Skillpod Guru Index

Connect with industry experts who can contribute to growing your people, your team, and your business. Whether you're looking for specialised knowledge or guidance on unconscious bias or personal coaching, our curated network of professionals is here to support your team's growth. Tap into their expertise to inspire innovation, foster development, and drive meaningful change in your organisation.

Meet Helene

Leadership today is more complex than ever and can become all consuming. Resourcing yourself, finding clarity, focus, and a way forward to achieve meaningful impact can feel challenging. That’s where coaching with Helene Deschamps comes in. With global business experience and advanced coaching expertise, Helene helps you channel your energy, cut through the noise, uncover your unique strengths, and make confident decisions aligned with your goals and the impact you seek.

Connect with Helene on Linkedin

Helene is best known for her ability to empower leaders and teams across cultures to navigate complex challenges with skill, confidence and authenticity. With extensive global business experience across diverse industries and expertise in unconscious bias, decision-making, and inclusive leadership, she helps clients achieve impactful growth whilst sustainably looking after themselves.

As well as an executive and leadership coach, Helene is also a fractional executive and part of the executive leadership team of Vulcan Ltd, publicly listed company in Australia and New Zealand. She practices leadership and driving results everyday.

Helene’s evidence-based coaching approach is rooted in neuroscience, creating a supportive yet challenging environment that fosters trust, self-awareness, actionable insights and accountability. She’s celebrated for facilitating meaningful transformations that align personal strengths with real-world success.

Helene can help with:

  • Next level leadership development
  • Inclusive leadership
  • One on One and Team coaching
  • Decision-Making & Driving results
  • Confidence & Resilience Building
  • Effective communication and leadership presence
  • Unconscious Bias and Culture
  • Career Transitions

Contact:
helene@changingnow.co.nz | +64 (0)275 624 540 | www.changingnow.co.nz

Meet Carly

Carly Shorter is a dynamic communication expert and leadership trainer with a unique background spanning radio broadcasting and sales management. With over 14 years of experience in media and leadership, Carly has created Communicate Powerfully, specialising in transformative communication training across Australasia.

Connect with Carly on Linkedin

Carly's expertise ranges from helping emerging leaders build confidence to supporting teams in developing critical communication skills. Carly's training workshops address key challenges like overcoming fear of public speaking, improving emotional intelligence, and enhancing professional relationships. Drawing from her experience of doubling an organisation's size through effective communication, she offers practical, engaging training programs including workshops, coaching, and team development sessions.

Renowned for her energetic and insightful facilitation style, Carly works with organisations to unlock team potential through communication skills training, CliftonStrengths workshops, and leadership development. Her approach is consistently praised for delivering tangible, life-changing skills that transform workplace interactions and individual performance.

Carly's specialties include:

  • Communication style training
  • Leadership development
  • Presentation skills
  • Conflict resolution
  • Team engagement strategies

Contact: carly@communicatepowerfully.com | Mobile: 0272 359 575

Meet Darryn

Whether you're feeling stuck, seeking direction, or ready to transform your life, coaching can be the catalyst that helps you break through personal barriers and unlock your true potential. Darryn’s approach to coaching  is all about creating personalised, meaningful support that meets you exactly where you are.  It’s about holding the space for you to do some future focussed thinking and planning.

Connect with Darryn on Linkedin

For Darryn coaching is about deep, authentic growth – helping you understand yourself better, overcome limiting beliefs, and develop practical strategies that create lasting change. Whether you're navigating career transitions, personal challenges, or looking to build confidence, the journey is about discovering your own unique strengths and path forward.

Darryn's coaching brings a holistic perspective that connects personal insights with real-world action. It's not about telling you what to do, but empowering you to make meaningful choices that align with your true self.

Here's what Darryn can elp you with:

  • Personal Development
  • Confidence Building
  • Life Transitions
  • Goal Achievement
  • Self-Discovery

Contact: darryngrayconsulting@gmail.com | Mobile: 0273563205

Meet Mel

Melissa Frerk is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and business coach with over 20 years of experience in leadership, strategy, and team development across diverse industries. As the founder of Polish, Melissa empowers individuals and organisations to embrace resilience, growth, and innovation to thrive in a competitive world.

Connect with Mel on Linkedin

Mel's expertise spans leadership development, communication skills, and business growth strategies. She is passionate about helping leaders align their values, build resilience, and inspire their teams to achieve exceptional results. Melissa's workshops and coaching sessions address real-world challenges, giving participants actionable insights to drive personal and organisational success.

Having successfully led teams through one of New Zealand's most prominent brand and technology transformations and co-founded a tech business, Melissa combines practical experience with strategic vision. Her keynote presentations and coaching programs are tailored to inspire and guide leaders at every stage of their journey, fostering a culture of adaptability and innovation.

Mel's specialties are:

  • Leadership development
  • Business resilience strategies
  • Growth mindset coaching
  • Effective communication skills
  • Team alignment and engagement

Contact: melissa@polish.nz | Mobile: 021 64 64 89

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