“Leaning into the messiness and discomfort of change is fundamental to today’s leadership. There is no straight line.”
Helen is a leadership and diversity advisor, bringing top credentials from business and academia infused with her authentic story as a woman leader.
Helen’s three-decade career originates in policy implementation for large government clients, setting up and leading P&Ls and serving in senior executive teams across Europe, Asia and the US. She became Vice President for a fast-growing European business and strategic advisor for organisational transformation across two continents.
Often ‘the only woman in the room’ at senior levels, she has spearheaded diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging (DEIB) and cultural change initiatives. This includes leading a Gender-balanced Leadership Task Force to drive women’s careers and a Cultural Broker Community to foster inclusion and collaboration across 50+ nationalities and multiple offices.
Aged 50, Helen decided to ‘go back to school’ and study world-class thinking on individual and organisational psychology. She honed her ability to understand the drivers of human behaviour and dynamics of organistional change, earning - with distinction - an Executive Master in Change from INSEAD. Her ground-breaking research on women’s sponsorship was hailed “excellent in all dimensions” and recommended for public journals by INSEAD faculty.
Helen’s personal experiences - notably living through anorexia nervosa and abusive relationships in earlier years - have profoundly shaped her outlook, bringing deep empathy for others and the courage to carry on. She subtly weaves these insights into her work with clients, offering a profoundly authentic and impactful perspective on what it means to live, work and be human in leadership.
30+
years in international business
3+
years in psychology education
12+
years in executive leadership
8-figure
P&L responsibility
“This makes for a uniquely valuable contribution to the study of gender issues in organisations and should be read by all who aspire to leadership.”
— Dr Michael Shiel, Adjunct Professor of Strategy, INSEAD
“This is a stellar thesis and brings to bear not only a strong, EMC theoretical foundation, but also original and robust contribution to theory and practice…From an academic point of view, this is excellent in all dimensions.”
— Dr Elizabeth Florent Treacy, Senior Lecturer and Thesis Director, INSEAD
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