is so adaptable and knows no boundaries. It gets to the heart of issues, and sees real breakthroughs in thinking, commitment, motivation and understanding. And, thanks to the collective and intimate nature of the Set, people do the things they say they will do – it’s so effective and transformational.”
— Janie Wilson

Professional qualifications:

  • Diploma in Training

  • Certificate in Business Mentoring 

  • Professional certified Coach with ICF 

  • MSC in Social Policy 

  • Certificate of Qualification in Social Work

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • Action Learning Training

  • Coaching

  • Team coaching

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Amy Barbor

“Action Learning requires us to find new ways of communicating. Conversations can seem challenging and uncomfortable, but artful facilitation can create a transformational impact. These are essential lessons for any leader.”
— Amy Barbor

Professional qualifications:

  • The art and craft of designing learning spaces – KAOS Pilot

  • Designing for Inclusion

  • Introduction to human-centred design

  • ILM Advanced Action Learning Facilitator

  • Facilitating vulnerable groups

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • Action learning Training

  • Designing and delivering learning programmes

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion of learning spaces

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Heidi Schaefer

“For me, Action Learning acknowledges the complexity and contradictions in our lives and works with that to find understanding – by placing thoughtful questions and actions at the centre of its philosophy and principles. When working with a Set, I look forward to when the trust has developed and members are able to supportively challenge each other in ways that help everyone to see the world with new possibility. It’s so empowering!”
— Heidi Schaefer

Professional qualifications:

  • MSC in Management by Action Learning

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • Action Learning Training

  • Coaching

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Joanna Ridout

“I look forward to those unexpected moments, when a seemingly standard question can unlock new learning and flick a switch in someone’s brain, allowing them to see a new way of achieving. What I enjoy most is watching people grow into their potential, witnessing learning breakthroughs as well as recognition and articulation of sticky problems, and the confidence to take risks in finding the right ways forward.”
— Joanna Ridout

Professional qualifications:

  • ILM qualified Action Learning Facilitator 

  • Advanced ILM certification in Action Learning Facilitator

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • Action Learning Training

  • Organisational Development consultant

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Suri Patel

Professional qualifications:

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Training

  • Action Learning Facilitation

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Girda Niles

Professional qualifications:

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Training

  • Action Learning Facilitation

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Emily Ahmed

“Action Learning creates a space for people to listen, be heard, explore their challenges, and reach their own solutions. For me the joy and satisfaction is in facilitating a group to take that journey, enabling a reflective practice which can be truly transformational.”
— Emily Ahmed

Professional qualifications:

  • Action Learning Facilitation

  • PhD Health Sciences and Co-production

  • MPhil Health Sciences

  • MA Applied Anthropology and Community Work

  • Foundation certificates in Arts Management and Art Therapy 

  • PTLLS Education and training

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning Training & Facilitation 

  • Group facilitation and reflective learning 

  • Co-production and public engagement

  • Qualitative Research  

  • Creative arts, health and social care

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion

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Carol Conway

For me, curiosity is a super-power and Action Learning is how you put that superpower into action! It’s a structured process that assists us all in getting curious. Rather than going straight to “fixing” problems, I think Action Learning invites us to sit with the problem a little longer and get clearer on what’s going on, which often brings us to new and better solutions.

It reminds me of the Einstein quote: “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”
— Carol Conway

Professional qualifications:

  • Certified Action Learning Facilitator (ILM)

  • Certified Facilitator of Restorative Practices (IIRP, UK)

  • Certified Facilitator for the Pacific Institute in Ireland

Area of expertise:

  • Action Learning  Facilitation

  • Action Learning Training

  • Coaching

  • Leadership Development

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Scott Hay