Who We Are

Every programme we do is designed around the input of the people we will be working with. 

Our coaches have the experience to understand your challenges - all come from commercial corporate backgrounds and have senior leadership experience.

The Archipelo team includes leading experts and academics in their field. All our coaches are professionally qualified, ICF accredited, Postgraduates in Personal and Business coaching, EQI 2.0 and Tilt365 accredited, CPD committed and coach supervised.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO SUPPORT OUR CLIENTS, TO ACHIEVE THE TRANSFORMATION AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGE THEY WANT IN THEIR BUSINESS AND PERSONAL LIVES.

GARY COLE

Founder and Director

  • Even after doing this for 10+ years, I still feel a child like, magical buzz when an ‘ah ha’ moment has occurred for an individual, an entire team or a programme sponsor. The day I don’t feel this feeling, is the day I will stop coaching, frankly. I believe that generating realisations is the primary aim of a professional coach, and resolving the puzzle to enable a realisation to happen requires incredible versatility, courage and sometimes a bit of playful cheek to keep people on their toes.

  • If I state one thing and nothing else, it is that I am committed to ‘walking the walk of everything that coaches stand for’. My best credentials are the personal insights and wisdom I have earned & learned from self-coaching, self-application & tough behavioural choices – at times when I have been in desperately challenging situations. These personal experiences have enabled a deeper degree of coaching mastery, authenticity and conviction. I am an expert in emotional intelligence & behavioural choice regulation as a Master Practitioner in Tilt365® and EQI 2.0. I am a qualified Team Coach & Executive Coach with the ICF, and I have completed a Post Graduate Degree in Professional Coaching. I am also a graduate of The Conscious Leadership School & I have completed a long-term professional study & personal practice into Zen Buddishm. I am a committed continuous learner and seek to collect & embrace new insights from anywhere I can – not just predictable and orthodox sources.

  • Many clients have described their experiences with me as transformational & life and/or career changing. Clients have often told me that I can and will ‘pack a punch’, but in a velvet glove. Working with me is easeful, will feel very present & I will ‘go there’, often with a cheeky and thought-provoking smile on our faces. I keep the coaching experience as real and accessible as I can – I am incredibly skilled at meeting people where they are at. I am not the coach to choose if you are looking to tick boxes or go through the motions.

  • I am an Impact, a Change Catalyst. My super strength is anything relating to Inspiration and Ideas, as I am incredibly resourceful and innovative. My ego nickname is ‘Don’t Do It Dave’, which is an alter ego spin on the Nike slogan ‘Just Do It’. This is because I have developed a previous and long-standing behaviourial weakness around focussing and completing.

  • My most content moments are when I am outside in the scenic outdoors or wet in water. To help me access these moments, I own four cycles to enjoy different riding styles, I play golf & tennis averagely (and I don’t care) & regularly enjoy my SUP on Brighton seafront. I particularly love walking our dog Nora with my wife Jane and our children. I am the coach of Brighton RFU under 10s, when my professional coaching skills get found out every weekend!!

  • Firstly, reading or listening to anything is really just passive and easy unless you are prepared to learn harder by doing something with it! Many people have heard of Mindset by Carol Dweck, but my challenge is to live like this and explore some inner foibles you might have. Equally, I would encourage Daring Greatly by Brene Brown to embrace ‘couraging’ – tough micro choices in every day moments. Lastly, I’d recommend following @HelenBevan on Twitter if you are serious about culture and change.

Professor Damian Hughes

Partner

A former England schoolboy footballer and Manchester United football coach, Damian helps a wide range of commercial and public sector organisations develop leaders, change catalysts and great achievers.

Damian is the author of seven best-selling books including: Liquid Thinking, The Survival Guide to Change and How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson.

He also works as a sports psychology consultant for professional teams, including Great Britain Rugby League, Sale Sharks & West Bromwich Albion

Damian runs a Manchester inner-city youth club, which has helped many kids find a purpose in their lives – from avoiding crime to winning Olympic medals.

He was appointed a Professor of Organisational Psychology and Change at Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2010. And his innovative approach has been praised by Sir Richard Branson, Muhammad Ali, Sir Terry Leahy, Tiger Woods, Jonny Wilkinson and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Today, he uses this wealth of expertise to help organisations build a winning environment and mindset.

Sarah Bussey

Partner

  • I love coaching because it always feels like a bit of an adventure – you rarely know the client’s final destination and the path they will choose to get there. As a coach, that offers variety and continuous learning, as well as the opportunity to work with incredible people. It is the greatest privilege to see clients make progress towards their goals.

  • My 35+ years in the workplace has gifted me a wealth of experience., Over those years, I have surprised myself (and my family and friends!) in my willingness to embrace career change - pivoting from leading large teams as a CSO in a top 5 media agency to running my own consultancy to editing industry renowned L&D programmes to becoming a Coach. Some of these are changes I never thought I’d have the courage to make and all have had a strong people focus.

    In terms of my professional credentials, I am an ICF accredited Executive and Team coach, hold a Postgraduate Degree in Business and Personal Coaching, I am a Master Practitioner in Tilt365® and a qualified EQi 2.0 practitioner. I also love to learn whether that be from CPD, reflective practice, my amazing clients and colleagues or from the multitude of brilliant theories, books, talks and podcasts that are always coming!

  • My clients have told me that I am clear, calm and considered with a sprinkle of mischievousness!

    I aim to create an open and empathetic environment where clients can work with a sense of ease and at their own pace. I help clients to gain clarity about what’s important to them by supportively challenging their thinking and assumptions. Clients appreciate the accountability we build into their sessions, with clear progression milestones alongside their own specific experiments and practical actions to achieve them.

  • I am a Clarity aka The Quiet Genius and currently the only one on our coaching team. I am good at connecting people and information and am naturally patient and thoughtful. My super strengths are Focus and Empathy which serve me very well when coaching with my Clients.

    My ego nickname is Rita the Restaurant Critic – a good reminder for me that when I’m not at my best I can become too focussed which can lead me to become a bit critical.

  • Living just outside of London, I love to take advantage of everything it has to offer – theatre, food, culture – often with family and friends. I’m pretty active and love to swim, train and walk the dog but being on the yoga mat is my happy place. When I’m feeling less energetic, I’m very happy pottering at home either reading, cooking or gardening.

  • I love any and all sources of learning and I think you can find them everywhere if you keep your ears and your mind open. If I have to choose one book it would be The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg which gives practical steps as well as the theory behind making changes in our lives. Not necessarily a ‘worky’ podcast but I love Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail – a reminder that having the courage to try and fail, often leads to learning, opportunities and growth.

Paul Carolan

Partner

  • I get a constant buzz from knowing that you never stop learning as a Coach, and everyone in the team at Archipelo thrives on their individual and collective responsibility to always strive to be a better Coach for our clients. There is rarely, if ever, a coaching conversation that doesn’t bring about a ‘penny dropping moment’ for a coachee, and I get a kick out of that too.

  • I bring 20+ years of being a part of and leading successful (and a few unsuccessful!) teams and businesses. I always had a passion for developing people and created or led many learning academies, and I’ve mentored in the media industry for over 15 years through the advertising industry charity NABS. I am a qualified Executive & Team Coach through Post-Graduate Degree qualification, a Master Practitioner in Tilt365® and EQI 2.0, a Mental Health First Aider, and a Board Trustee for St Albans Action for the Homeless charity.

  • They love the passion I bring to a coaching programme, and always aligned with a thorough structure to deliver positive change their people and business. While some clients can experience transformational change through coaching, it’s often the smaller more subtle changes that I help clients to see. This enables more progressive sustainable change actions, and I help achieve them through a calm and supportive coaching style.

  • I am a Connection (nickname Cross-Polinator), with super strengths contained in preferences for being people and ideas driven. I combine patience and acceptance with a love of anything new! My ego nickname of ‘Dobby’ tells you that I can sometimes be too hard on myself when things don’t work how I want them to work (a trait my 8-year old daughter is working on perfecting herself right now!).

  • Most of my outside interests involve some kind of sporting or fitness activity. I recently got back to regularly playing football and golf, and like a lot of people the first lockdown led me to start running again after a number of years. Fast forward to 18 months later and I ran my first ever marathon (London 2021) at the tender age of 51. Next step is the Paris Marathon in April 2023, and my goal is to complete the ‘Big 6’ world marathons. Oh an when I’m looking for any sympathy, I remind people that I’m a die-hard Leeds United supporter!

  • One of the books that had the most profound effect on me was The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters. He takes something incredibly complex (the brain) and simplifies it to allow the reader to truly understand their response and how to make better choices. For a Twitter follow, I’d highly recommend @JohnAmaechi. I’ve been fortunate enough to launch a global coaching programme with John as the keynote speaker, and his calls to action for true leadership will stay with me for a long time.

Katie McAuley

Partner

  • It’s incredibly rewarding to enable someone to uncover their own true potential, rather than someone telling them, and to play a part in changing people’s lives for the better. Whether it’s individuals or teams, most people arrive at coaching feeling a little ‘stuck’ and it’s both challenging and exciting to work with them in partnership to see themselves and their world with fresh eyes. Working as part of the Archipelo team, we’re able to learn and grow from each other too which is really important to me.

  • My 18 years of experience within the Communications industry, with organizational and commercial leadership responsibility at UK and global levels, provides first-hand experience of many of the challenges clients come to us with. In addition to my personal experience, I am a former tutor of a CMI Senior Leadership programme which enables me to also bring management theory into my work. I was also President of Bloom, the network for women, and a mentor for Bloom and Creative Equals, which brings a broader perspective and connection to the challenges we face in society, specifically for women and their careers. My work as a coach has taken me overseas, across a variety of sectors and into the local community, enabling me to connect with people from all walks of life. I am a qualified Personal and Business Coach, a Master Practitioner in Tilt365®, a Mental Health First Aider and my most important role, Mum to 2 energetic children.

  • My clients talk about feeling re-energised after our sessions, feeling motivated to take action and inspired with fresh and positive perspective. They also value my pragmatism, translating often complex and deep thoughts into practical actions and applications.

  • I am a Connection (nickname Cross-Pollinator), being people and ideas driven. My super strengths lie in putting people at ease, being flexible and optimistic outlook. My ego nickname of ‘Side-stepping Susie’ refers to my years of mastering the skill in avoiding/procrastinating tasks that I find dull…something that I can’t hide from in a small team!

  • I love the outdoors and my daily goal is to escape the house for 20minutes before everyone is awake! I’m happiest in up a mountain or in the water, and love adventurous travel, preferably with my friends and family in tow. At home in London, I love the variety and spontaneity of culture on my doorstep and the ability to leave work and go to a play, film or exhibition.

  • Nancy Kline’s work, ‘Time to Think’ was profound for me and had a significant impact on my life and work, partly the concept of the ‘Thinking Environment’ but also the practical application of this in her book. I find Brene Brown’s ‘Dare to Lead’ podcast provides more depth than many podcasts and really packs a punch, full of great words of wisdom, soundbites and resources. As a visual thinker, I find Liz Fosslien’s illustrations represent a lot of what we do, with a healthy dose of humour

Sam Finlay

Partner

  • I love the fact that you are constantly learning as a coach, that every session is unique and that when you help ‘unlock’ a new realisation for your client you get a real sense of fulfilment. Joining Archipelo has given me the privilege of working with such a fantastic team and has enabled me to take learnings from some of the best in a fun, collaborative and supportive environment.

  • Prior to becoming a coach, I was the Chief Revenue Officer of a big media owner where I also led digital M&A and was part of the Exec team which led the business into a Private Equity buyout and then its eventual sale to a PLC. For nearly all of my 25-year corporate career, I led and managed teams. I bring a wealth of understanding of the highs and lows that clients go through at work, regardless of level or what sector they operate in. Helping individuals fulfil their potential and building successful teams was always what I enjoyed most. I’m a qualified Executive and Team coach, a Master Practitioner in Tilt365®, a Mental First Aider and work as a Non-Executive Director outside of my coaching practice.

  • Clients enjoy the energy and positivity I bring to sessions and workshops. I work hard to help clients answer the question, so what next? Ensuring there are always tangible actions to pilot and experiment with gives my work direction and maintains the coaching relationship. It’s not about just having a nice chit chat! Clients welcome the relationship we co-create and, when relevant for them, the challenge I offer to help them explore new thinking.

  • I am an Impact (nickname Change Catalyst), with my super strengths lying in being ideas and results driven. My behavioural preferences for integrity and inspiration, leads me to value honesty and enthusiasm when working with my colleagues. An ego nickname for me at Archipelo is ‘Larry’ (taken from Larry David in Curb your Enthusiasm), a healthy watch out for when I can be overzealous at times.

  • A married father of two teenagers leaves little time but you’ll find me in my most happy place when I’ve gone digging into my record collection and playing some tunes I forget I had, whilst cooking the family Sunday dinner. You may often find me managing my frustrations on a golf course or whilst supporting my team Liverpool FC (Born and bred in West London? yes, I am the archetypal glory hunting kid from the 70’s and 80’s)

  • I think you get the best reflective moments from remaining curious every day and having the mindset of relating what you are seeing and hearing to your own reality. That said two books I wish I had read earlier in my career would have been Radical Candor by Kim Scott which really made me think more about the positive power of feedback and, for Executive leaders, Patrick Lencioni’s ‘The five dysfunctions of a team’, which for me, succinctly and simply encapsulates the cornerstones of building high performance teams and culture.

Kirsten Gillard

Partner

  • For me it’s about being invited and trusted to be present whilst others think. It’s a real honour to watch clarity evolve and solutions and ideas form. At these moments you can feel the confidence, energy and conviction of people or teams lift, as they realise, they can achieve their ambitions or overcome their challenges. The outcomes can be so positively profound and, in some instances, life changing, which is a joy to be part of.

  • I am a professionally accredited Team and Individual coach recognised by The International Coaching Federation. I am also an accredited Master Practitioner in Tilt365 - the globally recognised emotional intelligence tool. For the past 20+ years I have been a leader, manager, coach and mentor working within the commercial divisions of the largest UK media corporations including, Channel 4, ITV, Capital Radio and Clear Channel. Throughout my career I have and continue to be fascinated about personal development, coupled with a passion for people, high performing teams, and positive organisational cultures. All this has led me to fully embrace a career in coaching, to help individuals, teams and businesses thrive and achieve success.

  • They would say that I bring energy along with a sprinkle of fun to my sessions! I create an environment that is attentive, warm, kind, open and honest. My coachees see me as supportive, encouraging and compassionate. I bring emotional intelligence, combined with the ability to challenge. I enjoy seeing results and I strive to encourage my coachees to experiment and take action through positive provocation. I like to hold my coachees to account, in fact, hearing of their successes is the cherry on the cake for me.

  • You might have picked up already, I am an Impact, a Change Catalyst, I am creative and results driven character, I thrive on ideas. I have a natural tendency for putting ideas into action with energy and drive. My top character strengths are Inspiration, Creativity, Confidence and Boldness. I can move with haste because of a secret fear of not achieving my goals, this can also cause me to over-work. I’ve been lovingly nicknamed ‘My little Impact Pony’, a show pony who is often in a rush to win!

  • Spending time with my friends and family along with laughter, good food, drink and music! When I’m not doing that, I love sport. I can often be found punishing myself in a Cross-Fit box, running or walking somewhere. Like a true Impact, I throw myself into new challenges most years, whether that’s swimming to the Isle of White or running a marathon. I also dabble in a bit of art, in fact, I believe everyone can be artistic, and I’m very open to be challenged on this point. I’m currently being inspired by contemporary colourful artists such as Francoise Nielly or graffiti artist DAIN NYC.

  • I am a big fan of @simonsinek, I particularly love Start with Why. The theory is genius in its simplicity and equally applicable to businesses and individuals alike. For a fun blast of motivation, I turn to Jen Sincero’s series of books ‘You’re a Badass…’ they always leave me feeling like I can do anything. Lastly the work of Nancy Kline is profound and transformational, Time to Think, is a serene book which slows me down and makes me think. It gently outlines a framework to promote thinking environments. A theory that all organisations and individuals should be aware of, especially as quality thinking and listening is desperately needed yet continually undermined.

Brian Cashman

Partner

  • One of my heroes, the great chef, author and traveller Anthony Bourdain once said; ‘Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund’. Being a coach compels you to live outside the latter and explore the former. It’s exciting, enlightening, courageous and people-oriented. What’s not to love!

  • With a unique 20 year career in commercial and leadership roles spanning Financial Services, Education, SAAS and Healthcare I’ve experienced success and failure (let's acknowledge it!) across a spectrum of industries. This range allows me to make connections between diverse fields, be more innovative and,ultimately,more impactful for Archipelo’s clients. I enjoy projects involving change management and leading and managing for change. I am an expert in emotional intelligence & behavioural choice regulation as a Master Practitioner in Tilt365® and EQI 2.0 and qualified Team Coach & Executive Coach with the ICF and The University of Chester.

  • I’m a firm believer that whilst hard work doesn't guarantee success, without it you have no chance. The difficulty of a challenge often correlates to the reward it bears so my clients know that I’ll push hard and we’ll explore a little discomfort to see where it takes us. They tell me I’m challenging and thought-provoking with a little bit of Irish humour and wit thrown into the mix.

  • I’m an Impact and there’s a few of us on the team! Tilting in Impact means that generally I like to focus on connecting ideas and action and I have a natural proclivity for inventing new solutions. I’m comfortable with risk and love taking new ideas and putting them into action. I’ve had to work hard throughout my career and my personal values reflect that. I like to think in broad terms and always be pushing forwards. I don't have a nickname but I will tell you that my own primary trademark behaviour is to ‘be nice’. In all my years working it's the most undervalued commodity there is.

  • My heart and soul is found on the grass plains of the Curragh of Kildare. No matter the weather (and it’s usually bad!) I’ll be out running there a few times a week. It’s a place I have a deep connection with and it never fails to lift my spirit. Team sport has always been part of my life and I am involved in my local Gaelic Football club as a coach to my kids teams and with our senior men’s teams too. Eating and drinking also feature high on my list! A meal out in a nice restaurant with my lovely wife or a few pints with friends are always a pleasure. Finally…give me a good book and great whiskey and I’ll be the happiest man alive.

  • The Road by Cormac McCarty was profoundly impactful when I read it first. Although fiction, it wrestles with the best and worst that humanity is capable of and has a number of thought provoking themes. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is wonderful commentary on the fabric of ordinary human life. The Diary of CEO podcast by Steven Bartlett is always a quality listen. Lastly, Parts Unknown is Anthony Bourdains unequalled travel show which takes the viewer into the culture and history of some of the worlds more unlikely spots. A must watch!

John Perry MA, MSC, FHEA

Partner

John has particular capabilities in the areas of Stress Management, Psychological Resilience, Coaching, Counselling Skills for Managers, Emotional Intelligence, Team Development and Coaching Supervision.

He has a solid commercial knowledge and has delivered coaching, facilitation and consultancy to a wide range of world-class organisations, including financial services, media, manufacturing, government, policing, and health services.

John can help you and your team to manage stress, boost resilience, communicate with clarity and compassion, resolve disputes, re-invigorate teams, boost motivation, play to their strengths and clarify personal and organisational values.

John is an award-winning speaker. He has an optimistic, open, collaborative facilitation style, underpinned by rigorous academic training.

Simon Daglish, Deputy Managing Director Commercial ITV plc

“Archipelo worked closely with the ITV Commercial Team to develop their leadership, creative and communications skills over several months and across a large and diverse team. Post the training the feedback from the team was hugely positive and appreciative of the effort the Archipelo team put in. They found the training both uplifting and incredibly useful in developing their skills whilst 'on the job'. So successful was the training that Archipelo have now become one of ITV's preferred suppliers and continue to work closely with the teams and are part of our future training schedule and plans. ”