I started work with Virginia Mansell 18 months ago with a clear objective of working out how I could better fit into my new organization and work more collaboratively with my peers.
Virginia challenged me on how I thought, what I valued and what I needed to do to make the change…. Have things changed……. absolutely…… Now I feel like a different person, happier, calmer and much more effective with my peers, my team and my Senior Executive relationships. This resulted from the supportive and challenging journey of personal self-discovery Virginia assisted me with. The ultimate feedback on the change I have made came from my wife…she recently said to me “I fell in love with you, but I love so much more as the person you have become… .”
Managing Director,
International Airline Company
Virginia Mansell
Virginia brings over three decades of experience in business, leadership in HR and executive development. Her corporate experience – backed by a clinical skill-base – position her at the forefront of the executive coaching and leadership development profession. As Founding Partner of SMG, Virginia led the business as Chair and CEO to become one of the leading executive development firms in Australia and the APAC region.
As an organisational and clinical Psychologist for 30 years, executive coach and leadership development facilitator, Virginia understands the critical and complex business and leadership issues facing CEO’s, C-Suite and senior executives.
Virginia is a published author and her book “The Focused Executive” is a guide to enabling leaders to transition from operational management to strategic leadership. At SMG she has introduced a range of new programs, including ‘Advanced Leader as Coach’ (now the key training program for all SMG coaches and mentors), ‘Women’s leadership Program’, and ‘Leadership at the Peak’.
Approach
First and foremost, Virginia believes working with people in a holistic way within their specific context is critical to their personal and professional development. Working in the current context, understanding the business combined with a deep awareness of the psychodynamic-systemic approach at individual and organisational level, identifies challenges and issues which can then be addressed through appropriate interventions leading to significant long-term behavioural changes within the organisational system. She is committed to providing genuine, evidence based though leadership, ensuring her clients have access to the best practice thinking on how to effect change.
Qualifications
Virginia has a BA in Psychology and Statistics and a Postgraduate Degree in Counselling Psychology. She trained with Dr Anthony Grant at the University of Sydney’s Coaching Psychology Unit, contributed to the inaugural Standards Australia guidelines on organisational coaching and has , completed a “Leadership and Authority in Organisations” residential at the Tavistock Institute London and INSEAD’s “Leadership for Creativity” program, with Manfred Kets de Vries.
Virginia worked as an assessment psychologist whilst at the Cairnmillar institute and is accredited in the Centre for Creative Leadership Benchmarks® ), LEA 360, TLCP and Kantor Structural Dynamics Assessments as well as many additional leadership development tools. She is a Board Member of CoachLogix (San Diego) and Mentoring Officer, YPO Executive Committee (Sydney). Virginia is a Member Australian Psychological Society.
Personal Insights
Virginia remains active in the business and professional community. She enjoys spending time with extended family and friends, physical fitness – swimming, yoga, golf, snow skiing – travelling, cooking & reading.
