About Hugh Todd: Mentor, Strategist and Coach

Right now I am in Sydney, Australia developing my coaching practice, having moved here to support my wife in her career.

The lack of women in senior management and executive positions in companies is, to me, pretty shocking and illogical. This is not in anyone's interests - if we are not developing and drawing on all of the available talent, how can the teams at the top possibly be the best? So I have a mission to design and deliver powerful, effective, sustainable programs aimed at smashing the glass ceiling and helping women to stop holding themselves back (which I call 'sticky floor syndrome').

Click the 'Women's Program' button on the left to find out more, and to read an interview that will tell you much more about why I want to make a difference in this area. I am also now an accredited mentor with Women on Boards Pty in Australia.

I will also continue to offer my programs in personal effectiveness and in leadership – in workshops, with individual coaching, and by phone.

I am a qualified Master Practitioner of NLP and hypnotherapist, trained by Richard Bandler (co-originator of this field), Paul McKenna, Mike Neill and John LaValle in London. What this means is that when needed, I can smash fears and phobias, and other unhelpful patterns!

On this page you will find information about my work with key clients (such as NATO and many others), my employment history, educational achievements and more. If you want the detail, here it is!

Key Clients

NATO: I have been this Agency’s management trainer and coach for its civilian base [NAMSA] in Luxembourg since 2001. I have worked with a wide range of businesses, Programmes, Branches and Sections in tailoring and coaching specific success strategies for individuals, teams and businesses. NAMSA clients have included Finance, Engineering, Logistics, Personnel, Information Systems and Corporate Planning departments.

Through common interest courses such as ‘Leadership & Management’, and ‘Managing Time & Pressure for Peak Performance’ I have been able to build up unparalleled awareness of the challenges facing staff and managers across the Agency while building bridges across functional boundaries. I have also designed, implemented, analysed and reported back a staff survey for one of the major Programmes within the Agency, and a follow up survey has been commissioned for 2010.

The House-Building Industry:

As well as coaching people up to Director level in ‘blue-chip’ companies including Taylor Wimpey and Bellway Homes in the UK I have helped to develop benchmarks for high quality site teamwork, an appraisal and personal development planning system, inter-departmental training for future Board of Directors members, and training for emerging managers. These companies have seen massive results in customer satisfaction, target achievement and profitability through increased skill, capacity and commitment. Staff churning (turnover in UK English) is lower and there is greater career advancement through succession planning.

Currently the industry is facing massive challenges due to wider economic factors and it is heartening that those I have worked with seem much better prepared to survive these challenges.

Other Client Experience

In Australia I am on the coaching panel for ANSTO (the nuclear, scientific and technical organisation) and I coach InHouse Group 3  http://www.inhousegroup3.com.au/, the 'golden pages' network of the construction industry in the Sydney area. 

I host the Sydney Small Business Network Group http://www.meetup.com/TheSydneyBusinessNetworkingGroup/ which currently meets once or twice a month in the Regus office suites in the Citigroup building in the heart of Sydney's CBD. It has over 650 members.

I am a mentor for the 'Women on Boards' group http://www.womenonboards.org.au/, as well as having private clients. I am an active member of Business Masterminds http://www.businessmasterminds.com.au/ and of Thought Leaders http://thoughtleaders.com.au/.

Past clients include: Baillie Gifford, SEPA, Organon Laboratories, Shell Financial Operations, Diageo, St Andrews, Dundee, Napier & Aberdeen Universities, Edinburgh College of Art, Quintiles, National Trust for Scotland, NHS Trusts, Link Housing Association, WM Company, and various individual clients.

My experience ranges from work with teenagers ‘at risk’ to lecturing in higher education, public sector management and as owner/manager of a business which was a winner in the national Small Business Awards (Scotland) in 2004. In recent times my main clients have been NATO’s management, administration and supply agency in Luxembourg and two of the largest house-builders in the UK. 

I coach management teams, natural work groups and individuals through a process of identifying their challenges, their chosen success indicators, choosing the areas for attention that would bring the greatest benefit, and then exploring real and sustainable strategies for development. Nail down and follow through are key themes when ensuring that value is being created.

I train people when this is appropriate and will lead to sustainable, valuable outcomes. ‘Training’ has to be interactive and needs to lead to reflection, active experimentation and the implementation of better strategies by clients.

Education History

1. 2008:
   Accredited Online Coach, www.coachinginteractive.com
2. 2006/07:
   Practitioner & Master Practitioner of NLP: a total of 16 days of certificated training with the co-founder of the field of NLP, Richard Bandler, and with Paul McKenna, Michael Neill and John LaValle (London).
3. 2004/05:
   Post Graduate Diploma in Life Coaching, UK College of Life Coaching & National Open College Network validation. Distinction awarded.
4. 1994- 1996:
   MSc in Human Resource Management, Dundee Business School, University of Abertay Dundee.
5. 1983- 1986:
   BA in Social Science, Open University.
6. 1974- 1977:
   Diploma in Youth and Community Studies(Distinction), Dundee College of Education.
7. 1972- 1974:
   Law student, Dundee University.

Employment History

1. At present:
   Freelance coach, trainer and public speaker based in Sydney, Australia.

   September 2004 to present: Principal of The Todd Coaching Company Ltd, and partner in Impact Training, which currently specialises in work with the house building sector in Scotland.

2. April 1998 – October 2006:
   Owner/Managing Director of Rosemount Nursery Schools Ltd (infants, nursery school and out of school care).
3. April 1998 – September 2004:
   Senior Associate, Communicate (an Edinburgh based training company)
4. August 1990- April 1998:
   Lecturer, Dept of Community and Continuing Education, Northern College of Education, Dundee.
5. 1985-August 1990:
   Area Manager, Community Education Service, Drumchapel, Glasgow.
6. 1985 [July-Oct]:
   Internal Consultant, participant research project investigating conflict among youth work agencies, Gorbals, Glasgow; Strathclyde Regional Council.
7. 1980- 1985:
   Project Manager, Urban Programme Community Education Project in Maryhill, Glasgow.
8. 1982- 1985:
   Company Director, Maryhill Community Business Ltd, including periods as Hon. Treasurer and as Company Secretary.
9. 1977- 1980:
   Social Groupwork Officer, (working with teenagers at risk), Mearns Centre Project, Social Work Dept, Greenock and Port Glasgow.
10. 1977 [June-Sept]:
    Outdoor Education Instructor, Dalguise House, Perthshire, MSC Community Programme Project.
11. 1974 – 77:
    While a student, worked during the holidays as plongeur in French restaurants and in 1976 as a waiter in a seaside bistro for the summer season – at this time was able to communicate fluently in French.

Membership of Professional Associations

Clinical Member, ABNLP
Accredited Coach, Coaching Interactive

Personal Background

I have been married since 1980. My wife heads the Asia Pacific region for part of her company, managing large scale IT change and integration projects in the financial sector – in the last few years this has involved work in Amsterdam and Sydney.

We have two daughters, one with a BA degree in Technical & Production Arts from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, and the other is studying Zoology at Aberdeen University.

As well as supporting my family I am learning to sail keelboats and to golf, I try to keep fit, and I follow rugby. Before moving to Sydney my main sport was curling. And I miss it!

I have lived (as a child) in two East African countries - Uganda and Somalia. I have a reasonable working knowledge of the French language.