Cecilia Jones - Founder & Director
Coach • Mentor • Facilitator • People Strategist
Because managers are the linchpin — and when they thrive, organisations thrive.
For more than 25 years, I’ve worked alongside managers and leaders across government, health, Defence, not-for-profit and industry. And after all those years, one truth has stayed constant:
Managers sit at the centre of every organisation’s culture, performance, and wellbeing.
Just like the schoolteachers we never forget, managers leave a lasting mark - for better or worse. Their influence on people's experience at work runs deep.
That impact is powerful, whether positive or harmful, and the ripple effects extend far beyond a single team
This belief underpins everything I do.
Why I Do This Work
I’ve seen exceptional managers transform teams, stabilise organisations, and lift performance simply through the way they show up.
And I’ve seen the opposite - good people diminished, cultures strained, and organisations derailed by poor or unsupported management practice.
These patterns aren’t random.
They come down to one thing: the quality of development and support managers receive.
What Makes the Difference?
The right kind of development - development and support that builds clarity, capability, and confidence in real-world conditions, not in hypothetical scenarios.
Too often, managers are promoted without support, handed responsibility without guidance, or offered training that has little relevance to the messy reality of their daily work.
My work is about changing that.
I design development that is practical, grounded, human, and connected to the complexities managers face every day.
Real conversations. Real capability building.
Real shifts in how people show up.
What Makes My Approach Different
I’m not simply a coach, or just a facilitator, or a consultant who drops in, delivers a program, and disappears.
I bring a depth of organisational, people management, and leadership experience earned over decades - from ICU Nurse Manager to senior Human Resources leader to independent consultant overseeing strategic people projects across complex systems.
This means:
I understand the realities managers face: pressure, politics, complexity, competing demands.
I know how organisational systems actually work - the formal levers and the informal ones.
I’ve seen what supports managers to grow, and what gets in their way.
And I know how to translate theory into practice in a way that sticks.
When I work with organisations, I bring managers along, building their understanding of people strategy, capability development, and leadership practice so they can sustain the change long after I’ve gone.
My work is practical, relational, evidence-based, and anchored in lived experience. And I know what helps managers genuinely shift their practice.
How I Work
Whether I’m coaching an individual manager, facilitating a team, or designing people strategy, my focus is always the same:
Clarity
What matters most, what needs attention, and what needs to shift.
Capability
The skills, tools, and frameworks to lead in complex systems.
Confidence
The presence, influence, and judgement to lead well.
I create space for reflection, learning, challenge, and growth and I do it in a way that is warm, grounded, and human.
Across all my work, the goal is the same:
To help managers and leaders make purposeful, sustainable shifts that improve how they lead themselves, their people, and their systems.
Who I Work With
I work with:
Senior and middle managers navigating complex people and project responsibilities
Leaders shaping culture, strategy, and organisational change
Teams wanting to strengthen communication, influence, and collaboration
HR and senior executives needing fit-for-purpose people strategies and capability uplift
Whether you need support for yourself, your team, or your organisation, I meet you where you’re at — and help you build clarity, capability, and confidence in the areas that matter most.
Qualifications & Professional Memberships
Certified Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute (FCPHR)
Accredited Executive Coach
Accredited Conflict Coach (LEADR)
Accredited DiSC assessor
Masters of Education
Grad. Diploma, Business Leadership
Bachelor of Education
Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI)
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL)
Ready to Explore Working Together?
Let’s talk about what you need right now — and what will make the biggest difference next.
Testimonials