Helen Honisett
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Helen is a seasoned and successful business leader with a rare blend of expertise in learning and advanced technology. Her specialism is in managing and growing businesses through change by leading sales organisations in a way that pivots...
Pat Chapman-Pincher
Pat has spent more than 40 years in the global communications industry through good times and bad and knows how to succeed in both. She has always been at the forefront of technology, responsible for creating and growing companies...
Victoria Hampson
Victoria Hampson has over 25 years of expertise gained from delivering growth and enabling talent within large organisations across multiple business sectors. Victoria has occupied senior sales leadership and enablement roles...
Fiona Dewar
Fiona has over 35 years’ experience leading in businesses. She started her career in large blue-chip organisations before moving to SME’s and leading one of Scotland’s most successful start-up businesses. With an HR background, Fiona is one of a few HR professionals who have successfully transitioned to lead an organisation.
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Chris Farnath
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Christopher has over 25 years of experience in the B2B SaaS sector, specialising in customer success and engagement. He has worked in global leadership roles, leading teams across six different continents, Christopher provides advice and business mentorship to build teams and transform their customer experience.Â
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Our People
Defy Expectations was founded by three seasoned business professionals with experience in running large teams and businesses across the globe in good times and bad. We have walked in your shoes and know how difficult the business world today. We want to use our expertise to help others build more resilient people and businesses without costing you the earth.
We are brave, innovative thinkers, capable of simplifying the complex.
The Defy Expectations team has broad experience in:
- Running successful global businesses
- Managing virtual and geographically spread teams (between us we have managed teams in 158 countries!)
- Leading teams across industries including Education, Technology, Finance, Telco, SME etc.
- Understanding different cultures, we know not every technique will work in every market
We do what we say - if you want us to come in and work with your teams we will do that.
For more on Defy Expectations approach to leadership read Helen's book at www.helenhonisett.com
Defy Expectations People Are Certified to Deliver the Following Development & Assessment Tools:
The Extraordinary Leader™
EXTRAORDINARY LEADER is a data driven, globally benchmarked, strengths based 360 assessment tool for individuals and teams based on evaluations of 20,000 leaders.
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PRISM is a neuroscience-based behavioural assessment instrument that has been used for 25 years in corporates around the world.
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THE GC INDEX is a technology based organimetric that measures how individuals and teams impact and contribute to a Business Cycle.
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PROPHET is an assessment tool that helps team members understand each other’s business preferences to maximise performance.
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Firstbeat involves wearing biofeedback technology for 3 days and nights to get an in-depth picture real-time of the biological cost to the body of our working lifestyles. It translates heart data into personalised insights on stress, exercise and sleep.
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Using an earclip and app called Inner Balance from Heartmath, we teach you how to spend more time in physically and emotionally coherent states for better performance and stress resilience. It works well when combined with Firstbeat to show improvement over time in vital markers for the heart, nervous and hormonal system health.
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Build high-performing teams.
Actionable talent data and interactive tools that guide team leaders through critical hiring and development decisions.
Data-powered hiring & team development.
A unique and objective team-based approach towards team development, succession planning, and hiring into critical roles. Build winning teams by understanding and leveraging each team members' individuals strengths and weaknesses in a team setting.
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“I worked with my coach over 4 months and learnt to challenge my own status quo. He helps filter the noise so that you can find your own answers. I would definitely recommend him”
HEAD OF MARKETING AND CAP INTRO, HEDGE FUND
“My coach has an uncanny ability to help me work to my own conclusions, ask the questions which ensure I thought with precision about the challenges at hand, and ensure I learnt how to continue to do this for myself after our time together had ended”
MD, HEAD OF EQUITIES, US INVESTMENT BANK
“My coach is at the forefront of techniques and principles that build self-aware, emotionally intelligent leaders. His insights into performance psychology and biofeedback are invaluable to me, and have accelerated my growth as a leader. I would recommend him wholeheartedly to my peers and colleagues.”
HEAD OF SALES ENABLEMENT, GLOBAL DATA COMPANY
“My coach is a true expert in the field. The combination of deep technical knowledge together with a personable and empathetic approach is extremely effective. I feel that my coach was determined to ensure clients get the very best advice and support from someone who is a seasoned industry professional. The help was extremely valuable to me.”
GLOBAL COO, EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK
I rarely take the time to say thank you for your time and support...it is really useful, in part knowing I am going to meet with you forces the thinking and always during the meeting I am forced to confront and externalise the real issues and the ones I am avoiding. It is so easy to get lost in the day to day and not stay focused on making a difference and doing so quickly.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE – NATIONAL CANCER CHARITY
"I worked for Pat many years ago as a middle manager and her management style was fantastic - cool, calm and collective. Pat engaged and listened to the staff, the organisation was much the better for it. When Pat moved on all we got in its place was barking, threats and noise which lost the support of so many people. People just took the foot off the pedal and left."
HEAD OF MARKETING
“Importantly for me, my coach’s work was extremely thorough and felt completely bespoke. There are specific things that I have now changed and I’d have to say that my work life is happier as a result. I felt supported throughout, and knew I could call in a crisis - I’m not the sort of person to have a 2am panic, but I always knew I could have called if I’d wanted to”
SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY
“An invaluable experience creating diversity in thinking and mind set, positive challenge and reflection, alternative perspective and a strong sounding board. Above all, finding chemistry and trust with an amazing coach passionate to create the right environment with open and frank conversation enables accelerated learning and development. Like all things, you take out what you put in. For me, this was mutual and I thank my coach greatly for the care and consideration to help me along my journey of life”
COO, GLOBAL ELECTRONICS COMPANY
‘I have worked with my coach for about nine years. It has been personally transformational – giving me the opportunity to regularly reflect on leadership, strategy – and whatever issue is important to me at the time. She brings the perfect balance of coaching and ordering my own thoughts, together with her own extraordinary breadth of experience and sharp insight. I come into every session with seemingly insoluble issues, and leave feeling ready to tackle the world, full of new ideas and opportunities. It has changed my life – and had a profound impact on the success of the organisations for which I work’
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, INTERNATIONAL NGO
“Having a coach who is an experienced practitioner was an unexpected relief. You can speak about real problems, no matter how minor or detailed they appear to be – and find not only that they are treated seriously and respectfully - but are commonly faced by others too.”
“The extended interview based 360 was excellent. I learnt three areas of my performance that others rated highly, but I was unaware of. I also learnt three areas of my performance to never repeat ever again.”
“My time with my coach helped me make the transition from Business Unit head to Group Executive Committee. I doubt that this would have been so successful without this”
DIVISIONAL CEO – ENGINEERING SERVICES COMPANY