The team
“Working with Engaging Minds is a great experience. If you’re considering strengths my advice would be to do it and trust in Sally and her team. When you start to see and hear about the changes it’s a great feeling!”
Kathryn Tyrer — Head of Resourcing, Sodexo Justice Services
Sally Bibb, Founding Director
Sally is one of the leading strengths consultants, writers and commentators. Her background is in organisational development in UK, Europe, USA and Asia. Before founding Engaging Minds she was a director at The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist magazine.
She has led organisational transformations for many well known organisations. From helping Saga to prepare for flotation on the UK stock market to removing risk from senior nurses being appointed into the wrong job.
Her first degree was a BA (Hons) in psychology, sociology and economics. She has an MSc in organisational change from the University of Surrey.
She is author of eight books including Strengths-based Recruitment and Development (2016), The Strengths Book (2017) and The Strengths Workbook (2019).
Ali Herdman, Strengths Consultant
Ali is a skilled learning programme designer, facilitator and coach. She brings a wonderful sense of humour to her work and clients love her for the combination of her intelligent insight and down-to-earth, practical approach.
Most recently Ali has led the design and delivery of the global strengths-based leadership programme for SABMiller.
Before becoming a consultant she held senior HR and OD roles in the financial services sector including as Head of OD for a FTSE 100 company. She has an MBA from Lancaster University Management School, is a graduate of the Advanced OD/HRM programme at Columbia University, New York and is a Member of the International Organisational Development Association. She is a qualified MBTI® practitioner TMS user and Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Debbie Whitaker, Strengths Consultant
Debbie is a seasoned strengths consultant. She is known for her pioneering work at Standard Chartered Bank where she led the introduction of strengths-based talent management across EMEA, Asia and the Americas.
She is a strategic thinker with a strong research background and a pragmatic approach. She has led many strengths-based leadership, selection and development projects for a wide range of our clients including the AA, Cunard, HM Courts and Tribunals Service and Selwood.
Debbie has a BA Honours degree from the London School of Economics and an MA in Human Resources. She is certified at levels A and B of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the CIPD and the Chartered Management Institute and an accredited Strengthsmatch™ coach.
David North, Strengths Consultant
David is a seasoned organisational change consultant and strengths-based leadership coach. He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to projects. In his corporate career he held senior roles the financial services sector and has worked in many parts of the world, including a five year assignment to the USA with a FTSE 100 company.
David has led many strengths projects including a strengths-based career development programme for the Scottish Government and introducing strengths-based recruitment into a number of NHS Trusts including the Royal Marsden.
David has a B Soc Sci in Economic and Social History and an MA in Strategic Human Resource Development. He has Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring Practice, is a qualified MBTI® practitioner and Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Jan Abbey, Strengths Consultant
Jan’s combination of strengths consultancy project work, strengths-based leadership coaching and operational experience makes her an effective change agent and consultant.
Strengths-based change projects that Jan has worked on include Starbucks and Saga where strengths-based selection and development were introduced to improve customer service, reduce staff attrition and improve performance and productivity. She also worked with the top ten NHS University Trusts when they switched to strengths-based selection for their nursing workforce and with Ofcom to support them to improve their diversity through a number of strengths-based interventions.
Jan has a BA Honours degree in business. She is a qualified coach. She is also accredited in the Schroder Leadership Competency Model and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, is a qualified MBTI® practitioner and Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Ali Croome, Strengths Consultant
Ali is an experienced strengths consultant, coach and facilitator. Before leaving the corporate world she held HR generalist and specialist roles in Ford, Phillips and Bayer. She has worked in the UK, Europe, USA and in the Middle East.
She has successfully delivered strengths-based recruitment projects for many of our clients including Morrisons, Saga, the NHS, PHS Group and Sodexo Justice Services. She was part of the team that ran an innovative new strengths-based development programme for prisoners in the largest women’s prison in Europe.
Ali has a BA Honours degree in French and German. She is a member of CIPD and BPS ,and is accredited the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument. She is also a qualified MBTI® practitioner and accredited Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Andrew Jones, Strengths Consultant
Andrew has extensive experience as a coach, facilitator and developer. He is a business psychologist, and specialist in strengths-based leadership. He has worked with over 200 organisations in more than 30 countries, from small firms to some of the world’s leading multinationals.
Andrew was part of the team working with SABMiller to introduce strengths-based leadership in Europe, North and South America and UK. More recently he has worked on an innovative new strengths-based development programme for prisoners in the largest women’s prison in Europe.
Andrew holds a BSc in Science, and a Masters degree in Change from Surrey University (personal, team and organisational change) and is a member of the International Association of Facilitators and is accredited in Strengthsmatch™.
Deborah Vitai, Strengths Consultant
Deborah is an experienced facilitator, course designer, assessor and coach. She has worked with a vast range of organisations from small family-run companies to large multinational corporations. Deborah’s consultancy work builds on the experience she gained from varied in-house roles in the retail and financial service sectors.
Deborah has trained and coached people from graduate to executive levels, delivering strengths-based leadership programmes that have enabled individuals to recognise, then play to their own strengths and to develop strategies for maximising the strengths of their direct reports and colleagues. She was part of the team that introduced strengths-based selection to the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Deborah’s BA Honours degree is in Arts and Social Sciences, she is accredited in a number of psychometric instrument and is a Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Mary Clarke, Strengths Consultant
Mary is an experienced coach, trainer and consultant. She loves to work with people to help them to discover their potential. She has worked with many organisations on change projects in the UK and around the world. Before becoming a consultant she held senior positions in the UK and Spain.
Mary worked on the team that implemented strengths-based selection into contact centre roles in the AA and Saga which involved strengths profiling, training recruiting managers in strengths-based interviewing and supporting the implementation of strengths-based assessment across the organisation.
She has a BA Honours in languages and an MBA. She is a fluent Spanish speaker, trained coach and is qualified in a wide variety of psychometric instruments including MBTI.
Caroline Connor, Strengths Consultant
Caroline is a strengths coach and facilitator. She has worked for many organisations around the world and is skilled at leading change projects and working with groups and individuals at all levels to help them achieve their very best. Before becoming a consultant, Caroline held senior commercial positions within major UK magazine publishing houses where she led large teams.
Caroline has worked on strengths-based change projects for our clients in demanding environments including Cunard, HM Courts and Tribunals, the NHS, P&O and PHS Group.
Caroline has a degree in Modern and Mediaeval Languages from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. She is accredited in the Schroder Leadership Competency Model, The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, she is an NLP practitioner and a Strengthsmatch™ coach.
Jo Dale, Strengths Consultant
Jo is a strengths consultant and coach with experience of working across a broad spectrum of organisations, international, private and public. Her experience in large and complex companies, with varied stakeholders, means that she is skilled in the challenges of implementing change.
Jo has worked with clients on strengths-based leadership, strengths-based diversity and inclusion and strengths-based recruitment projects in a number of different sectors and with a variety of clients including EY, Smiths Detection, Ofcom, Sodexo Justice Services and SABMiller.
She holds a BA in Modern Languages and an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from Birkbeck College (London University). She is Certified Practicing Co-Active Coach, a full member of the Association for Coaching. She is accredited in many different development tools including Strengthsmatch™.
Janet Dunkley, PA
Janet is an experienced secretary, events manager and administrator.
She supports all organisational aspects of our strengths projects. Over the years she has supported the team on small and large projects for a vast range of clients including Carnival, the College of Policing, EY, the NHS, PHS Group and Sodexo Justice services. She also manages our strengths events, open programmes and book launches.
She ensures things run smoothly and brings efficiency and organisation to the management of our work. Janet’s warmth and organisational flair coupled with her experience of managing projects and events adds an important dimension to the service we offer our clients.
Sophie Bird, Intern
Sophie Bird is our intern and brings so much to the team. It’s great to have a Gen Z perspective on things and she brings good and probing questions to whatever initiative she is working on. Sophie graduated in English Literature and History from Lancaster University and has many interests outside of her studies including marketing, event management and sport.
Sophie is interested in people and what makes them tick so an internship at Engaging Minds seemed like the perfect choice. She has been involved in a number of initiatives since she started with us in January 2017. She says the most exciting has been helping with the launch of The Strengths Book at Foyles, Charing Cross Road!
We also have an extended team of great supporters and collaborators. They are all top notch in their respective fields. These are the people who we count on to help us succeed: Sally Blake, Mike Gibbons, Martin Gardner, Mark Irving, Andy Maslen, Kate Saunders, Chrissie Smith and Emily Tyers.
Photos of the Engaging Minds team thanks to Martin Gardner
