Partner Story: Katherine Sturley
Where were you born?
Vancouver, Canada
What did you do before becoming a coach/consultant/facilitator?
Many things! In terms of career, I started in banking working as a teller in Vancouver - we were one of the last financial institutions to convert to central cash machines. Then I moved to France with the intention of becoming bilingual and returning to Canada to work in government (I wanted to work for Canadian intelligence (CSIS)).
Alas, that didn’t happen as I stayed in London for a few years first working on the Eurostar trains speaking French every day and traveling to Paris or Brussels, then in marketing at a boutique luxury hotel in South Kensington, Blakes. Marketing became my focus (as did my new husband!), and after completing marketing studies I worked as a Marketing Executive at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, on London’s outskirts.
This was followed by some traveling and arriving in Sydney, Australia in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics. I found myself working in HR, recruiting the paid workforce for the Olympics. I continued with Adecco post Olympics as a recruitment officer specialising in banking.
We travelled again and next thing I knew we were in Quebec City, Canada, and I began the journey into adult education. Upon arriving in Perth a few years later I wove this varied experience together by completing the Certificate in Training and Assessing and starting at Stirling Business College as a lecturer delivering units in marketing and business, including leadership and management.
Leadership became my passion prompting me to further studies, this time a Master of Business Leadership (MBL) at Curtin Graduate Business School. From there I joined MODAL as RTO Manager and Leadership Development Consultant. Now, as an independent Leadership Development Consultant I contract to provide leadership coaching, facilitate leadership development programs, and continue my role as training and assessor on accredited programs. I love it all!
What is an interest fact about you?
My interest in leadership was sparked early on. While working at the bank in Vancouver, because we were one of the last financial institutions holding cash in our drawers we were targeted, and I was held at gunpoint three times over two months!
The first time the robbers wore ghoulish masks as it was close to Halloween and I still remember the surreal moments of them entering the relatively quiet space of the bank and yelling, ‘Everyone down!’
The third time we were held up one of my colleagues was on a break in the staff room at the back and was too afraid to come out when they called for her drawer to be opened. It was in that moment that I realised that even though I was the youngest and least experienced worker in the room someone had to take charge and, as no one else was, I did. This experience piqued my interested in leadership - what motivates behaviours and how the effect of creating a space for conscious choice can be so impactful.