Colette Barratt, Coach-Facilitator-Leadership

In 2001, Colette fulfilled a long-term ambition to join the army and attend the world renowned leadership course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On Commissioning, working with the Royal Engineer Corp brought about the challenges and opportunities she had hoped for as a young girl.

Her key role as a Troop Commander during a short deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003 saw Colette as the only female within the Squadron. Deployed to little more than a dusty grassland, she worked with her Troop to deliver a construction project in an austere and dangerous environment. Other deployments saw Colette working in Northern Afghanistan, where again, she was the project lead for a large construction project, liaising with local suppliers and again, in remote and challenging conditions. Colette’s third deployment was to Southern Afghanistan, as a Squadron Second in Command, pulling on all her skills and experiences to ensure the safe and smooth operational running of the Squadron while under extremely difficult situations.

In 2008, Colette resigned her Commission and switched focus to the Learning and Development profession. Her experiences include a role in Abu Dhabi, initially as a team leader in a remote Southern location. Her responsibility was to deliver a Youth Development Programme to local Emirates with a core team of specialised trainers. Within a year, Colette was promoted to Regional Manager, working with 40 staff to deliver the programme to 12 different locations across Abu Dhabi. This role stretched Colette’s skills in communication, team development, staff development and led her to work at strategic level planning for the programmes success.

Since returning the UK in 2014, Colette has been working as a freelance coach, trainer and facilitator working with a rich and diverse client base. She utilises her military and industry experience to provide realistic and tangible management development solutions. Drawing on her own challenges, successes and failures to develop working professionals skills, knowledge and performance. She is passionate about coaching and has seen incredible change through the support and framework she can provide with insightful and transformational sessions.