ABOUT US

Our Clients & Testimonials

Knowledge, understanding & a deep commitment

Over the past twenty five years we have worked with clients that range from large corporations to individuals, from local government to community projects and yearly, we participate in a range of Pro Bono projects. We have deep experience working across many industries including:

  • Local Government, Community Education & Schools
  • Manufacturing & Food Production
  • Professional Services, Banking & Asset Management
  • Telecommunications, IT & Systems Integration

Catherine Duvel is passionate about what she does and this comes out in the way she deals with people and how she delivers her program. We have seen tangible results and an overall improvement in staff engagement because of the work we have done with Catherine.”

ROHEEN ALI – Financial Controller, CHEP Australia
CRAIG GREEN – CFO, CHEP Asia Pacific

Cathy Duvel was our steady hand and light providing individualised coaching in a high stress, high pressure environment with the company at stake.  The team felt supported and competent to tackle our Everest thanks to Cathy’s advice, guidance and sometimes fearless holding up the mirror.

Delivering the largest investment in an IT project ever made at this organisation, and with the immediate future of the business at stake, we needed not only the best program and project teams in the market, we needed an executive coach and change lead to sail our ship through the greatest challenge this company had seen to date.

I am a more supportive and effective leader today as a direct result of Cathy’s executive coaching, which years later I am still benefiting from.  Cathy gave me the tools I needed to embrace the whole me without judgment and do the same for my teams.”

DWIGHT BONNEY – Senior Manager, Synergy Group Australia

When we’re exploring an issue together, I know that Cathy has my best interests at heart. This means that I can completely trust her to keep probing so that I can identify the root cause of the problem and create a solution.

She brings a mix of wise counsel and practical techniques so that I have strategies I can utilise immediately after our coaching sessions.”

MARTINA DOBLIN – Director and CEO of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. Professor, University of Technology Sydney

As a Fellow of Global Leadership Foundation, a professional colleague and dear friend, Cathy brings authenticity, deep insight, grounded experience and innovative thinking in all her work.

We have had the privilege of both engaging and working alongside Cathy in the design and facilitation of significant leadership development programs, personally learning and developing ourselves from her recognised mastery and guidance as a Time to Think practitioner and continuing our work together in raising the emotional health levels of leaders across the world through our global collaboration projects and leadership experiences.

We would be honoured to share more about the gifts and strengths Cathy brings and the contribution she makes.”

GAYLE HARDIE AND MALCOLM LAZENBY – Co-Founders, Global Leadership Foundation

For Organisations dissatisfied with their current ability to deliver and manage diverse teams virtually in an environment where business models are continuously being disrupted. The Thinking Environment has enabled me to introduce the human element into numerous IT environments solving complex problems and at the same time building high performing teams. The Thinking Environment provides simple techniques unlike other frameworks developing employee’s competencies in collaboration, problem solving and delivery.

Cathy Duvel at About Learning first introduced me to the Thinking Environment in 2012 at Salmat as the Enterprise Systems Manager as a way to address a dysfunctional Application Support team highly reliant on consultants. Through the application of simple techniques, we were able to build a high performing team saving in excess of $2m. The same application support team performed countless M&As, a large divestiture and moved building three times without disruption to their attention to results.

I highly recommend Cathy Duvel who is a well versed and experienced Thinking Environment facilitator with a wide breadth of industry experience and understanding of how the human brain operates at its best. Cathy has an innate ability to articulate and teach the Thinking Environment Foundations and adoption of its building blocks/techniques. Cathy can demonstrate how to obtain the freshest and finest thinking of your team.

Cathy encouraged me to extend my own Thinking Environment skills in 2018 by becoming a facilitator enabling me to further my capability in transforming teams. As the Head of Operations of Staples Australia (now Winc) I transformed the Platform and Network team reducing the number of P1 & P2’s over a six-month period, improving change management, and receiving continual accolades from colleagues and the business in supporting operations and business continuity. Working with Cathy Duvel would be an asset to any organisation.”

MARIA HUGO – Senior Project & Business Solutions Manager, CPB Contractors

Cathy is an engaging, rigorous and smart trainer in Thinking Environments who is passionate about her subject and dedicated to her clients.  Cathy improves your thinking and your world. Highly recommended!”

TIM KELLY – Academic Teacher, Facilitator and Head of Department, JMC Academy

If you are fortunate enough to know, to work with, to learn from Cathy, your life will be forever enriched. As my colleague and friend of many years, Cathy is for me a light in this world’s darkness, and a shimmering source of expertise, artistry and vision in our world of thinking and leadership and relationships. Her integrity is the very fabric of everything she says and does.”

NANCY KLINE – Founder and President of Time To Think

Cathy has worked with SJB Architect’s leadership team for the past five years and has helped guide the restructure of our business, including the elevation of new leaders in our business and defining the roles and responsibilities for the Directors – a task that we’ve been wrestling with for years. Cathy’s welcoming, calming, engaged and highly insightful approach gave us the confidence to delve into the heart of our practice and critically assess the way we work, lead and live. We’ve really enjoyed the experience and look forward to working with Cathy in the future.”

JONATHAN KNAPP – Director, SJB Urban

Cathy is the consummate professional.  I have found Cathy to be highly effective as an executive coach and team facilitator and value her honesty and insights immensely.  It is a true pleasure working with her.”

SHANNON RICHARDS – Chief People and Culture Officer, City of Gold Coast

During our meetings I was always amazed that Cathy immediately identified my current problem or topic of concern before I even mentioned it and after only a few minutes of chatting.

She was always very sensitive to the issues causing me stress about feeling overworked or overwhelmed and was able to propose excellent strategies for resolving them. Cathy’s very calm and friendly nature made discussing my problems or worries very easy and comfortable. I will use the tools and strategies.

Cathy showed me strategies for dealing with stress, maintaining a suitable work-life balance, and working most efficiently for the rest of my career.”

PROFESSOR JUSTIN SEYMOUR – University of Technology Sydney

Cathy worked with us over several months, introducing us to the Thinking Environment at an important time for the organisation.

Each session and practice led to visible transformations. We listened, asked insightful questions and had better meetings. I saw real engagement, energy and kindness, which led to a huge leap in the quality and outcomes of our work. It became a way of ‘being’, not just a process – something that has stayed with me and continues.

I am grateful to have worked with Cathy and to have been a part of this transformation.”

RENEE TREZISE – Coordinator Regional Planning, City of Gold Coast