Leadershipverse started in 2017 when our founder, Maren Kessler, left a VP role at a healthcare company in Sydney and began coaching three of her former peers. She had spent 14 years managing teams of 5 to 120 people, and she was frustrated by how little traditional training had prepared her or anyone around her for the actual difficulties of leading.
The early coaching work grew by referral. By 2019 we had four facilitators and a waiting list. Today we run cohort programs, executive coaching and team workshops for organisations across Australia, from 12-person startups to ASX-listed companies.
We hold a few convictions that shape how we design and deliver every program. These are not aspirational statements pinned to a wall. They are practical filters we use when making decisions about what to include in a workshop, how to give feedback in a coaching session, and which clients to take on.
Reading about leadership models is interesting. It does not change how you run your Monday morning meeting. Every exercise in our programs asks participants to do something different with their actual team during the following week and report back on what happened. If a concept cannot be turned into a specific action, we drop it from the curriculum.
Participants often feel good after a workshop. That feeling fades. We use 360-degree surveys, engagement data and observable behaviour checklists to track whether anything actually changed. When the data shows a gap between intention and impact, we address it directly rather than reassuring people that they are "on the right track."
We cap cohorts at 12 and coaching is one-on-one. This means we turn away revenue when demand is high, but it also means every participant gets enough facilitator attention to work on their specific challenge. A 50-person seminar can inspire. It cannot coach.
Our facilitators will tell you when a behaviour is not working, even if the feedback is uncomfortable. We do this respectfully and with evidence, but we do not soften the message to the point where it loses meaning. Participants tell us this directness is one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
Every facilitator at Leadershipverse spent at least a decade managing people before they started coaching others. Here is who you might work with.
Founder and lead facilitator
14 years in healthcare operations before starting Leadershipverse. Managed teams from 5 to 120. Specialises in coaching senior leaders through organisational change and restructures. Based in Sydney.
Senior facilitator
Spent 12 years in financial services, most recently as a regional director at a major bank. Runs our emerging-leader cohorts and coaches mid-level managers. Known for his direct, no-nonsense style. Based in Melbourne.
Facilitator and program designer
Background in technology startups. Managed engineering and product teams at three companies before joining us in 2021. Designs our workshop curricula and facilitates custom programs. Based in Brisbane.
Facilitator
Ten years in NSW state government, leading policy and service-delivery teams. Joined Leadershipverse in 2022. Works primarily with public-sector and not-for-profit clients. Based in Newcastle.
Maren Kessler begins coaching three former colleagues out of a home office in Jasminecester. Word spreads through the local healthcare network.
First team workshop delivered for a logistics company in Parramatta. Twelve participants, one day, focused entirely on giving constructive feedback. The company rebooks for the following quarter.
James Whitfield joins as the second facilitator. We introduce the 360-degree feedback survey and our satisfaction guarantee. First clients outside NSW (two companies in Melbourne).
All programs move online during COVID lockdowns. We learn that coaching translates well to video but workshops need redesign. We split full-day workshops into two half-day sessions with homework in between. Participant satisfaction scores actually improve.
Priya Chandran joins. We launch the 12-week emerging-leader cohort program after a year of piloting it with two test groups. First cohort fills in nine days.
Tom Reeves joins, bringing public-sector expertise. We pass 400 individual coaching engagements completed. Average 360 improvement across all 2023 cohorts: 17 percent.
We now run eight cohorts per year and have worked with organisations in every Australian state. Current focus: developing a program specifically for managers leading hybrid teams.
If you want to discuss a coaching engagement, workshop or cohort enrolment, reach out. We respond within one business day.
Phone: +61 3 9426 4448
Email: [email protected]
Address: 713 Grady Square, Jasminecester, New South Wales 9433, Australia