Worldwide Performance Coach Training for Leadership

Carol Wilson, Founder

Carol WilsonCarol Wilson,
Founder, CEO, Chief Programme Designer

International speaker, writer and broadcaster Carol Wilson is the Founder and CEO of Culture at Work and Performance Coach Training, a Fellow of the ILM (leadership arm of City & Guilds), an Honorary Life Fellow and former Head of Professional Standards & Excellence at the Association for Coaching,  and a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association. Carol is an expert on all areas of management training, from team coaching to senior leadership. She designs all our programmes and personally trains the trainers who deliver them, in conjunction with Head of Training James Wright.

Carol Wilson with Sir John Whitmore
Carol Wilson with Sir John Whitmore

In 2005, Carol formed a partnership with Sir John Whitmore (1937-2017) the founder of performance coaching, co-creator of the GROW model, and author of the million-selling “Coaching for Performance. The purpose of this partnership was to translate Sir John’s work into performance coaching courses for the general public. We still deliver these courses twice a year in London, and they form the basis of all our in-house programmes today.

A specialist in cross-cultural coaching, Carol has worked as a coach, trainer and consultant since 2000. Previously she spent 25 years as a corporate MD and board director, which has given her a unique understanding of the pressures faced by managers working in large organisations, and of what will be the most useful ways of spending their time in the training room.

Carol Wilson with Sir Richard Branson
Carol Wilson with Sir Richard Branson

Carol experienced the value of a coaching culture at first hand during a decade as an MD at Virgin, working closely with renowned coach Sir Richard Branson, and held board level positions at Island Records, Warner Brothers and Polygram. She was the first woman in the world to found a chart-topping record label, Dindisc, and signed many famous artistes including Sting, The Human League, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Martha & the Muffins, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, J.J. Cale, Pepsi & Shirlie, the Buzzcocks and composer Philip Glass.

Carol is the author of “Performance Coaching: a Complete Guide to Best Practice Coaching and Training” (Kogan Page 2020), now in its third edition, translated into three languages, and featuring forewords by Sir John Whitmore and Sir Richard Branson; “The Work and Life of David Grove; Clean Language & Emergent Knowledge” (Matador 2017); and “The Coaching and Feedback Handbook”, an internal publication for IKEA. She is a contributing author to ‘Excellence in Coaching: The Industry Guide’ (Association for Coaching), ‘The Handbook of Knowledge Based Coaching’ (Wiley), ‘Essential Life Coaching Skills’ (Routledge), ‘The Hidden History of Coaching’ (OUP), and ‘The World Book of Values’.

Carol Wilson Profile Training JournalCarol Wilson, Coaching at Work profileMagazines including Training Journal and Coaching at Work have featured profiles about Carol and she won the ‘Change Leader of Tomorrow’ award by HRD Conferences Mumbai, and was nominated for ‘Influence in Coaching’ and ‘Impact in Coaching’ awards by the Association for Coaching.  Her article “Developing a Coaching Culture” was chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner at the Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2012.  She has published over 70 articles in a wide range of publications, including a monthly column for Training Journal, and is currently working on a doctorate at Middlesex University. In 2005 she founded Clean Coaching with the late David Grove, creator of Clean Language and Emergent Knowledge.

Carol is a keynote speaker at conferences worldwide including The HR Summit Budapest, the Asian Emerging Leaders Summit Hong Kong, Guts for Change Mumbai, Catalyst Australia, the China Executive Coaching Conference,  the HR Forum, the Dubai Women in Business Conference, Procter & Gamble Sales Summit, Association for Coaching conferences, the Royal Bank of Scotland Leadership Summit, Cranfield School of Management Business Growth Programme, the HRD Conference, the Training Journal Conference, Coaching in Education Hong Kong,  and the CIPD Annual Coaching at Work Conference.

Carol is a trustee of the charity MOE Foundation.  She provides pro bono coach training courses and trainers for MOE and the African Prisons Project. Her personal aim is to make coaching skills training available to as many people as possible, regardless of their ability to pay. She puts this into practice through her charity work, her voluntary work with the Association for Coaching, and by providing scholarship places on our open coach training courses.

To see videos of Carol’s conference presentations please click here. To see a video demonstration by Sir John Whitmore and Carol Wilson, click here.

Some testimonials from clients:

  • “Carol has a real passion for the work she undertakes in the coaching world, with an energy level that goes on and on.  The South East Coaching & Mentoring Network are honoured to work with Carol and her company as she has a deep knowledge and fantastic network which she embeds within all the work she undertakes.  Carol is an inspirational speaker and always a delight to listen to.” – Serena Cunningham, Business Learning & Development Advisor, Kent County Council
  • “It might seem an exaggerated claim but a fairly serendipitous encounter and then a training programme with Carol completely altered the direction and focus of my professional life. What I learned with and from her, allowed me to work with her team to develop revolutionary practice in a secondary educational context in the UK and subsequently in Hong Kong. Conservatively, 400 trained teachers and countless children have benefitted from a coaching approach to learning conversations, to professional development and to target setting. Coaching, training and leading as ‘Principal Coach’ has been the great joy of my last 15 years. It all began with Carol.” – Graham Silverthorne, Principal, South Island School, Hong Kong.
  • “Carol Wilson has literally been a life changing mentor to me! I met her on her free coaching course. She was friendly, curious and encouraging and, as a result, I felt comfortable enough to talk to her about my aspirations. Carol affirmed me, gave me great tips and most importantly opportunities and exposure. This has now led to me being self-employed and making money I’m proud of as a Coach and Trainer. As a mentor Carol is consistent in her commitment to me. Whenever I call upon her for advice or a business opportunity she can support me with, she has always been happy and willing to help. Being as candid as possible, without Carol’s help I wouldn’t have achieved my career goals and couldn’t support others as effectively as I can now.” – Jeffrey Wotherspoon, Coach, Trainer and Conflict Resolution Specialist   
  • “Carol Wilson and John Whitmore were the highlights for me.” – Catalyst Conference, Sydney, Australia